Decarbonisation: aid mainly benefits companies that are already committed (French Court of Auditors)

In its report "Les aides à la décarbonation de l'industrie du plan de relance et de France 2030" (Aid for the decarbonisation of industry under the recovery plan and France 2030), published on 10/03/2026, the Cour des Comptes (French State Audit Office) notes that manufacturing companies receiving aid for the decarbonisation of industry under the recovery plan and France 2030 are seeing an increase in investment in decarbonisation and a fall in emissions.

The analysis covers a package of aid worth €3.4 billion for the deployment of decarbonisation technologies on industrial sites between 2020 and 2024, while the Cour des Comptes estimates that €5 billion a year will be needed between 2025 and 2030 for industry to meet its targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In its assessment, the Court focused on three issues: the consistency of the decarbonisation aid provided for in France 2030 with other public schemes, its targeting, and its impact on the beneficiary companies.

The report points out, among other things, that "in 2024, manufacturing industry is the third largest…