Sans transition. Une nouvelle histoire de l’énergie

It is customary to think of our relationship with energy as one of transition: wood being replaced by coal, coal by oil, oil by nuclear and then all by green sources. Far from the industrial era having undergone a series of transformations, each new phase has remained almost totally intertwined with the previous one, so the very idea of transition is proving to be misguided. Jean-Baptiste Fressoz shared his concerns about the need for a green transition and show how our industrial history has been based on a symbiosis, with each major energy source feeding off the others. Drawing on a wide range of examples, Jean-Baptiste Fressoz will describe how we have ‘gorged’ ourselves on all forms of energy - with whole forests needed to underpin coal mines, coal remaining central to the creation of countless new products and oil still central to our lives. “Transition” was originally promoted by the energy companies, not as a real plan but as a means of delaying any significant change.This conference was an opportunity to understand the modern world and the true nature of the challenges that lie ahead. Jean-Baptiste Fressoz is a research fellow at the CNRS. His research focuses on environmental history, the history of climate knowledge and the Anthropocene. He also writes a monthly column for Le Monde. His latest book “Sans transition, une nouvelle histoire de l'énergie” was published in January 2024. This discussion was moderated in French and English by Alice Pirlot, Assistant Professor of International Law. Participants with a passive understanding of French are encouraged to attend as the author also speaks English. This conference was organised by the Institute's Sustainability Initiative, in partnership with the City of Geneva, the Hoffmann Centre for Global Sustainability, the Forum on Trade, Environment & the SDGs (TESS) and the Student Environmental Committee.