According to Bercy, expenses favorable to the environment increased by 4.5 billion euros in the 2023 budget. But the count of “brown” expenses, unfavorable to the environment, is disputed.
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There are the figures that the government can boast. Expenses favorable to the environment increased by 4.5 billion euros in the 2023 budget, currently under discussion in the National Assembly. They increased to 33.9 billion, compared to the 29.5 billion euros identified in 2022 (27.3 billion in 2020). If we integrate the recovery plan, they reach 37.5 billion euros.
This development is due, in particular, to pursuit of the Maprimerenov ‘system (2.3 billion euros), to the assistance of the acquisition of clean vehicles (1.1 billion), to the expenses of scientific research and technological in the field of environment and energy (2.1 billion) or even part of public development assistance (2.1 billion).
And there are the figures on which communication is more perilous. The “brown” expenses, unfavorable to the environment and to the climate, are “generally stabilized”, specifies the press release from the Ministry of the Economy and Finance, which presented this “green budget” on Tuesday, October 11. They amounted to 19.6 billion euros, an increase of 9.3 billion compared to 2021.
According to Bercy, the culprit is “the implementation of exceptional consumer protection measures”, or 8.9 billion euros. If we therefore except this expenditure, temporary and intended to compensate and limit the sharp increase in gas and electricity prices, “the amount of expenses unfavorable to the environment is 10.7 billion of euros in 2023, stable compared to 2022 “, specifies the ministry. According to Bercy, 7.1 billion would be linked to tax niches.
“lack of transparency”
This accounts bristles the budget specialists on the side of associations. In fact, the implementation of the price shield on electricity and gas, intended to support the French in the face of surge in energy prices, costs some 45 billion euros (33.8 billion for the electricity and 11.1 billion for gas).
“It is this overall sum that it is necessary to count as unfavorable expenses. However, the government engages in a montage to reduce the brown share of the budget. By manipulating the figures, and by not taking into account the whole From the tariff shield, he engages in a lack of transparency which harms the honesty and the efficiency of this green budget “, denounces Emeline Notari, specialist in taxation subjects to the Action Climate Network (RAC).
By integrating the entire gross cost of the price shield, the 45 billion euros, in brown budget expenses, the total expenses unfavorable to the environment would largely exceed the 19.6 billion displayed. But the government certifies that “overall, expenses unfavorable to the environment remain much lower than favorable expenses”.
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