‘Shifting to a low carbon economy: a piece of cake? Jean-Marc Jancovici’s seminar is not to be missed

Jean-Marc Jancovici, one of the most famous energy experts in France, will be giving a seminar on June 29th, on the historical importance of energy!  Industrial revolutions, post-war boom, recessions or crisis: do not miss the opportunity to learn about the central role of energy in the economies of our modern societies!

I’ve first come across Jean-Marc Jancovici through a friend of mine, who sent me a youtube video of a conference held by the French energy expert in a prestigious Parisian university. At the time, I was a chemist in academia, working on the development of eco-friendly solar cells and most of my colleagues from other laboratories were also working on energy-related topics. The video’s relation to my work and its accessible approach to the subject, making it easy for me to understand made me very grateful that I did not skip this video. This video is also the reason why I decided to make Jean Marc Jancovici known on the other side of the Channel.

Jean-Marc Jancovici graduated from Ecole Polytechnique in the mid 80’s and spent 2001 to 2010 developing France’s first carbon accounting system of France on behalf of the governments. Cofounder of the energy consulting firm Carbone 4 and president of the energy think-tank The Shift Project, Mr Jancovici also spends his personal time giving public conferences aimed at demystifying concepts surrounding the energy system. As an example, he introduced the concept of “energy slaves”, showing that each Western citizen has at his disposal the equivalent of 600 human slaves thanks to machines and energy.

Considered a nuclear lobbyist by a majority of the Greens and mostly unappreciated by the Liberals who reject his critics on growth, Mr Jancovici often refers to the Meadows Report of 1972, “The Limits to Growth”, as important work to consider in a long time perspective. According to him, policy-makers despite often being unaware of the ‘limits to growth’, must now plan a coherent fossil fuel phase-out in a context of resources depletion, energy scarcity, increasing world populations, and, as a consequence, absence of economic growth. In the light of such perspectives, tackling energy problems with efficiency objectives and not mainstream media shortsightedness is likely to be, mutatis mutandis, the best – and the only – coherent solution.

In 2015, 80% of our primary energy consumption comes from fossil fuels, 1% from wind and solar and, according to the EIA, the landscape is likely to be very similar in 20 years. Energy is first of all a matter of numbers. Through cold facts, Jean-Marc Jancovici shows how our fossil-fuel dependency, the economic growth of our modern societies and the potential threats to the climate are linked. In such context, the French energy expert explains very clearly how every solution comports a risk and why realism and pragmatism should come first, instead of sentimentalism based on misleading green propaganda.

Jean-Marc Jancovici’s seminar ‘Shifting to a low carbon economy: a piece of cake?’ will be taking place June 29th from 18:30 to 20:00 in the Sir Ambrose Fleming Lecture Theatre G06, Roberts Building, Gower Street
Book your place here