Environment

News updates on environmental issues affecting life in France, from green transport initiatives to being eco-friendly at home.

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Got a question about nature or the environment in France? Get in touch at news@connexionfrance.com

A wind turbine on the side of a hill in rolling country

French eco-villages find way to combat depopulation

Imagination, commitment and hard work can help rebuild rural life as these three villages in Dordogne and Limousin show

Join battle in France to stop butterfly extinction

The survival of some of nature’s most beautiful creatures is in your hands. Jane Hanks looks at how the drop in butterfly numbers can be reversed

Pay-per-bag waste tax to start in France

Dordogne is to become the first department to charge all its households a separate bill for waste disposal.

French company makes glasses from unwanted seashells

Unwanted seashells reborn as frames for sunglasses

French company finds way of wasting less food

Waste not, want not is key to kitchen savings

Recycling in France by using Ressourceries and reusing

“Rubbish” is being given a second chance of life, thanks to a network of 157 Ressourceries spread throughout the country.

New French government site helps for old objects

Don’t throw out your old possessions!

How green is your electricity in France?

Energy companies which claim to offer “green electricity” should be checked and receive a “premium” label if they are truly green, says Ademe, the state agency responsible for promoting eco-friendly living in France.

Green rebirth for older cars in France

It will soon be possible for the owners of older petrol or diesel cars to have the engines taken out and replaced with electric motors and batteries.

Last chance to claim eco-friendly cash for French home

Many better-off households are likely to lose their eligibility for the long-standing system of tax credits for eco-friendly home improvements and renovations next year – so if affected you may want to undertake work while 2019 lasts.

Ban hunting on private land

According to the main French law covering ecology and rural life - le Code de l’environnement - no one has the right to hunt on the property of others without the consent of the owner. However, very often hunting is carried out on land by default and it is necessary to show your wish to prohibit it.

French trainers made of sea-dumped plastic

Two friends, shocked at the amount of plastic dumped in the Mediterranean off Marseille, have set up a business – turning bottles into trainers.

New €200m energy-saving scheme aims to cut red tape

A €200million project aims to encourage householders to save energy – after several expensive initiatives failed to persuade them to invest in home improvements.

What is French éco-participation fee?

And how does it work?

Paris rooftop farm will yield tonne of fruit and veg

The world’s largest urban farm will open on a rooftop in Paris next year.

Anger at green light for wind power

If all the projects are built – a total of 150 individual turbines – they will produce enough electricity to supply 268,000 households

French state ‘at fault’ over pollution

The state has been found “at fault” for failing to take sufficient measures to reduce air pollution in two separate cases.

Hybrid solar panels produce more than twice the energy

Hybrid solar panels, invented and made in France and combining photovoltaic and water heating, are leading the way in efficiency.

France calling for kerosene tax

France is calling for Europe-wide taxation of kerosene – the fuel used by planes – to reduce pollution and help with carbon neutrality.

Help wild animals survive the heatwave

As temperatures continue to rise, animals like humans need to stay hydrated.

Can I still use a glyphosate weedkiller in my garden?

I have several containers of glyphosate herbicide in stock which I plan to use in my garden. However I have read conflicting information about this, some of which says that it is banned in France. I thought a ban had been put off for several years. Can you clarify? P.T.

What can I have an eco tax credit for?

What home improvements are now eligible for a tax credit? It seems to have changed a lot recently. G.T.

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