Working together for a sustainable society
In October 2022, Crédit Agricole, EDF, ENGIE, Eurogroup Consulting, Lidl, Mirova Foundation, Orange, Schneider Electric, Transdev, CCI France and France Digitale joined forces with Make.org to launch the cause known as ‘Urgence Sobriété Énergétique’ (Emergency Energy Sobriety). Bolstered by a wide-ranging public consultation, these organisations have accelerated their transition to energy conservation. All have undertaken initiatives to build a more resilient and sustainably low-energy society.
These initiatives, along with the results of the national consultation, will be revealed on 22 March 2023, in the presence of France’s Minister for Energy Transition, Agnès Pannier-Runacher. The consultation entitled ‘How can we all reduce our energy consumption?’ which ran from 4 October through 20 November 2022, attracted 160,000 participants, 5,332 proposals and 1,103,482 votes.
On this occasion, the 11 partner organisations will present their joint and specific initiatives in response to the eight priorities identified by citizens via the consultation:
- Massive development of greener transport
- Improving insulation and energy renovation in buildings
- Better control of heating and air conditioning in shops, offices and public buildings
- Promoting local production and consumption
- Limiting the production and use of packaging
- Putting an end to night-time lighting in shops and offices and reducing the energy impact of urban lighting
- Limiting the energy impact of digital technology
- Extending product life
Because sobriety can only be sustainable if it is elective, it is proposed that the partners complement their initiatives together with civil society players by providing support specifically earmarked for the most vulnerable populations in two key areas :
- Energy exclusion:
According to the Stop Exclusion Energetique collective: ‘Fuel poverty affects 12 million people in France. It is a major human, social, ecological and economic problem, with multiple consequences: deterioration in the health and well-being of residents, unacceptable living conditions, higher energy bills and increased greenhouse gas emissions.’ In view of this fact, Make.org is inviting the 11 partner organisations to work together, and especially in partnership with the Stop Exclusion Énergétique collective, to identify vulnerable populations, speed up financing solutions, and build a more sustainable economic model. To do this, a funding advance mechanism could be set up. This would help to identify the players involved and the assistance available to low-income households. It might also be appropriate to assign a value to carbon emissions avoided to be counted towards the financing of energy renovation operations.
- Precarious mobility :
More environmentally friendly modes of transport were favoured in the consultation, but some locations, particularly in rural areas and small towns, are still poorly served by public transport. Between 15% and 20% of the population in sparsely populated areas suffer from poor mobility options, mainly young people, women and the elderly, but also those living on incomes too low to own a car or pay for fuel.¹ The partners are encouraged to reflect on the development of solutions to territorial inequalities in transport: car-pooling, car-sharing of electric vehicles, support for the purchase of clean vehicles or in places were the private car is the only mobility solution the financing of driving licences, as well as services to support mobility and the use of public transport in the areas served.
¹Senate information report Mobility in sparsely populated areas in 2040: a challenge we must address today
The initiatives of these organisations are first steps: they only need to be extended and amplified. That’s why we’re inviting all organisations and businesses to draw inspiration from these solutions and take the path of sustainable energy sobriety.