HCC

The French High Council on Climate was established on 27 November 2018, formalised by a decree of 14 May 2019 and enshrined in the 2019 Energy and Climate Law. It has 13 members appointed for 5 years for their scientific, technical and economic expertise in climate, ecosystems, emissions reduction and adaptation. Its chair is Jean-François Soussana. Its mission is to assess public climate action and its consistency with France’s European and international commitments: the Paris Agreement, carbon neutrality in 2050 and compliance with carbon budgets. It publishes an annual report (8th edition in July 2026), opinions on draft national low-carbon strategies and national adaptation plans, and thematic reports. Its opinions are advisory but serve as a reference: its March 2025 opinion on PNACC 3 noted that the plan did not stem from a law and was not incorporated into the Environmental Code, and considered its indicators focused on administrative monitoring of implementation rather than actual reductions in vulnerability. Do not confuse it with the IPCC, which produces international scientific assessments, or with the CESE.