France to set Carbon Price Floor

France will set a carbon price floor of about 30 euros a tonne in its 2017 finance bill to be voted by the end of the year, French Environment Minister Segolene Royal said on Tuesday.

The French government has committed to unilaterally set a carbon price floor in the absence of a broader European initiative hoping the move will spur other countries to act.

Following a meeting with EU ambassadors in Paris on Tuesday to brief them on France's move to ratify the Paris Climate Accord, Royal told journalists that France was also taking steps towards a floor price for carbon.

"I told them that France will fix a carbon price in the next finance law of about 30 euros per tonne and it is very important that this momentum is followed by a coalition of other countries," Royal said.

"A system of price corridor for carbon will be proposed depending on the energy model in each country," she added.

Reporting by Bate Felix