44 environmental research and development

In 2014, R&D expenditure devoted either directly or indirectly to environmental issues was estimated to be €5 billion, equivalent to 11% of France’s gross domestic expenditure on R&D. Half of expenditure on environmental research and development (excluding Energy and Transport) was incurred by businesses (compared with 20% in 2000).

Environmental research and development (R&D) lies at the crossroads of many different fields and lends itself to a multidisciplinary approach. This is due to the fact that many activities can have a positive impact on the environment, without having environmental protection as their primary aim. It therefore also encompasses research into managing natural resources, using energy in a rational way, renewable materials and biodiversity. More generally, environmental considerations affect almost all fields of research.

In 2014, R&D expenditure by the public and private sectors on issues relating to the environment was estimated to be around €5.1 billion.

The French government has long contributed the lion’s share of expenditure on environmental R&D. This government expenditure can be broken down into three fields of research with specific objectives (Environment – Monitoring and protecting the global environment, Exploration and exploitation of the earth and sea, Natural environments, see chapter A5). The proportion of expenditure on environmental R&D implemented by government peaked at more than 81% in 2000. The gap between public and private sector stakeholders has been gradually shrinking ever since. In 2014, businesses implemented 51% of expenditure or 65% if the fields of Energy and Transport are excluded (chart 44.01).

In the business sector, environmental R&D, including Energy and Transport, accounted for 8.4% (€2.6 billion) of gross domestic expenditure on R&D (GERD) by the private sector in 2014. Four branches implemented 70% of expenditure on environmental R&D and accounted for 34% of intramural business enterprise expenditure on R&D (BERD): ‘Manufacture of motor vehicles’, ‘Energy’, ‘Manufacture of chemicals and chemical products’ and ‘Manufacture of air and spacecraft and related machinery’ (chart 44.02).

In 2014, the French government spent €2.5 billion on environmental R&D. Taken in its narrow sense (excluding Energy and Transport), environmental R&D absorbed 49% (€1.3 billion) of this expenditure. The main area of research within environmental R&D was ‘Monitoring and protecting the environment’, followed by ‘University research into natural environments’ (chart 44.03).

5% of the MIRES budget allocations for R&D went towards environmental research in 2016 (chart 44.04a and chart 44.04b). Those assigned to the various objectives within this field totalled €0.69 billion. The Energy and Transport objectives, which include environmental considerations, accounted for 8% of budget allocations. In 2016, the French National Research Agency (ANR) and Bpifrance, together with the government departments responsible for ecology and industry, committed to providing more than €140 million in funding for R&D in environmental technologies or those that factor in environmental impacts. The French Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Research (MENESR) contributed €114 million, most of which was devoted to training through research and university research.

Claudette-Vincent Nisslé