The Shift Project unveils 20 initiatives to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050

"There are 20 essential projects if we want to succeed in decarbonizing France and there are a number of conditions to be aligned to succeed," said Clément Caudron, project manager for "Robust Transition Strategy" at a press conference.

The Shift Project has identified these areas for progress in six sectors: transport (massively deploying cycling, expanding public transport, reviving rail freight...), housing (renovating housing and deploying heat pumps), digital (controlling the deployment of data centers), industry (producing low-carbon steel in France, capturing, storing and utilizing CO2...), energy (extending and reviving nuclear power, deploying wind and photovoltaic power...) and agriculture (preserving carbon sinks, transforming livestock systems...).

For each project, several scenarios were developed: high, medium or low success.

For example, for nuclear power, the ambitious version is to have 14 new EPR2s by 2050, the intermediate version is to build 6 and the low version is to have zero.

If all areas of progress reach the ambitious targets, carbon neutrality will become a reality in France by 2050.

"We have very little room for maneuver, we cannot afford to skip any project (...) We have fallen too far behind on decarbonization, we need to accelerate everything at the same time," according to Nicolas Raillard, head of project coordination, who intends to influence the debates during the presidential campaign.

The success of the various decarbonization projects "depends on key conditions" according to The Shift Project, "the realization of which remains uncertain and total control cannot be guaranteed": construction of infrastructure, technological innovation, industrial rhythms, recruitment and training, evolution of uses and agronomic and forestry conditions.

The report will be followed by other more sector-specific reports on health, employment, freight and industry, and by the publication of a book in October.

The Shift Project, created in 2010 and chaired by engineer and consultant Jean-Marc Jancovici, is a think tank that produces studies on "the key issues of decarbonization" and wants to influence the debate on climate and energy challenges.