On Thursday, October 5, 2023, over 600 people attended the “2050: the last generation?” conference co-organized by the Hub des possibles, the University of Lausanne, EPFL and the association disputons-nous.

The evening provided an opportunity to discuss the options for a zero-carbon Switzerland, both from the point of view of citizen mobilization and the technical and financial measures to be put in place. Extracts.

Camille Etienne: They’re only big because we’re on our knees!

For Camille Etienne, the transition to a low-carbon society is a social choice. And it won’t happen without mobilizing the population, especially young people. She spoke of feelings of powerlessness, fear and political commitment as a remedy.

• On the feeling of powerlessness: “People committed to ecology are accused of creating fear among citizens and thus creating an immobile society. But more often than not, people are afraid because of the gap between understanding what needs to be done and the non-action of those who have their hands on power. So it’s the feeling of powerlessness that gives rise to anxiety. The feeling that public affairs are beyond our control and that we are powerless alienates us. So who does powerlessness help? Impotence suits the powerful. As La Boétie said: “They are only great because we are on our knees! The solution: activism. Activism works, and uprising is possible. It allows us to regain a form of power, with an uprising from below, which does not crush, but restores dignity.”
  
• On the question of whether we should stop having children because of the ecological crisis: “That’s not my vision of the ecological cause at all. Even if a child is the most polluting thing you can do, it’s dangerous to see ecology only as a question of flows, as if we had to decarbonize everything. What we need to change is our way of being in the world. And build a society in which we redefine needs and achieve a liberated time.”

• On fear: “We have to stop being afraid of being afraid. It’s a normal emotion, and sometimes a healthy one. But it can be transformed. In emotions, there’s the term “motion”, meaning to set in motion. Anxiety is the place where there is fear without an object. If we make a collective object out of this fear, then we can take action and get out of this fear.”
  
  To listen to Camille Etienne
  
  
  

David Marchal: whatever the scenario, it’s urgent to act!

David Marchal, from the French transition agency ADEME, presented the “Transitions 2050” report, produced by over 100 experts, with the aim of building a zero-carbon France. A brief overview.

• In France, more than 65% of energy comes from oil, coal and gas. And around 15% from nuclear power. This means that only 20% of our energy comes from renewable, non-nuclear sources. The change of course to achieve a zero-carbon France by 2050 is therefore immense.

• ADEME has published a report proposing four scenarios for achieving this objective by 2050(https://www.ademe.fr/les-futurs-en-transition/). These four scenarios are: frugal generation, territorial cooperation, green technologies, restorative betting.

• Whichever scenario you choose, the lessons learned from this report are:
  – it’s urgent to act!
  – sobriety will be required, and therefore changes in behavior
  – technological bets are risky, as most of the technological means envisaged to capture carbon do not exist at this stage
  – the living world is one of the main assets of the transition, including for storing CO2
  – the scenarios are compatible with economic growth, but we will have to produce fewer goods and focus on other sources of wealth: renovations, services and the collaborative economy, for example.
  
  

Listen to David Marchal

Roger Nordmann: dare to invest in the energy transition as our grandparents did.

For National Councillor Roger Nordmann, the figures are clear and show that we have the financial means to make the transition. The aim is to build a political consensus around investments for the next twenty years.

• In Switzerland, over 60% of energy comes from fossil fuels.

• In some areas, emissions have fallen in recent years. These are the areas in which measures have been taken:
  – private household consumption
  – industrial consumption

In other areas, the situation has deteriorated and emissions have risen:
– for private and commercial vehicles (cars and trucks)
– for airplane flights, which have continued to rise, apart from a pause due to the coronavirus

We therefore need to take strong measures to accelerate change.

• In the 1950s, Switzerland invested around 4% of GDP in energy, building large dams. In the years 75-76, the country invested 2% to build nuclear power plants. Since then, investment in energy has stagnated at 0.5-0.8%. We must therefore reinvest massively in energy to enable Switzerland to make its energy transition. According to R.Nordman, we need to invest 2.2% of GDP over 25 years, or 430 billion. It’s quite possible.

• To enable the transition, and therefore the reduction of CO2 emissions, we need to take into account the notion of social justice, and therefore provide support for people who are unable to finance housing renovations, for example.

Listen to Roger Nordmann

To listen to the ensuing political debate between Adèle Thorens, Jean-Pierre Danthine, Julia Steinberger and Christophe Ballif: Une Suisse zéro Carbone?

Chantal Peyer, co-director of Hub des possibles