The Rennes en commun 2020 programme brings together proposals around three levers rarely addressed in combination in a municipal platform: large-scale energy renovation, a restructuring of transport, and a circular economy plan backed by quantified targets for reducing material use.
These priorities are more than a catalogue of good intentions: they fall within the binding framework of Rennes Métropole’s 2019–2024 PCAET (Territorial Climate, Air and Energy Plan). Its mid-term review, examined by the metropolitan council in March 2022, made it possible to measure the gap between commitments and results.
Energy renovation in Rennes: the technical challenge of apartment buildings
Most municipal environmental programmes focus on detached homes. In Rennes, apartment buildings make up a significant share of the housing stock, and this is where the credibility of an energy transition policy is put to the test.
The Rennes en commun 2020 programme set a target of renovating several thousand homes a year. The practical challenge, which is rarely spelled out, lies with apartment buildings: securing approval at general meetings, covering the remaining costs for lower-income co-owners, and scheduling the work (external insulation, replacement of communal heating systems, ventilation).
A resolution by Rennes Métropole also approved the allocation of écoTravo grants for the energy renovation of apartment buildings for the period from September to December 2024, showing that the scheme has moved beyond the planning stage.
The Green list led by Matthieu Theurier also proposed creating a local public energy service, combined with solidarity-based pricing for households experiencing energy poverty. This mechanism is intended to ensure that the transition does not fall solely on owner-occupiers able to fund their share of the costs.
On the official Rennes en commun 2020 website, the proposals also set out plans to install solar panels on public and private buildings, with rent paid to apartment buildings that agree to host the installations.
Low-carbon transport and solidarity-based fares on the STAR network
The transport plan is about more than promoting cycling, even though Rennes en commun 2020 makes it a key priority. Its most technical proposal concerns restructuring STAR network fares according to household income.
Free or reduced-fare passes are already available on the Rennes network for low-income households. The programme aimed to expand these schemes so that transport costs would no longer be a barrier to everyday mobility.
This choice has a direct budgetary impact: each extension of partial fare-free travel reduces commercial revenue, which must be offset either through local taxes or the employers’ mobility payment. A credible programme is distinguished from mere window dressing by whether it provides sustainable funding for these measures.
Cycling and cycle infrastructure in Rennes
The programme included an ambitious cycling plan, with new protected cycle lanes and more dedicated parking. The stated goal was to make cycling an everyday mode of transport, not just an urban leisure activity.
- Expanding the network of cycle lanes separated from motor traffic, particularly on routes connecting outlying municipalities to central Rennes
- Installing more bike racks and secure shelters near metro stations and transport hubs
- Providing financial support for low-income residents to buy electric-assist bicycles
Circular economy: metropolitan targets for reducing material use
Rennes Métropole has adopted an ambitious circular economy roadmap, and the Rennes en commun 2020 proposals are directly aligned with it. The 2030 target is to reduce material use by 30% while maintaining the same level of economic activity. In 2020, 82 kg of materials entered the local economy for every €100 of GDP.
By 2050, the ambition is to halve the territory’s material footprint per capita compared with 2020. Focusing on the material footprint rather than household waste alone changes the picture: it includes the construction and public works sector, the largest consumer of resources.
Reducing household waste and developing reuse networks
The programme also targets a reduction in household waste of around 12% between 2019 and 2030. To achieve this, the proposals focus on developing repair, reuse and repurposing networks. Rennes already has an active network of community organisations working on these issues (reuse centres and repair workshops), but scaling up requires logistical and financial support from the local authority.
- Creating new reuse spaces in every area of the metropolitan region
- Including circular economy clauses in metropolitan public procurement contracts
- Supporting local businesses in adopting production models that use fewer resources
- Targeted reduction of construction and demolition waste by recovering materials from demolished buildings
Citizen participation and participatory budgeting in Rennes
Rennes en commun 2020’s proposals for local democracy do not start from scratch. Rennes Métropole launched a participatory budget in 2015, and the Pact for the Transition, led by Alternatiba, brought citizen groups together around 32 concrete measures for the 2020 municipal elections. More than 300 groups across France took part, including one in Rennes.
The programme proposed expanding these schemes by strengthening residents’ role in urban planning decisions and broadening the scope of the participatory budget. The challenge is not so much to hold more consultations as to ensure that decisions take residents’ contributions into account, even when they run counter to the initial technical recommendations.
We find that most municipal reviews of citizen participation measure the number of participants rather than the real impact of adopted proposals on public policy. This question of whether participation makes a tangible difference is what distinguishes a solidarity-focused programme from a communications exercise. The Rennes en commun 2020 proposals set out a framework, but its strength can only be judged over the course of the term, through the resulting budget decisions and urban planning choices.
