Recycling carbon revenues: transforming costs into opportunities

2025 begins with a new French government and a new budget debate, but with the same challenge as last year: how to reduce the deficit without putting the brakes on investment in the climate transition? Climate investments are the best investments we can make, according to the new Minister of Economy Éric Lombard. He’s right: any delay weakens our energy security and our position in the international race for cleantech, not to mention the pace of decarbonisation of our economy.

To tackle the challenges of competitiveness and well-being of future generations, Europe needs to accelerate the climate transition. This will require sizable investment, both public and private. National governments must thus embrace and the EU must facilitate investments in climate transition. As the next European Commission prepares to take office, the challenges facing the College are stark. The recent report by Mario Draghi makes clear that there is an urgent need to invest in European competitiveness and innovation, while accelerating the decarbonization of the continent’s economy, to avoid a “slow agony of decline” for the block.

The ecological transition can only happen if all households have access to solutions – public transport, electric vehicles, home insulation, heating upgrades, etc. The issue of the access to transition solutions is therefore crucial for climate policies. Special attention should be paid to low- and middle-income households, as the necessary investments may not be sustainable for them.