European Economic
and Social Committee
France
National Strategy / Action Plan
There is no National Strategy / Action Plan in France
CSO platform(s)
Lead Government Body
national ESC(s)
SD council or equivalent
Performance
There is no Performance in France
Summary
- Civil society organisations have a substantial formal role in sustainability policy issues
- National Sustainable Development Strategy is being updated to reflect SDGs
Description of the initiative
Actors
Actors
Inter-ministerial Delegate for Sustainable Development
Inter-ministerial Delegate for Sustainable Development
Institutional framework
Institutional framework
The Inter-ministerial Delegate for SD is also Commissioner General for Sustainable Development, with a team of 500 civil servants. Both the nESC and the National Council for Ecological Transition are advisory bodies with which the French government engages regularly. While not an SD council per se, the National Committee on Development and International Solidarity is also consulted on development cooperation and foreign policy.
France has a short-term sustainable development strategy up to 2020 that was launched before the SDGs.
- A national plan (roadmap) for 2030 is being prepared around four axis: 2030 horizon, approach by SDG, mobilisation of actors, monitoring and implementation.
- SDGs have not yet been integrated explicitly into policy documents.
- Ministries are currently reviewing their policies and performing gap analyses to integrate SDGs.
- SD strategy incorporates some SDG aspects without mentioning them directly.
- Main step appears to be establishing a steering committee and integrating SDGs into the activities of existing bodies, e.g. the National Council on ecological transition.
Role of civil society
Role of civil society
CNTE is actively involved in drafting a future sustainable development strategy.
Government has held online consultations and workshops with civil society on SDG implementation in France over the last two years.
Employers (11), employees (8) and various interests (17) sit on the Council.
Comité 21 is a network of 450 businesses, local authorities, NGOs, public institutes and HEIs structured around four priorities:
- Social responsibility,
- Sustainable territories,
- Future prospects,
- International measures.
They have publish two relevant reports:
- 2017 report on SDG appropriation by non-state actors in France.
- 2018 report on SDG appropriation, specifically on how French civil society mobilises to take stock of the appropriation of SDGs in France
SD council or equivalent
SD council or equivalent
SD has fallen within its remit since it was set up in 2013 by government decree 2013-753. This stipulates that the CNTE will:
- provide recommendations on national sustainable development strategy;
- assist in devising, monitoring and evaluating the objectives of national sustainability strategies;
- contribute to the drafting of position papers for international negotiations on environmental and SD policy;
- express its opinion on any issues relating to SD on its own initiative.
The government decree stipulates that the CNTE:
- provides recommendations on national sustainable development strategy;
- assists in preparing, monitoring and evaluating the objectives of national sustainability strategies;
- contributes to the drafting of position papers for international negotiations on environmental and SD policy;
- expresses its opinion on any issue relating to SD on its own initiative.
- Membership: government (19), employers (11), employees (8), various interests (17) and nESC (1).
- CNTE primarily conveys the views of non-governmental stakeholders on national policy, informing the ministries that will then implement national SD policy.
- Because the CNTE has a very broad representation, it can take stock of the situation on the ground, which can be of use when preparing, implementing or evaluating a policy as well as allowing for a more integrated approach to policy making.
- Meets every two months.
- CNTE secretariat is part of the general commission for sustainable development and so does not have an independent budget.
National Economic & Social Councils
National Economic & Social Council
Constitutional law No 2008-724 of 23 July 2008 adds the "environmental" adjective to the "Economic and Social Committee". This gives the Committee the capacity to express its opinion on environmental issues.
nESC has also been involved in discussions about SDG mainstreaming with different departments of the French government, notably MFA.
The nESC primarily represents the economic, social and environmental sectors in order to inform, shape and review government policy. It advocates for an integrated approach to policy making by promoting cooperation between different socio-professional interest groups.
PM asked nESC to write an opinion on:
- 2030 Agenda and French international development policy;
- Environmental and solidary transition at local level.
Publications:
- Climat-énergie: la France doit se donner les moyens. Avis sur les projets de Stratégie nationale bas-carbone et de Programmation pluriannuelle de l'énergie
- L'affichage environnemental, levier pour la mise en oeuvre de l'économie circulaire
- Demain, la finance durable: comment accélerer la mutation du secteur financier vers une plus grande responsabilité sociale et environnementale?
- L'innovation en agriculture
- La biodiversité en haute-mer
- Comment accélerer la transition énergétique? Avis sur la mise en oeuvre de la loi relative à la transition énergétique pour la croissance verte (LTECV)
- La transition écologique et solidaire à l'échelon local
- La qualité de l'habitat, condition environnementale du bien- être et du mieux vivre ensemble
Monitoring & Evaluation
Monitoring & Evaluation
UN SDSN SDG Index Country Profile
France ranks 4th in the SDG global ranking of 2019
National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE) began publishing indicators in March 2017.
INSEE works with the National Council for Statistical Information to develop national indicators, and has published a list of 98 indicators. List of national indicators here.
CNTE has a working group on SD indicators.
The Voluntary National Review was published in 2016. It focuses on France's current policy work in the field of sustainable development. It highlights the three areas in which France has been very proactive: climate, green growth and employment, and considered where France needs to make a stronger effort: social inequalities and participatory democracy.
France's VNR can be accessed here.
In 2017, France presented a voluntary review (point d'étape) on its implementation of 7 SDGs: no poverty (1), zero hunger (2), gender equality (5), industry, innovation and infrastructures (9), life below water (14) and partnerships for the goals (17)
In 2018, France presented a voluntary review (point d'étape) on its implementation of 6 SDGs: clean water and sanitation (6), affordable and clean energy (7), sustainable cities and communities (11), responsible consumption and production (12), life on land (15) and partnerships for the goals (12).