The French government has been found guilty of failing to fulfil its promises to fight climate change in a historic ruling in a Paris court.

The legal case was pursued by four environmental organizations after 2.3 million people signed a petition in support of action against the state.

Five years ago, France was one of 189 countries that signed the Paris Agreement, in which nations promised to limit global warming to less than 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. 

But the French government has been found guilty of failing to meet its targets, with Wednesday's judgment hailed as a huge victory for climate activists and France's population.

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The court has ordered the payment of a symbolic $1.20 in damages to the four non-governmental organizations (NGOs) behind the complaint.

The organizations, which include Oxfam and Greenpeace, released a joint statement saying it was the first time the French state had been "found at fault in the fight against climate change."

While the damages are symbolic, the four groups said it had set an important legal precedent.

"All direct victims of climate change in France will now be able to turn to justice and rely on this judgment to seek compensation for the damage they suffer," they said.

"The state will finally have to shoulder the consequences of decades of inaction on the climate."

The court says the verdict means compensation for "ecological damage" can be pursued by the claimants and says the government is ultimately responsible for damage caused by its inaction.

The French government now has two months to respond to the ruling, during which time the court will decide whether to force it to take the necessary steps to create a green economy. 

In its initial defense, the government claimed that it couldn't be held responsible for climate change failings, given that it wasn't responsible for all global emissions.

But in response to the news of the verdict, France's environment ministry said it had "taken note" of the verdict and said it was "fully committed to meet the climate challenge."

In 2018-19, greenhouse gas emissions in France dropped by 0.9 percent, when the annual drop needed to reach its targets is 1.5 percent until 2025 and 3.2 percent afterwards.

France has committed to reducing emissions by 40 percent by 2030 from 1990 levels. But in a report last year, the High Council on Climate, which advises the government, said it was far off target.

In court the government defended its record, saying that an energy bill adopted in 2019 would speed progress on reducing emissions.

In a separate but similar case in November, France's top administrative court gave the government a three-month deadline to show it was taking action on global warming.

That case was brought by Grande-Synthe, a low-lying northern coastal commune that is particularly exposed to the effects of climate change.