France stands out for the significant role that imports play in the dynamics of its carbon footprint. Between 2000 and 2014, trade openness worsened France’s carbon footprint, in particular because of the rapid growth of Chinese imports until 2008. At the same time, technological progress in France but, especially, abroad led to a modest reduction in the carbon footprint. For a relatively lowemitting country like France, changes occurring outside national borders play a key role in the evolution of the carbon footprint. This observation highlights the need to coordinate national efforts with international strategies to reduce emissions linked to the production of our trade partners.