Comparative Analysis of Renewable Energy Adoption in France and Sweden: Disparities under EU-Wide Incentive Programs

Abstract

This research explores the comparative effectiveness of renewable energy adoption in France and Sweden, focusing on why these two European Union (EU) member states, despite operating under similar EU-wide incentive programs such as the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) and the European Green Deal, have achieved vastly different outcomes. Updated quantitative data reveal that Sweden’s share of renewable energy increased from 53.4% to 66% between 2017 and 2022, still far outpacing France, who grew from 15.8% to 20.3% (Eurostat, n.d.). While Sweden is the top European Union performer by a wide margin, France finds itself struggling. Coming in as the 15th ranked EU country when measured in share of renewable energy, France is some 3% below the EU average. They are also just one of four countries to miss their 2020 renewable energies target in 2022 ("Renewable Energy in the European Union," n.d.). Sweden’s success stems from long-term policy consistency, high carbon taxes, and effective market-based mechanisms like the green certificate system (International Energy Agency, 2021; Andersson, 2019; Swedish Energy Agency, 2020). Meanwhile, France’s reliance on nuclear energy and complex permitting processes has slowed renewable energy adoption (Bergek & Berggren, 2014; World Bank Group, 2020).