Energy-Climate
In the face of the climate emergency and geopolitical confrontations, how can we reconcile security of supply, competitiveness, accessibility, decarbonization and acceptability? What policies are needed?
Related Subjects
The US’s Critical Mineral Offensive Strategy: How Can Europe Step Up?
As Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) economies are confronted with mounting threats to critical raw materials (CRM) supplies, resolute interventionist policies are needed to build resilient value chains.
Shadows on Israeli Gas Success Story: a Political and Geopolitical Risk Analysis
In Israel, both the regional geopolitical context and domestic politics play an important role in the development of the offshore gas fields.
Innovation: a New Mode of Climate Action
A range of announcements of energy and climate coalitions have been made during COP21. Beyond their important diplomatic objectives, these new forms of coalitions bring scientists and industry leaders towards new long term visions of energy consumption modes.
Exploring the strengths and weaknesses of European innovation capacity within the Strategic Energy Technologies (SET) Plan
The purpose of this policy report is to explore the strengths and weaknesses of European innovation capacity within the Strategic Energy Technologies (SET) Plan Integrated Roadmap.
OPEC not to cut output production target in near future
OPEC will not cut the output production target at the next meeting on Dec. 4 because the goal to defend its market share has not been reached yet, Director of Center for Energy in French Institute of international Relations (IFRI) Marie-Claire Aoun believes.
A New Era of Oil Abundance?
From 2014 to 2015, the price of oil fell.
What chances do we have to stay below the 2°C limit?
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 issue of consistency with the globally agreed long-term goal of keeping the average temperature rise below 2°C. Mr Jouzel is a climatologist, research director at CEA and former vice-president of the scientific working group of the IPCC (2002-2015).
How to reflect non-parties contributions? The Taiwanese experience with climate action
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, is determined to contribute to the global fight against climate change by taking action domestically. Mr. Wei is the current Minister of the Environmental Protection Administration of Executive Yuan, ROC (Taiwan).
Key challenges for COP21
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 Boer is the Director General of the Global Green Growth Institute and he was the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention on Climate Change between 2006 and 2010.
Shaping Expectations to Foster the Low Carbon Transition: Can COP21 be a catalyst for action?
This report explores the debate on how COP21 could shape expectations of a global shift towards decarbonisation and thus boost low carbon investments.
Climate Action beyond COP21 - Conference Brief
On November 4th 2015, the Ifri Center for Energy held an international conference on the future of Climate Action beyond the COP21. The conference brought together key experts to outline reasonable expectations for the Paris Climate Summit, in terms of binding commitments from the parties and, more broadly, in terms of the profound transformation that an agreement could trigger.
There Will Be Gas: Gazprom’s Transport Strategy in Europe
The key role of Ukraine in the transportation of Russian gas and the underground gas storage facilities are a legacy of the Soviet era. From the mid-1990s onwards, Gazprom has repeatedly tried to control gas transit through Ukraine and other infrastructures from the Soviet era without success.
Renewables bringing down the cost of clean energy
Article published in Nikkei Asian Review
Securing Energy and Mineral Resources for China: Debating the role of markets
This paper examines how China seeks to secure access to an ever growing level of natural resources from overseas. In its quest for resources necessary to fuel its economy, does China seek to bolster the development of international markets, or rather to procure resources in a more mercantilist fashion?
The European Gas Market Looking for its Golden Age?
The EU gas policy has to deal with a new landscape on the supply and demand sides. This study examines five major recent evolutions of the EU gas market: the relations with Russia, LNG coming back to Europe, the decrease of Groningen production, the contrasted evolutions of shale gas and the perspectives of EU natural gas demand.
China’s Difficult, but Necessary Bet on Climate
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 reforms at home.
Ghana and the Oil Sector: Beyond the Resource Curse?
Four years after the Jubilee block went into production, we can make an initial assessment of the governance of Ghana’s oil resources. In terms of its institutional structure, Ghana is seen as a model for the entire continent.
India’s Approach to Climate Negotiations: From the South to the North?
India’s approach to climate negotiations results from the interplay of two distinct logics, an external one and an internal one. While the external logic is derived from quantitative attributes at the aggregate level, such as the overall size of India’s economy, the internal logic is derived from qualitative attributes at the individual level such as per person incomes and productivity. For three decades, from the early 1970s to the early 2000s, India’s internal and external logics overlapped.
