Today's Date:

Serge Lepeltier welcomes the entry into force in France, on January 1, 2005, of the National Allocation Plan for greenhouse gas emission allowances for industry and the energy sector [in accordance with the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS)].

Indeed, France is one of the European countries whose allocation plans have been officially approved by Brussels.

This plan is the fruit of over a year’s work by the Ministry for Ecology and Sustainable Development and the other ministries, industrial federations and European Commission, on defining emissions ceilings for around 1,300 industrial sites in France.

The scheme covers the glass, cement, paper, ceramics, tile and brick, steel, energy-production and gas-transport industries, along with all major heating systems including those of airports, hospitals and universities.

By February 28, at the latest, the French businesses concerned will receive their CO2 allowances on the National Allocations Register managed by the Caisse des dépôts et consignations [French savings and banking institution which manages National Savings Bank funds and local community funds], which they will then be able to trade. This plan limits emissions to 2.4% below the reduced levels already voluntarily agreed by businesses and should save over 3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide every year.

In addition to the Allocation Plan, the timetable for the fight against climate change becomes genuinely effective in 2005 in the framework of the Climate Plan:

- February 16, will mark the official entry into force of the Kyoto Protocol (which sets the countries targets for 2012);

- an international meeting on the post-2012 period will take place in Bonn in May, following the Buenos Aires conference;

- before the summer, the G8 under British presidency will be devoted to climate change.

For the Ecology Minister, Serge Lepeltier, "2005 has to be, more than ever before, the year of progress in the fight against the greenhouse effect"./.