Ecofriendly

Why it is hard to find people to do French eco-renovation grant work

Almost one-fifth of trade companies did not renew their certification for 2024

Firm proposes funding renovation of French property for a share of it

It claims to offer an alternative to traditional funding

What changes for the environment in France in 2024?

New household waste rules included as France continues to try and go green

practical

Tips to avoid home renovation scams in France

More cases are expected as the government increases the amount available in grants for eco-friendly projects

How can I prove purchases I have made in France without paper receipt?

Paper receipts are no longer automatically given in every instance

Proposal to pause capital gains tax on second homes in France

We also look at a ‘noisy’ heat pump problem, proposed changes to Airbnb rental taxation and how plans for energy ratings are continuing

Which materials have gone up the most for home renovation in France?

Overall, building work has risen by 9% in cost, with concrete prices specifically up 21%

Can I get financial help towards replacing boiler at my French home?

Many people now look for eco-friendly solutions when replacing their heating systems

Driving in France: Readers’ views on switching to electric

Most people are happy with their electric cars but charging is still a problem for some readers

Do not minimise electric car CO2 emissions, says French association

A leading consumer association says CO2 produced during a car’s manufacturing is not taken into account when deciding how eco-friendly a vehicle is

Tradespeople shortages, buy an island: 6 French property stories

We also look at the auction of a €12m former royal home on the French Riviera, controversial property tax hikes and a ban on tourist homes in Paris

‘We built a €120,000 eco-house for a thrifty retirement in France’

The British couple self-built a kit home with the environment and lower cost of living in mind

Will electric bikes and scooters soon need number plates in France?

Senators have introduced a proposed law that would make licence plates mandatory for electric scooters ( trottinettes ) and most electric bikes

French shops to end automatic printing of paper receipts

In a bid to cut down on waste, French consumers will instead be encouraged to receive electronic versions of their till receipts

France’s first bicycle-hearse brings ‘softness’ to funerals

The ‘corbicyclette’ is shaking up the French funeral business by transporting coffins to the cemetery on a bicycle, a quiet, eco-friendly alternative to the traditional hearse

What options are there for eco-friendly funerals in France?

With many more people conscious of environmental damage, we look into biodegradable urns and cardboard coffins

Call for Ile-de-France residents to assist in public transport study

The aim is to find ways to make public transport more eco-friendly. Participants are eligible for a €30 online shopping voucher

Michelin star chef makes Loire France’s sustainable eating capital

Eco-responsable chefs are tackling climate change with their delicious food. The Connexion’s Tamara Thiessen visits the Loire to find out how

Copropriétés, squatters: Five updates for property owners in France

Warnings put out about avoiding scams when applying for renovation grants; rules on selling a property without an estate agent and more

Our green home made from tyres is part of us, says family in France

They started building their eco house, called an 'earthship', four years ago and now live off the grid in Dordogne

Normandy restaurateur creates heated bench ahead of patio heater ban

Terrace heaters are to be banned across France from April 1, promoting a father-and-son duo to build a more ecological, local solution

Innovative new waste capture device installed in Marseille’s Old Port

The system captures rubbish headed for the sea after rainfall and works with objects as small as cigarette butts. It can also measure water quality

Green news France: Pollution study plants city trees, Eco-hotels boom

Pollution study plants trees in Aix-en-Provence, eco-hotels see boom in France, publicity stunt in Loire to break tree-cutting taboo and more

Shopping local: France's AMAP farm basket scheme explained

Each month, we take a selection of reader questions and answer them. One of July's questions is about France's AMAP scheme and whether it is good value.

Where to find electric car charging points in France?

Your question answered: how do I find charging points for my electric vehicle?

Gardeners in France: why you shouldn't mow your lawn weekly

Landscape gardener Eric Lenoir refuses to systematically mow lawns for clients, saying it is better to let the grass grow.

How do France’s new non-paper TGV tickets work?

