Massive rollback of ESG rules in Europe under the Von der Leyen era
• Since Ursula von der Leyen's re-election as head of the European Commission in 2024, 20 environmental and health deregulations have been adopted and 30 more are in preparation, according to a report published in July 2026 by a coalition of ten French NGOs.
• This rollback, facilitated by a majority alliance between right-wing and far-right groups in the European Parliament, affects the European Green Deal, weakens corporate obligations, and delays the fight against deforestation and climate change.
• The NGOs are calling for citizen mobilization against an approach that prioritizes economic competitiveness at the expense of social and environmental issues.
Source: Reporterre – "50 reculs sur l'environnement : le grand saccage de la droite et de l'extrême droite européennes"
The High Council for Climate warns: France poorly adapted to climate chaos
• On July 9, 2026, the High Council for Climate published a report flagging the serious inadequacy of French climate policy, with emission reductions and low-carbon investments deemed clearly insufficient, notably in agriculture, transport, building, and adaptation.
• This delay exposes society to worsening climate impacts such as excess mortality, school disruption, agricultural losses, and increased vulnerability of precarious populations.
• In response to the alert, the HCC urged the government to strengthen its actions, while budget cuts persist in key adaptation programs.
Source: Reporterre – "La politique climatique de la France est très insuffisante, alerte le Haut Conseil pour le climat"
Port of Nantes: decarbonization or major health risks?
• In the Nantes-Saint-Nazaire seaport area, several 'low-carbon' industrial projects, such as the Coastline West cement plant and the GOCO2 capture system, were approved despite challenges over their environmental and health impacts, notably emissions of substances of very high concern and the destruction of natural habitats.
• These initiatives draw criticism from associations and residents over increased health risks and nuisances in a context of local excess mortality.
• While the state aims for a drastic reduction in CO2 emissions, the area continues to develop highly polluting strategic activities, with no clear deadline for phasing out fossil fuels and no permanent health-monitoring plan.
Source: Reporterre – "On ne parle pas des autres polluants : le mirage de la décarbonation du port de Saint-Nazaire"
Heat at work: the CGT demands an immediate strengthening of the law
• The CGT and CFDT called for an urgent strengthening of legislation to protect workers exposed to heatwaves, following heat episodes that caused more than 2,000 excess deaths and at least three employee deaths in late June 2026.
• The unions highlighted the inadequacy of current regulations and the absence of immediate sanctions for failing companies, while the government favored sector-specific agreements to be finalized by October 2026.
• This mobilization aims to develop sector-based, negotiated action plans, operational before the 2027 heatwave, to address a systemic challenge for occupational health.
Source: Le Monde – "Canicule au travail : la CGT veut un changement d'urgence de la loi ; le gouvernement, des accords par métier"
The data-center energy dilemma pits France against the rest of Europe
• On July 3, 2026, the Danish government announced it would establish a hierarchy of access to the electricity grid, giving priority to essential uses such as households, health, defense, and renewables, while data centers would be placed at the bottom of the list.
• This decision responded to grid saturation, which could not handle the rising demand tied to the proliferation of digital projects, exposing a risk to the continuity of vital services and the management of energy scarcity.
• By contrast, France pursued a policy of attracting data centers, facilitating their establishment despite growing opposition and warnings about their ecological and energy impact amid the rise of artificial intelligence.
Source: Novethic – "Face à un réseau saturé, le Danemark fait passer les data centers après les usages essentiels"
Heatwave: the SNCF faces a durable, underfunded rail challenge
• On the weekend of July 4-5, 2026, the SNCF anticipated major rail-traffic disruptions due to the heatwave, after already cancelling 10% of trains in late June despite mobilizing 35,000 staff.
• These difficulties resulted from the deformation of rails and catenaries under the heat, breakdowns on older trainsets, and delayed equipment renewal, heavily affecting passengers and network organization.
• The slow pace of investment and the scale of climate change amplified these issues, leading the SNCF to strengthen monitoring and consider increasing adaptation budgets, without funding being fully guaranteed.
Source: Reporterre – "Voies qui flambent, caténaires dilatées… Pourquoi les retards de train se multiplient pendant la canicule"
French hospitals face a major climate challenge
• The June 2026 heatwave exposed the inadequacy of hospitals in France in the face of extreme temperatures, forcing patients and caregivers to endure unbearable conditions and prolonging hospital stays.
• This situation highlighted the vulnerability of healthcare facilities, as more than 60% of hospital infrastructure is dilapidated.
• In response, the government announced urgent aid of €100 million and a doubling of the adaptation budget, targeting €600 million over ten years.
Source: Le Monde – "La mortalité à l'hôpital à cause de la chaleur, un sujet sensible déjà documenté lors de la canicule de 2003"
Fewer ESG resolutions in 2026 despite shareholder pushback
• The 2026 annual general meetings of large listed groups saw a decline in the number of environmental, social, and governance resolutions, amid growing rejection of ESG.
• Some investors, however, directly challenged boards of directors, illustrating new modes of shareholder engagement and tensions on topics such as climate, human rights, or artificial intelligence.
• This mixed assessment underscores an evolution in influence strategies and a repositioning of stakeholders in the systemic transformation of companies.
Source: Novethic – "Bilan des AG 2026 : notre infographie exclusive des principales résolutions ESG"
End of climate-adaptation programs: a major setback
• The French government dissolved the GIP-EPAU and ended research programs on the adaptation of housing and territories to heatwave episodes, despite mobilization by elected officials, scientists, and urban planners.
• This decision came as many cities and towns were experiencing significant warming, exposing their residents to health risks and worsening environmental problems.
• The halt of these initiatives, which fostered interdisciplinary cooperation for a systemic response to the climate crisis, raises serious concerns about the capacity to anticipate and transform public policy in the face of climate challenges.
Source: Le Monde – "En pleine vague de chaleur, le gouvernement met fin aux programmes de recherche sur l'adaptation des logements et des territoires"
PFAS pollution threatens all French bathing waters
• The Surfrider Foundation Europe association revealed that all 107 bathing sites analyzed in France were contaminated with at least one type of PFAS, persistent chemical substances found in various industrial products.
• This pollution, excluded from current regulatory criteria that are limited to bacteriological analyses, highlighted a gap with the health and environmental reality for users and sector managers.
• Surfrider thus called on the European Union to establish chemical quality standards including PFAS, strengthen monitoring, and launch large-scale cleanup plans.
Source: Vert le media – "Mer, lacs, rivières… Votre plage préférée est-elle polluée aux PFAS ?"
