Decarbonisation and energy efficiency solutions already exist to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. The Zero Carbon Forum organised by French media La Tribune on 7th December 2023 brought together a wide range of players to discuss these issues, including Veolia, represented by Catherine Ricou, Director of Innovation at Veolia, on how we can accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels.
Solutions for a successful energy transition
As a key player in the energy sector, and with a €10 billion turnover in this sector in 2022, Veolia is positioning energy as an essential component of the ecological transformation. Thanks to its expertise, the Group is developing solutions for local, low-carbon energy. Aware of the challenges and issues posed by climate change, Veolia, represented by Catherine Ricou, is calling for action: "the time has come to act", going beyond mere awareness..
We have the skills and the solutions to implement this vision for society. But policy and regulation need to change: we need to get to the heart of the matter, and we need to do it now. The time for awareness is over, the time for action is now
Catherine Ricou, Director of Innovation at Veolia
Innovation as a way out of fossil fuels
In this interview, Catherine Ricou talks about the company's vision for moving away from fossil fuels and towards a greener energy mix, which also involves innovation. To make a success of the ecological transformation, Veolia believes that concrete solutions need to be implemented now. When asked how Veolia supports its customers, Catherine Ricou explains a four-step approach: reducing their energy consumption, producing renewable energy, capturing CO2 when there is no other alternative, and finally offsetting or neutralising any residual emissions.alternative, et enfin compenser ou neutraliser les éventuelles émissions résiduelles.
20%
The energy savings achieved through the implementation of "Hubgrade by Veolia" digital solutions in buildings and on heating and cooling installations.
2027
The date by which Veolia aims to achieve energy autonomy for all its water and waste services in France.
Veolia is committed to playing a central role in the energy transition, mobilising its skills and solutions to shape the world of tomorrow.
Catherine Ricou, Director of Innovation at Veolia
A transition that requires the commitment of all stakeholders
High point of the ecological transformation, the commitment of all stakeholders is key to making this transition a success. In the wake of COP28, at which Veolia called for the global and coordinated deployment of existing solutions to accelerate the energy transition, the speakers called for a desirable life project, highlighting ecological transformation as the means to achieve it.
Finally, Catherine Ricou stresses the importance of agility in a constantly changing world, encouragingcooperation between all stakeholders in order to implement concrete solutions. The road to a desirable and sustainable future lies in the daily implementation of a variety of technological solutions, demonstrating that it is possible to change without giving up, to produce without destroying, and to create without polluting. Veolia, committed to an investment plan to eliminate the use of coal, embodies this ambitious approach towards a zero-carbon future..
To speed up the transition, we need to massively deploy the solutions that already exist and seek out new solutions where they are being developed
Catherine Ricou
The Zero Carbon Forum brings together leading energy experts to discuss ways of accelerating the transition to more sustainable energy sources. Speakers at the round table include Céline Acharian, Managing Director of the Fabrique de la Cité, Catherine Ricou, Director of Innovation at Veolia, Jean-Charles Drouvin, Managing Director of PowR Group, Jean-Noël Guillot, Deputy Director of EDF's regional action territories division, and Vincent Fristot, Deputy Mayor of Grenoble, responsible for finance, ecological accounting and the ecological transition.
