On the Bordeaux-Cestas-Nord Highway rest area, in Cestas (Gironde), July 5, 2025. JEAN MAURICE CHACUN/« SUD OUEST »/MAXPPP
Is the fight against climate change a luxury? For millions of households, it requires costly investments, such as replacing cars or renovating homes. These are necessary not only to reduce greenhouse gas emissions but also to strengthen France's sovereignty amid growing international conflicts. The French government reiterated this in late April, unveiling an electrification plan that calls for multiplying heat pump installations by six while accelerating the shift to cleaner vehicles.
Yet the notion of punitive environmental policies, supposedly reserved for the wealthiest, has not taken root in public debate, especially among the right and far right. Is it justified? In a report released Thursday, May 7, the Institute for Climate Economics (I4CE) offered new insights, highlighting household savings.
The think tank updated part of its "Observatory of Access to the Energy Transition," which tracks the economic benefits of low-carbon solutions for housing and mobility. It examined two typical families with two children, both homeowners and reliant on their cars: one lower-middle-class rural family with €3,900 monthly disposable income, and another upper-middle-class suburban family with €4,700.
