Adaptation in the state budget

While France must adapt to the unavoidable consequences of climate disruption, it is necessary to monitor the financial resources that the State devotes to it. However, as the Senate’s Foresight Delegation pointed out in 2019, the issue of financing adaptation is characterised by a lack of clarity on the level of needs and the amounts allocated. Under these conditions, it is difficult for parliamentarians and the executive to steer France’s action in this area and for all stakeholders to participate in an informed public debate.  

This publication is only available in French

In September of this year, the government published its Green Budget, Environmental Impact Report, which marks a turning point. The administration has identified all of the expenditures in the 2021 budget that support six environmental goals, including adaptation. What can we learn from this? What are the issues that public decision makers and, more generally, stakeholders concerned about France’s climate resilience should keep in mind when examining the State’s budget? 

In this Climate Brief, I4CE critically analyses the treatment of adaptation in France’s Green Budget and identifies three challenges for its consideration in future budget debates: 

• Preserving the capacity for action of the main public adaptation operators. 
• Better consideration of adaptation in certain policies that mobilise large budgets. 
• The appearance of new expenditure items for adaptation.