Automatic ticket machines will no longer print TGV and Intercités tickets in their traditional card format, as SNCF opts for less polluting options

‘Hobbit’ housing grows with trend in France for low-impact living

They may look like something from a Tolkien fantasy novel, but more and more dome houses are cropping up around the country as house-buyers increasingly favour their ecological construction

Boom in eco-villages in France for those seeking simple community life

A far cry from the hippy communes of the past, 'écolieux' offer the chance to escape the rat race and embrace self-sufficiency

See France’s superslick and eco-friendly TGV of the future

The TGV M will use 20% less energy than existing models, while maintaining the same top speed of 320km/h

MaPrimeRénov’: Over 170,000 homes benefit from green renovation grant

The scheme can be used to finance insulation, heating, ventilation or energy auditing work

Paris-Nice night train restarts with PM onboard for first trip

The relaunch is to be the first in a series of new night services. Campaigners also want lower VAT for train tickets and a minimum amount for plane tickets 'to rebalance' competition

France’s first low-cost 'flat pack' wooden house under construction

The eco-friendly home can be assembled in less than two weeks and is put together piece by piece, much like historical timber-frame homes in Alsace

Shopping, driving, home: What France’s new climate law would change

The law has been voted through by MPs and will be examined by the Senate next month. We explain how - if passed - it will affect many areas of everyday life in France

French MPs want shops to swap plastic packaging for refill stations

A new law is under debate to target plastic packaging by making it easier for shoppers to refill their own reusable containers in supermarkets

Electric car sales boom in France but charge point problem

Even as sales of electric vehicles soar the government has been accused of falling far short of its target to install 100,000 new charging points by the end of 2021

Eco protest at Tropicalia greenhouse site in north France

The controversial Tropicalia site is set to be ‘the world’s biggest greenhouse’ and attract 500,000 visitors per year, but eco campaigners are not happy

Click, collect and reuse: French online shopping goes green

Zero-waste and organic businesses in France are well-and-truly embracing 21st-century consumer habits, as Jane Hanks discovers

Hydrogen planes by 2035 is 'far too late'

'It makes little sense to put off change when action is needed now' climate researchers have said in response to Airbus' 15 year plan

Six sculptures by British artist submerged off Cannes coast

In an area designated as an 'eco-museum', visitors to Cannes can now visit underwater sculptures by British artist Jason deCaires Taylor

‘Calmer, safer, greener’: Paris to cut parking spaces by 50%

70,000 parking spaces will be removed, with a new website inviting Parisians to suggest what should replace the spaces

France: New financial aid for energy renovations explained

All energy renovations in France are eligible for financial aid from October 1. We explain which work is covered and how to apply.

France to tax polluting vehicles that weigh over 1,800 kg

The tax will apply to vehicles such as SUVs, but will not apply to electric or hybrid models

France confirms €1,000 grant for second-hand electric cars

The new grant is available to all, has no conditions attached and is for use with second-hand cars - in contrast to previous grants.

Airbus unveils plans for zero-emission air travel by 2035

The French aircraft manufacturer is aiming to be the first company in the world to launch eco-friendly, hydrogen-fuelled aircraft.

Vehicle industry boss against ‘absurd’ French eco-tax

An eco-friendly proposal that suggests taxing vehicles according to how much they weigh has been rubbished by the president of a French automobile association.

Bordeaux: Mayor cancels Christmas trees in city

The ecologically-minded mayor will not decorate Bordeaux with “dead trees” this festive season, he has said, claiming they go against his “concept of re-vegetation” for the city.

France: Law against phone cold calling in place from today

From today (September 1) companies and individuals can no longer make telephone cold calls offering eco-friendly home renovation services in France. Those who do face sanctions.

Heatwaves 'will radically change the landscape of France’

The first half of 2020 was the hottest in France since records began, with temperatures averaging 1.8C higher than usual levels. If temperatures continue to rise, by 2050 France could be a very different country.

Village Jardin: the unique flower-filled French village

Jane Hanks reports from a unique, flower-filled village where pedestrians rule and 1,000 rose plants adorn the streets.

The eco-friendly French family preparing to live 'off-grid'

The coronavirus pandemic and confinement has made many people think about the way we live, such as this family who, as the 'world faces collapse', are preparing to live their lives off-grid.

