"Decarbonisation will be achieved with industry and through industry" (French Minister for Industry)

"France will pursue industrial decarbonisation without sacrificing competitiveness", said Sébastien Martin, Delegate Minister for Industry at the French Ministry of the Economy, during a seminar on 12/12/2025.

The seminar aimed to assess whether Europe’s carbon market framework, and in particular the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), could reconcile climate ambition with the economic viability of European industry. Bringing together policymakers, economists, industrial leaders and MEPs, the discussions focused on cost competitiveness, international competition, investment signals, and the conditions under which decarbonisation can translate into reindustrialisation rather than carbon leakage.

The seminar concluded that decarbonisation can strengthen European industry only if carbon pricing is combined with strong protective mechanisms, predictable regulation and targeted public support. Without effective CBAM enforcement, regulatory simplicity and a clear industrial strategy, climate ambition risks accelerating deindustrialisation…