TRANSITION FORUM 2021 - SUMMARY

Held this year on September 30 and October 1st in Nice, the TRANSITION FORUM brought together more than 1,200 international participants: innovators, investors, public and private decision-makers, entrepreneurs, leading researchers and civil society figures from all sectors. More than 20 live-streamed sessions saw some 90 speakers discuss the challenges and opportunities for scaling up climate action and making commitments. More than 300,000 people followed the discussions online.

"We will have to change everything: our modes of production, our modes of financing, our modes of consumption, in order to maintain a quality of life, air and environment in general. [...] The stakes that await us are colossal. We will have to be able to invent new operating methods, modes of collaboration and financing between the public and private sectors”, said Lionel Le Maux, president of Aqua Asset Management and founding president of TRANSITION FORUM, at the opening of the event.

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Many innovations were presented in the four key themes of the transition: food, housing, mobility, production and consumption.

Keynotes, round tables and entrepreneurial pitches followed one another during this action-oriented Forum - a sharing of opinions and solutions towards a low-carbon future.

A very clear message resounded at the conclusion of the TRANSITION FORUM for this fourth edition: it is essential to develop new co-operations in order to initiate the necessary transformations to accelerate the implementation of the ecological transition!

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 Let us take a look back at the sessions that marked the event:

The decade for action

The protection of soil and biodiversity and the decarbonization of our lifestyles, our production, consumption and travel models are the historical responsibility of our generation. It is necessary to collectively implement rapid and unprecedented transformations. The TRANSITION FORUM brought together scientists, academics and elected officials to share this urgent need for action.

"We are not moving fast enough, we need to implement more specific actions and accelerate this decade."
Corinne Le Quéré - President of the French High Council for Climate

 A new deal, a green deal

 Driving major changes requires massive investment in changing the model and involving all stakeholders. This is the purpose of the European Green Deal. The TRANSITION FORUM brought together industrialists and public decision-makers to check in on the implementation of this major ambition.

"There is a physical risk in not fighting climate events, but there are transition risks as well. If we don't accompany the transformation of the economy well, all the capital that will have been issued in sectors destined to disappear can create financial crises."
Sylvie Goulard - Deputy Governor of the Bank of France

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Large organizations, large companies, large responsibilities

The climate challenge gives rise to new responsibilities. These new responsibilities must be drivers for action. The larger the organizations are, the greater their responsibilities. Constraints or levers? Constraints and levers? How are private and public players integrating this new paradigm? The TRANSITION FORUM brought together representatives of professional sectors, trade unions and elected officials to discuss these issues.

"100% of the European automotive industry will be totally transformed in 13 years. It is the largest industry in terms of employment in Europe. It is absolutely major."
Pascal Canfin - Chairman of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety at the European Parliament

"The ecological transition is an opportunity to reshuffle the deck, to do perhaps less but better."
Philippe Portier - National Secretary of the French Democratic Confederation of Labour

 Decarbonizing everyday mobility

 With polluting modes of transport being called into question, alternative energies being developed and new forms of mobility emerging, change is underway. During this plenary session, the TRANSITION FORUM brought together public and private decision-makers to share their analyses and best practices and to identify ways to meet the challenge of rapidly deploying innovative, low-carbon transport solutions while taking into account the impact on individual mobility and freight transport.

 "In mobility today, if we want to be supported by the State, by Europe, we must use decarbonized hydrogen."
Vincent Lemaire - President of SAFRA

 Organic production, local food systems: the challenges of food transition

From climate change to biodiversity loss to natural resource depletion, many of the sustainability issues facing our planet are directly or indirectly linked to food production. A profound transformation of agri-food systems is needed to feed a growing world population while reducing the impact on the environment. The TRANSITION FORUM brought together farmers, organic trade unionists, experts and innovators to share and discuss some of the best practices and innovations that can increase agricultural yields while preserving our soils, fresh water, oceans, forests and biodiversity.

 "In the coming decade, we must reform our agri-food system, reform the way we consume and reform our agricultural system."
Didier Perréol - President of Synabio 

 The ecological transition, a lever for reindustrialization

 In order to get everyone on board with the ecological transition, we need to build convergence between its economic and social imperatives. We need to support the development of local communities and employment by deploying new local, well-established industries that offer innovations and solutions for environmental protection. Hydrogen mobility, batteries, 3rd and 4th  generation PV, decarbonized industry: how can we create a new production model from the ecological transition? The TRANSITION FORUM invited Bruno Le Maire to share his answers.

"To my mind, spending against global warming is not an expense but an investment for the climate."
Bruno Le Maire – French Minister of the Economy, Finance and Recovery