PARIS (AFP) – France's carbon emissions fell by 0.6 percent in 2008 over 2007, placing it on track to meeting its pledges under the UN's Kyoto Protocol and for deeper cuts by 2020, the ecology ministry said Tuesday.

Emissions of greenhouse gases were 527 million tons of CO2 equivalent, a measure by which heat-trapping gases are standardized in terms of carbon dioxide.

The fall in 2008 "occurred despite tougher climate conditions" and came on the heels of a two-percent decline in 2007 over 2006, the ministry said in a press release.

The report, though, noted that emissions in 2008 were "affected by the financial and economic crisis, which caused a significant slowdown" in economic activity in the second half of that year.

France's 2008 tally was 6.4 percent below the target set under the Kyoto Protocol, which sets industrialized signatory nations binding goals for curbing greenhouse gases.

The goal set for France is zero percent, meaning no change in emissions by a 2008-2012 timeframe compared to a benchmark year of 1990.

"France is one of the few industrialized countries which scrupulously upholds its international commitments" under Kyoto, the ministry declared.

"Our emissions are at their lowest since 1990... but we want to go further," Ecology Minister Jean-Louis Borloo was quoted as saying.

Carbon-cutting incentives launched last year should enable France to cut its emissions by 22.8 percent by 2020 compared to 1990, he said.