During COP26, Beijing and the Biden administration committed to reviving Sino-American cooperation on climate issues, in the name of their common interest in climate stability.

Climate policies and energy transition

The Climate policies and energy transition research axis whithin Ifri's Center for Energy & Climate deals with the climate change policies adopted at national levels, as well as the positions of the main emitting countries in the international climate negociations. In particular, this area focuses on the implementation of the Paris Agreement on climate and global efforts to reduce green-house gas emissions to limit the increase of temperature at +1,5° by 2100.
Director of Ifri’s Center for Energy & Climate
...Research Fellow, Center for Energy & Climate
...Associate Research Fellow, Center for Energy & Climate
...Associate Research Fellow, Center for Energy & Climate
...The Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is a first step toward reconciling the European Union (EU)’s climate and trade interests. However, a complementary set of domestic and external policies will be needed to drive the decarbonization of European and global energy-intensive industries....
Geoengineering is a catchword for a wide range of techniques, and it is becoming an international issue that will grow in importance as the costs of certain technologies fall or as greenhouse gas emissions continue to decline, making these techniques more attractive.
On its path to carbon neutrality, the European Union (EU) will be exposed to growing energy price volatility and vulnerable to Russian and Chinese pressure on supply and demand.
The European Union (EU) is the world’s main trader in agricultural products, with imports totaling €142 billion in 2020. These imported agricultural products include commodities – palm oil, beef, cocoa, coffee, soy, etc. – that are responsible for deforestation in producing countries and...
Since the 1970s, energy efficiency has gained visibility as a low hanging fruit – its potential impact on critical issues such as climate change, energy security, or competitiveness is now widely acknowledged, even more so in times of higher energy prices.
All key candidates have climate neutrality by 2045 in sight, yet Germany is preparing to embark on a high-speed decarbonization train that has neither enough power nor rails to lead to its final destination. Beyond slogans and principles, effective strategies have often been missing.
The laws of physics and the geographic realities will prevail over the myths of hydrogen (H2): it will essentially be delivering carbon-neutral feedstocks to the chemical and steelmaking industries, carbon-neutral fuels to shipping and aviation, and eventually ensuring security in...
Deforestation continues at a worrying pace worldwide, except in temperate and boreal countries. It is caused by the race for land, underpinned by population growth and rising global demand for “deforestation-prone” products. Moreover, with climate change, mega-fires are now posing...
A second wave of carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) projects is under development, and it is much different from the 2000 wave. While Norway, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands are at its forefront, France and Germany have major competencies, and many projects could be carried...
How to Leverage the North Sea’s Offshore Wind Potential? Ifri Green Deal Virtual Lunch Series
For Europe to reach climate neutrality by 2050, the European Commission (EC) expects offshore wind capacity to go from 23 GW today to up to 450 GW, with half of this capacity to be installed in the North Sea, the pioneer region with still large untapped wind resources.
Poland and the European Green Deal: In or Out? Ifri Green Deal Virtual Lunch Series
The European Council’s political agreement on the recovery fund and 2021-2027 budget paves the way to a large-scale response to the economic recession with a strong emphasis on climate protection.
The green recovery, Germany's energy transition and the coordination of French and German policies Closed Seminar
Ahead of Germany's EU Council presidency and amidst debates over the EU recovery plan and 2021-2027 budget, what happens in Berlin critically matters.
Decarbonizing EU’s Economies: A Hydrogen Strategy for the Green Deal Good Morning Live Stream Discussion
EU’s carbon neutrality objective requires to decarbonize all sectors and notably, all gases. Decarbonized hydrogen has now been recognized as a critical element of a carbon neutral economy and energy system. The EU should aim for global leadership in this field while Japan, California or China...
Will Covid-19 contaminate energy and climate policies? Les Jeudis de l'Ifri
A "Les Jeudis de l'Ifri" videoconférence
Spain, the Green Deal and the energy transition Closed door energy breakfast discussion
Spain is the fourth largest economy of the Eurozone, its economy is back on track and its Prime minister Pedro Sanchez managed to set up a coalition in a fragmented parliament. The country appears to be both an institutional and energy policy laboratory that attracts a lot of attention. <...>
An EU industrial strategy towards climate-neutrality Ifri-InnoEnergy Conference
The European Union (EU) enters a new political cycle and the Commission President-elect von der Leyen committed to propose a “Green Deal” in her first 100 days in office, with the ultimate ambition of making Europe the first climate-neutral continent.
Closures of Coal and Nuclear Capacities in North West Continental Europe: Maintaining generation adequacy after 2022 Ifri Energy Breakfast Roundtable
The electricity system in North-West continental Europe is highly-interconnected and political decisions to adjust the national generation mixes have direct implications on neighboring countries.
G7 / Think Tank7 Summit G7 Engagement Group
The Think Thank 7 (T7) is an engagement group that brings together the leading Think Tanks from the G7 countries in order to analyze and make recommendations on key issues of the G7 presidency.
Shifting Paradigms for Gas in the European Energy Transition Ifri Energy Breakfast Roundtables
2019 sets the stage for a reassessment of the role of natural gas in the European energy transition. The proposed coal phase out in Germany may foster its role in power generation. France has pledged to give biomethane a try while expecting a cost cut, and grid injection projects are booming...
Yvo de Boer, the first speaker to our conference Climate Action beyond COP21, shared his insights on what should be the core elements of the Paris agreement. Mr de...
Jean Jouzel, the second speaker to our conference on Climate Action beyond COP21, shared his insights on the aggregate effect on national climate pledges and adressed the...
Minister Kuo-Yen Wei, the third speaker to our conference on Climate Action beyond COP21, shared his insights on how Taiwan, which is not an official party to the UNFCCC,...
Article published in Nikkei Asian Review
While China may be setting the bar high for itself in it's commitments for the COP21 climate negotiations this December, these ultimately serve to foster necessary progress on environmental issues and economic...
In the run up to the international climate conference (COP 21) which will be held in Paris in December 2015, the Ifri Centre for Energy contributes to the debate on climate change policies and on the way the international negotiations are structured.
Europe’s largest oil companies are banding together to forge a joint strategy on climate-change policy, alarmed they’ll be ignored as the world works toward a historic deal limiting greenhouse gases.