Nabila Ramdani: Paris' cycle city plan 'dangerously chaotic'

Turning Paris into a cycle city might make it cleaner but it won’t make it safer, says Connexion columnist.

France bans outdoor terrace heaters for ecological reasons

France is to ban outdoor heaters in public spaces and café and restaurant terraces, as the ecology minister calls them an “ecological aberration”.

Stop unlimited internet contracts, official advisors suggest

Stopping unlimited internet contracts has been put forward among 50 other environmentally-friendly suggestions by government advisory body on digital development le Conseil National du Numérique .

Too much fruit and veg in your garden? You can sell it here

Gardeners with surplus fruit and vegetables now have a handy way to make sure they do not go to waste.

Environmental news in France: July

In this month's round up of the environmental news making headlines in France, we talk air quality, beekeeping, and the new must-buy eco-friendly rosé from the Loire.

New mayor plans to make Bordeaux car-free

The new mayor of Bordeaux (Gironde, Nouvelle-Aquitaine), Pierre Hurmic, is moving “towards a ban” on cars in the city, he has said.

French President drops climate idea to lower motorway speed

French President Emmanuel Macron has said that he will consider nearly all of the proposals put forward by the citizens’ Climate Convention, except three - including a reduction to the motorway speed limit.

Electric car that does not need licence to be sold in France

The vehicle, which has a maximum speed of 45 kph and can be driven without a permit by people aged 14 and over, will be sold by retailers Fnac and Darty.

Positive environmental news in France: June

In this month's round up of the positive environmental news making headlines in France, we talk waste, pesticide use, and solar panels on a supermarket.

French climate change convention to vote this weekend

A “Climate Change Convention” of 150 randomly-selected members of the public in France is to vote on proposals to combat climate change this weekend - including on the issues of housing, transport, and work.

Why you should plant some pants in your garden in France

People with gardens in France are being encouraged to bury a pair of cotton pants to check the health of the soil, in a new ecological campaign.

Plastic-eating enzyme ‘revolutionises recycling’

A French company whose plastic-eating enzyme technology could revolutionise recycling is due to have a plant up and running by next year.

France invests €20m in a post-Covid bike revolution

A €20 million plan has been launched to encourage people to get on their bikes as a safer way to travel post-confinement.

Port train link will take 20,000 lorries off roads

Around 20,000 HGVs a year will be taken off the roads between Normandy and the Spanish border by a Brittany Ferries train that will carry unaccompanied container trailers over a 950km route.

Farmers can spray pesticides within 5m of rural homes

Nature and ecology groups supported by about 100 mayors have lost an urgent legal challenge to laws allowing farmers to spray weedkiller and pesticides close to homes in the French countryside.

Coronavirus: Michelin's eco-friendly, reusable masks

Tyre-maker Michelin designs eco-friendly, cost-efficient, reusable protective masks for the coronavirus outbreak.

Changing the way the French buy flowers

The Connexion meets two inspirational home-grown floral fanatics trying to change the way the French buy flowers

Poll: French happy to cut meat intake but not dairy

The majority of the French public would like to reduce the environmental impact of their food, but would be more likely to cut their meat consumption than dairy to do so, a new survey has found.

France launches environment score system for clothes

Clothes sold in France may now display a “score” from A to E that shows how environmentally friendly the garment is, in a new system launched by the government.

French eco group calls to ‘cancel’ crop spread rule

A French environmental association is calling for the cancellation of the government’s recent decree to set a minimum buffer zone of 5-20 metres between pesticide spreading and inhabited buildings.

Green rebirth for older cars in France

It will soon be possible for the owners of older petrol or diesel cars to have the engines taken out and replaced with electric motors and batteries.

Last paper phone books sent out in France

Paper phone books have been distributed for the last time.

Make sense of… Alternative funerals in France

Alternative choices for funerals in France are possible – from different types of service to choice of coffin, urn and place of rest. The Connexion explains more...

‘Flying taxi’ test in Paris stopped by river police

The first “flying taxis” have been tested on the River Seine in Paris this week - but not before being interrupted on their first day by the river police.