France's En­vi­ron­men­tal Authority publishes its first review of mining title assessments

The Autorité environnementale's annual report shows 163 opinions in 2025, a sharp rise driven by mining titles, which now require an environmental assessment. The Ae issued 28 opinions on mining files, requiring more detailed environmental analysis as projects advance from initial exploration to full exploitation. It found environmental issues generally well anticipated from the exploration phase, except for hydrocarbon concessions, whose reports were often incomplete and underestimated greenhouse gas and methane emissions.

Source: adapted from Actu Environnement, October 2026.