Energy transition: solidarity solutions

Since the signing of the Paris Agreements, the member countries of the European Union have been committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. In France, the roadmap is the National Low-Carbon Strategy, adopted in 2015 and revised every five years. However, the national trajectory is currently insufficient. Between 2015 and 2018, France exceeded its "carbon budget" by 62 million tonnes of CO2. Published in April 2022, the report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimates that three years remain to limit global warming to 1.5° Celsius.

How can we achieve these greenhouse gas reduction targets without leaving out the most vulnerable citizens?

Thibault Guibert, Partner at Eurogroup Consulting, has joined the working group co-chaired by Benjamin Fremaux, Senior Fellow Energy and Climatet and Marin Gillot, Environment and Energy Managerby Institut Montaigne. This work is part of the European project Fair Energy for All (FETA), in which the Institut Montaigne is participating, and to which Eurogroup Consulting is a contributor. The FETA project advocates support for the most vulnerable households in the energy transition.

The conclusions of their work are published in a report "Energy transition: solutions based on solidarity which develops 11 proposals for achieving national GHG emission reduction targets in a way that is fair to all.

11 CONCRETE, MUTUALLY SUPPORTIVE PROPOSALS FOR A SUCCESSFUL ENERGY TRANSITION

To be successful on a national scale, the energy transition will need to be accompanied by specific support for the most vulnerable citizens. This applies in particular to housing, transport and food.

Improving technical and financial support for thermal renovation projects

Proposal no. 1

Engage a a proactive approach to identifying, raising awareness of and encouraging thermal renovation among owners of energy slumss, particularly in sparsely populated areas.

Proposal no. 2

Continue toincrease technical support for low-income households in thermal renovationby systematically using a project management assistant.

Proposal no. 3

Develop financial assistance to encourage households to undertake comprehensive, high-performance renovationsIn this way, we can help households achieve a cash-flow balance before and after renovation.

Proposal no. 4

Increase financial incentives for landlords to renovate their properties through increased short-term but decreasing subsidies, combined with tighter prospects for rental bans.

Proposal no. 5

Extend the scope of microcredit for clean vehicles to other expenses related to the ecological transition, in particular high-performance household appliances, and align its ceiling with that of personal microcredit.

Encouraging the development of different forms of sustainable mobility

Proposal no. 6

Increase the use of carpooling for commuting to and from work by setting up dedicated infrastructures, by increasing financial incentives and developing inter-company mobility plans.

Proposal no. 7

Developing bicycle use through safer infrastructures, financial incentives targeted at low-income households, and increased awareness-raising.

Proposal no. 8

Refocusing and developing the various forms of assistance available purchase of electric vehicles for vulnerable households, in particular the ecological bonus, the conversion premium and leasing.

Facilitating access for low-income households to local, quality produce

Proposal no. 9

Offering a range of local, quality products as close as possible to where people of modest means liveby supporting the development of urban agriculture and short supply chains in the most disadvantaged neighborhoods, as well as in higher education establishments.

Focusing financial support on the most modest households

Proposal no. 10

Initiate a shift away from generalized energy price regulation mechanisms towards more targeted schemes for vulnerable households, to support them directly in the energy transition.

Proposal no. 11

Set up a energy transition account for low-income households.

WORKING GROUP COMPOSITION

Chairmen

Benjamin Fremaux, Senior Fellow Energy & Climate, Institut Montaigne
Marin GillotEnvironment and Energy researcher, Institut Montaigne

People interviewed

Audrey Zermati, Director of Strategy, Effy Group
Vincent Legrand, general manager, Dorémi

Project team

Ophélie Bretaudeau, participatory projects manager, Missions publiques
Gabriel Chuepo, assistant project manager, Public Missions
Sophie Conrad, Head of Public Policy, Institut Montaigne
Théa Disdier-Haumesser, Project Manager, Public Missions
Alexandre Goddard, research assistant, Institut Montaigne
Lilou Laleuf, research assistant, Institut Montaigne

Working group

Fabrice Bonnifet, Director, Sustainable Development & Quality, Safety, Environment, Bouygues Group
Sandrine de Boras, Head of Innovation, Transdev
Fabienne Boutière, Design and research engineer, on the themes of energy-efficient home renovation and fuel poverty, EDF R&D - Technologies and Research for Energy Efficiency Department (TREE) - EDF Lab Les Renardières
Anne Duthilleul, Vice President, Advocacy, Secours catholique
Benjamin Fremaux, Senior Fellow Energy and Climate, Institut Montaigne, and Chairman and CEO, IDEX
Thibault Guibert, partner, Eurogroup consulting
Marie-Emmanuelle Huillo, Director of Institutional Relations, Transdev
Patrick Jolivet, Director of Socio-Economic Studies, Foresight and Research Executive Division, ADEME
Catherine Lescure, Director of Communications and CSR, Enedis
Cécile Maisonneuve, Senior Fellow Cities, territories and sustainable development, Institut Montaigne
Jean-Yves Mano, President, Consumption, Housing and Lifestyle
Solène Metayer, Research Fellow, Institute for Climate Economics
Nicolas Perrin, Director, CSR Division, Enedis
Patrice Ravel, Managing Director of SIER and Chairman of the Technical Commission of the French Federation of Real Estate Developers SIER Constructeur
Andréas Rüdinger, Associate Researcher, Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI)
Valérie Simon-Prudhomme, In charge of Duty of Vigilance - Sustainable Development, EDF
Charlotte Vailles, Project Manager, Institute for Climate Economics

Reporter

Paul Fleurance, assistant to the head of the MULTIFIN4 office - International financial system and preparation of summits - Treasury Directorate General

An article by

Thibault Guibert

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