France to ban oil and gas production by 2040

The French Parliament on Tuesday passed a law banning the production of all oil and gas by 2040.

France will not grant any new permits or renew existing ones that allow fracking or the extraction of fossil fuels in the country and its overseas territories.

France is almost entirely dependent on hydrocarbon imports, so the largely symbolic ban will not majorly affect the country’s industries, but some lawmakers said they hope it will inspire other countries to follow suit.{mosads}

French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted after the vote that he is “very proud” of the measure.

Very proud that France has become the first country in the world today to ban any new oil exploration licences with immediate effect and all oil extraction by 2040. #KeepItInTheGround #MakeOurPlanetGreatAgain

— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) December 19, 2017

Macron used the hashtag “Make Our Planet Great Again,” a nod to his efforts to push efforts to tackle climate change after President Trump pulled the U.S. out of the Paris Climate Accord. Macron has said that he will continue trying to convince Trump to reverse his decision and rejoin the pact.

France has also committed to ending the sale of gasoline and diesel vehicles by 2040.