Water and Energy in the GCC: Securing Scarce Water in Oil-Rich Countries
Water scarcity in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states has traditionally been addressed by finding new ways of producing water. The high costs of desalinated water production are borne by the State through subsidies. As this trend is not environmentally or economically sustainable, new strategies are now giving priority to cost recovery and efficient resource management.
The Paris Agreement. Article from "RAMSES 2016"
To avoid the pitfalls of historic divisions, climate negotiators decided to go down the self-differentiation route and leave legal matters to be resolved during the last steps of the process. The national contributions drafted by each party provide a robust basis for discussion, but we still need to ensure that these are appropriate and also monitor their implementation. The credibility of the Paris Agreement will be determined by these final procedural trade-offs.
Adapting to the Effects of Global Warming. Article from "RAMSES 2016"
Adaptation issues started to gain momentum from the Copenhagen conference in 2009. Up until then, international negotiations had focused on mitigation policies. However, the increase in weather events and the inadequate efforts to hold back global warming now make adaptation a key issue in discussions around the Paris agreement.
Russian Gas: Reminder of Yesterday Presaging Tomorrow?
One can’t help but be struck by the irony earlier this week of Russian President (ad-interim) Medvedev celebrating the landing of gas in Lubmin Germany from the Nordstream gas pipeline from Russia while Former President and President-in-waiting Putin welcomes Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao to seek a deal to send Russian gas east to Chinese markets.
Gazprom and the EU: Raiding the Gas Companies
It was a matter of time before the Commission competition authorities looked into the business arrangements between Gazprom and its European partners. Some would ask why it took so long.
Commission Communication of the EU Energy External Policy: Was There an Alternative?
EU is the world’s largest net energy importer and consumer, so why do its Members continue to negotiate individually with the rest of the world rather than as one big market with a big voice?
Trans Caspian Gas: A Worthy Teething Ring for Europe's Energy Diplomats
As an early task in its efforts to build a common external energy policy, the Commission has announced it will turn its attention to bringing the vast gas resources of Turkmenistan to European consumers. This will be an excellent place for the Commission to test its ability to speak with one voice for its polyglot constituency. First, their task may be facilitated by the fact that on this topic, no European voices are yet particularly audible.
Energy Efficiency versus the EU ETS: Counterproductive Tribalism in the Commission
On 22 June 2011, a proposal for increased Energy Efficiency was presented by the European Commission. The energy efficiency directive was intensely negotiated and faced strong internal opposition from a number of players. DG Climate officials have shared their concerns with the public.
IEA Crisis Management: Evolving with the Risks
Last week the IEA chose not to renew its June strategic stock release. It was the right decision. The volumes of strategic crude and product taken up by the market will be reaching refineries now and incremental volumes produced in the Arabian Gulf will be steaming towards markets.
A Look at the IEA 2011 Release of Strategic Oil Reserves
This paper examines the motivations and the potential consequences of the International Energy Agency’s coordinated action to release petroleum stocks on June 23, 2011.
Kanal Istanbul: Pipedream or Politics ?
This paper examines Kanal Istanbul, a plan proposed by recently re-elected Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to bypass the Bosphorus Strait by creating a canal west of Istabul.
A Tragic Tale of Corn and Congress
Ever since Iowa landed the privilege of holding the first Presidential primary, no candidate has the political courage to confront the $11 billion subsidy price tag of US corn ethanol. Everyone agrees we need to dilute our supply and price vulnerability in transportation fuels and everyone agrees we need to decarbonize the transport sector. But surely not this way.
Unconventional Gas: A Game Changer for Transport Too?
A new technology trend, the development of natural gas vehicles, is emerging in the transport sector.
Ifri, a foundation recognized as being of public utility, relies largely on private donors – companies and individuals – to guarantee its sustainability and intellectual independence. Through their funding, donors help maintain the Institute's position among the world's leading think tanks. By benefiting from an internationally recognized network and expertise, donors refine their understanding of geopolitical risk and its consequences on global politics and the economy. In 2026, Ifri partners with over 90 French and international companies and organizations.
Center for Energy & Climate
Ifri's Energy and Climate Center carries out activities and research on the geopolitical and geoeconomic issues of energy transitions such as energy security, competitiveness, control of value chains, and acceptability. Specialized in the study of European energy/climate policies as well as energy markets in Europe and around the world, its work also focuses on the energy and climate strategies of major powers such as the United States, China or India. It offers recognized expertise, enriched by international collaborations and events, particularly in Paris and Brussels.