The 2004 Climate Plan outlines a series of programs designed to cut 72 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually, beyond the scope of France's commitments under the Kyoto Protocol. The European Union's burden-sharing approach to the Kyoto Protocol calls on France to freeze its greenhouse gas emissions at 1990 levels over the 2008-2012 period, an objective that government officials say will require annual reductions of 54 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions. On August 19th , French President Jacques Chirac hailed the biofuels initiative, which he said would carry "agricultural, environmental, and energy" benefits. France will open a.
