“Neither a fantasized return, nor a decline; This struggle is a matter of life and death”
We live in a time that forces us into bitter economic rivalries against the backdrop of energy transition. We must move forward without fear or complaint and stick to our agenda.
This book by Philippe Rodriguez and François de Rugy, divided into five parts, bears witness to the obstacles to be overcome, the challenges to be met, the initiatives to be undertaken, and the means to be devoted to this national priority, which must give a central place to the deployment of innovations of all kinds to preserve France’s technological sovereignty.
In the first three chapters, the authors highlight the narrow path to be traced between a technophile Prometheism and ecological sobriety.
The abundant catalog of leads and the enumeration of pillars, energy sources, actions to be taken, and their expected returns are reviewed to achieve energy efficiency.
Storage appears to be a crucial element in managing this transition.
While France is lagging behind in “cleantech”, disruptive innovations such as SMRs provide it with undeniable advantages.
This transition and its complexity are at the heart of diplomatic and geopolitical influences in view of the concentration of energy resources in their distribution in certain parts of the world.
In this regard, rare earths, placed at the heart of green technologies, pose a serious dilemma related to the requirement of the highly polluting refining of this resource.
The last two chapters highlight the pressing time in this period of budgetary scarcity and the importance of the efforts to be made.
The Draghi report of September 2024, with the doubling of the budget to 200 billion euros of Europe’s program for research and innovation, must be reflected in national strategies.
The authors call for an administrative revolution as a cardinal condition of success.
The opus closes optimistically with eight avenues and a long list of recommendations to think outside the box and boost the energy transition.
But it is indeed a paradigm shift that is at stake, with a certain apostolic effect.
The uniqueness of this enlightened book can be summed up in a few words: we must act quickly! But the exercise is not simple and seems to have to articulate short-term actions in a long-term approach.
Philippe RODRIGUEZ, director of Avolta, and of several companies for thirty years. His experience as a multi-entrepreneur and his various activities allow him to be a particularly wise observer of current themes. François de RUGY, was Minister of the Ecological and Solidarity Transition (20189-2019) and played a key role in the adoption of laws related to ecological issues. As a Senior Advisor at Avolta and an independent consultant, he helps companies and investors develop new ecological models.
Reading notes by Freddi Godet des Marais –
