Local and regional authorities’ expenditures to achieve carbon neutrality

Context :

Local and regional authorities have key competences to achieve national carbon neutrality objectives. For example, they define and implement decarbonised mobility strategies, whether it be public transport, the creation of new cycle paths and pedestrian lanes, or the installation of charging stations for electric vehicles. They are responsible for accelerating the energy renovation of housing by running the public service for housing energy performance (SPPEH). They also have key competences in the field of spatial planning in general. And last but not least, they have the leverage to lead and coordinate climate actions by companies and citizens thanks to their proximity to the actors in their territories. Moreover, local and regional authorities account for 70% of civil public investment, i.e. €47 billion in 2015. They therefore have a significant role to play to contribute to the rise of climate investments in France needed to reach the climate objectives of the National Low-Carbon Strategy (SNBC).

To fulfil this role and contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the SNBC, local and regional authorities’ climate investment and expenditures will have to increase in many sectors. In order to trigger these investments and develop projects, local and regional authorities also need human resources to carry out local planning, coordination and consultation, to define transition trajectories and structure projects. They also need expertise and technical and financial engineering. All this implies an increase in dedicated operating expenditures.

Objectives :

The objective of the project is to provide an estimate of the investments and operating expenditures of local and regional authorities that will be needed to achieve the objectives of the SNBC. This estimate will be based on the cumulative needs on a national scale for different sectors (building, transport, etc.). The project should thus make it possible to specify and complete the figures from the Landscape of climat finance and provide a first estimate of the need for operating expenditures.

This estimate of the needs in investments and operating expenditures of local and regional authorities is essential to ensure that they have the financial and human means sufficient to achieve the national climate objectives.

Period :

summer 2021 – spring 2022