EVENT

ENGIE x COP26: Claire Waysand answers Youtuber Gaspard G’s questions

By ENGIE - 26 November 2021 - 17:33

After a year of pandemic, and in spite of uncertainty right up until the last minute, COP26 went ahead from 1 to 12 November in Glasgow. The fortnight ended with a mixed outcome, including some disappointments and a few areas of progress. Of particular note was the adoption of a text calling "to intensify efforts to reduce coal without capture systems (CO2)". To sum up the global climate conference, we asked Gaspard G, the French YouTuber with 250,000 followers, to interview Claire Waysand, Executive Vice President at ENGIE, in an Instagram live. 

 

icon Watch a portion of the interview in video

Here are the key takeaways from COP26, according to ENGIE's Claire Waysand:
 

  • The strategic role of hydrogen
    ENGIE confirmed its commitment to renewable hydrogen by supporting, as a key industrial partner, signature of a deal between Chile and the ports of Antwerp and Zeebrugge for production and import of green hydrogen.
     
  • Commitments to zero carbon energy for everyone
    ENGIE signed pledges - commitments made by public or private partners on precise points - designed to move the energy transition forward. For example, ENGIE and Google signed the 24/7 Carbon Free Energy Compact, which brings together tech and energy companies to design solutions offering zero carbon energy for everyone, in real time 24/7.
     
  • Commitment on steel in the First Movers Coalition
    Officially launched at COP26, this coalition is a partnership between the World Economic Forum and the Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, John Kerry. ENGIE is one of the founding members. For Phase 1 of the coalition, the Group made pledges on steel. In practical terms, this means that at least 10% of all the steel bought by ENGIE for wind turbines will be almost zero emissions by 2030.
     
  • Decarbonisation: the central theme of COP26
    For the first time during a COP, a long-term strategy for global carbon neutrality was discussed. France, like the rest of the European Union, is aiming for carbon neutrality by 2050. To achieve this, ENGIE is focusing on renewables, by targeting 50 GW of installed renewable capacity by 2025 and 80 GW by 2030, and by developing decentralised low-carbon energy networks, particularly heating and cooling systems, by 2025. 
     
  • 750 GW of installed renewable capacity by 2030 with Race To Zero
    Race To Zero, a United Nations coalition of companies - including ENGIE -, governments, cities, and universities with Net Zero Carbon targets, announced that, together, all its members pledged 750 GW of installed renewable capacity by 2030.