Spending More Wisely for the Climate Through Carbon Pricing

Article published in Les Echos No. 24439 on April 9, 2025.

The commission chaired by economist Alain Quinet has just updated the value per metric ton of carbon needed to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. This work should systematically guide government action, explains Frédéric Cherbonnier.

France has committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, that is, to limiting our greenhouse gas emissions to the amount that our “carbon sinks” can absorb. To do so at the lowest possible cost, the country has established a framework that specifies, on an annual basis, the maximum amount to be spent to avoid emitting one additional metric ton of CO2. A commission chaired by economist Alain Quinet (in which the author of this column participated) has just updated this “value of climate action.” It will reach 256 euros in 2025, then gradually increase to 563 euros in 2050, compared to the current 62 euros per metric ton on the European market.

Read more on Les Echos.

Illustration: Photo by Damian Park Kim on Unsplash..