Climate change mitigation - State and impacts (France)

Temperature change in France

In France as in the rest of the world, the last decade has seen a systematic increase in the mean temperature for 1971-2000, and seven of the ten hottest years since 1901. According to Météo-France, the average increase in temperatures in France during the twentieth century is around 0.9°C. The warming is more pronounced in the south than in the north of the country. Minimum temperatures have also increased more (from 0.9 to 1.5 C) than maximum ones (from 0.3 to 1.1°C).

Example of impact: the retreat of the Alpine glaciers

The Alpine region has proved to be particularly sensitive to global warming. Like many mountain areas, the Alps are home to a wide variety of flora and fauna and numerous protected species that are especially sensitive to variations in climate. The Alps are also seen as Europe’s water tower, feeding several major European rivers, thanks to their mantle and glaciers. The regression of these glaciers should lead to a reconsideration of how water resources are managed in the Alpine region.

The reduction in the mass of the Alpine glaciers has not been uniform over time. The sharp drops (as a consequence of winters with little snow and hot summers) has been interspersed with short periods of growth.

Example of impact: changes in numbers of birds over-wintering in France

The greylag goose (Anser anser) is over-wintering in increasing numbers at protected sites in France. European populations of nesting birds also increased significantly in the period 1990-2000. Although the monitoring of protected sites has undoubtedly improved and the number of birds has increased, one of the other explanations put forward is that this is due to climate change which enables the birds to overwinter, no longer only in southern Europe, but also at higher latitudes, and notably in France. The consequent reduction in migratory journeys would then have a positive effect on the reproduction of these species. This increase in over-wintering began at the end of the 1980s, at which time a significant increase in mean annual (and in particular winter) temperatures was noted in France. The rise in the population accelerated sharply towards the middle of the 1990s.

Change in the numbers of greylag geese in France over-wintering in protected sites

Sources: Bird Protection League (Ligue de Protection des Oiseaux, LPO); Wetlands International; Ifen, ONERC.