France is offering limited autonomy for enterprises to adjust to energy sobriety. A one‑month window is being granted for specific groups to implement their own energy‑saving precautions. This was announced on Monday afternoon by Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne during the keynote of the MEDEF summer university. The plan invites companies to present an energy‑sobriety strategy for September. The objective is a 10% reduction in electricity consumption within the next two years.
“Everyone should contribute in their own way. We are entering an era of collective responsibility. Our immediate priority is to avoid unnecessary consumption,” Borne stated at Longchamp racecourse in the Bois de Boulogne, a western Paris neighborhood known for its affluence. Despite President Emmanuel Macron’s warnings of significant sacrifices, France has taken a measured approach to sobriety. Public buildings keep air conditioning to 26°C and heating to 19°C, though these limits do not apply in stores, company offices, or public transport.
Wide support for businesses
The current stance represents a broad government approach, encouraging private sector adaptation to the energy crisis and the broader spillover of the Ukraine conflict. The strategy mirrors the flexibility seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the government allowed businesses to determine their own telework practices rather than enforcing a nationwide policy.
Looking ahead, the government plans to review private sector sobriety plans by early October and has signaled the possibility of further measures if those plans fall short. “If responsibility is not taken, the country could face gas cuts with serious economic and social consequences,” the prime minister warned. A government information campaign will also outline individual steps citizens can take to curb consumption. France’s reduced dependence on Russian gas places it in a different position from some neighbors, such as Germany and Italy, but the energy challenge remains pressing.
As Borne noted, the country is not yet out of the woods. About half of the nuclear reactors are currently not in service, and electricity prices surpassed 1,000 euros per megawatt hour at times this past week. France maintains some distance from its neighbors on energy policy, notably on nuclear power and the MidCat gas pipeline. The government supports expanding storage capacity and emphasizes domestic gas terminals as part of its approach to energy resilience.
Ecological planning
Alongside sobriety measures, the Prime Minister announced preparations for an autumn program called ecological planning. This program aligns with a Green New Deal philosophy focused on forests, water, and power generation with minimal CO2 emissions. The aim is to ensure that ecological transitions steer both private and public investments toward sustainability.
Geoffroy Roux de Bézieux, president of MEDEF, described a need to reframe production and consumption to meet CO2 reduction targets. He acknowledged the challenge of shifting mindsets in a globalized economy and spent considerable time defending familiar reforms associated with neoliberal economics, including tax considerations and labor market deregulation. Some elements, such as a proposed law, are already on the government’s rentrée agenda as part of unemployment compensation discussions.
In addition to Borne, participants at the MEDEF opening included the Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Tunisian Prime Minister Najla Bouden. A video address from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was also shared. Catalan and Corsican independence discussions were highlighted as part of related dialogues at the MEDEF summer meeting.
[Citation: MEDEF summer university address and accompanying briefing materials.]