Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership

Green Growth Summit 2026: Carine de Boissezon, Chief Impact Officer, EDF

Duration: 2:11 398 transcript words EN summary

Video summary

To achieve net zero goals successfully, electrification must remain at the heart of both industrial strategy and energy policy, with these two elements advancing in tandem. Carine de Boissezon emphasizes that victory in this transition is impossible without unified collaboration across all sectors of society. She highlights the role of CLG in bringing together every link in the electrification value chain to declare their readiness for Europe's competitiveness, asserting that the continent possesses the necessary technology, knowledge, and determination to succeed without relying on fossil fuels. Her core message is one of resilience, urging European leaders not to give up despite the challenges ahead. The discussion identifies three critical agenda items that require immediate focus to accelerate this transformation. First, there must be an inclusive approach that utilizes all available clean technologies, including hydro, nuclear, solar, and wind, as Europe cannot afford to exclude any proven solution from its strategy. Second, effective management of the transition depends on measurability, which necessitates establishing clear electrification targets for each member state. Third, and perhaps most importantly, people must be placed at the center of this debate, ensuring that the social transition is prioritized to create qualified jobs and support a fair shift away from traditional energy sources. Sustaining momentum over the long term requires stable investment conditions and robust public engagement, which Europe is uniquely positioned to provide through its democratic processes and frequent elections. De Boissezon warns against frequent changes in regulatory rules, noting that such instability would disadvantage early investors and hinder progress. Instead, there needs to be a clear signal for investment that aligns public policy with corporate strategy, creating a reliable environment where companies like EDF can commit significant resources, such as their annual 25 billion euro investment, toward the energy transition without fear of regulatory uncertainty.

Read the full video transcript

If we want to succeed in reaching the net zero, we need to make sure that electrification is at the core of both industrial strategy and energy policy. They have to come hand in hand. We will not win that game without having everybody playing together. And this is what CLG is super good at, and I'm very excited that it's happening today. CLG has managed to gather everybody in the value chain of electrification to say, "We are ready. We are here for the competitiveness of Europe. Without fossil fuel, we can win that game. We can do it because we have the technology in Europe. We have the knowledge. We have the will. So, don't give up. That's my message. EU, don't give up." CLG put out the statement about accelerating electrification. There are two main agenda item which I think we need to really be focused on. The first one is we need all technologies, okay? So, all the clean technology. We don't have the luxury to not use all the technology that we have. Hydro, nuclear, solar, wind, they're all there and they have EU EU value chains. The second is you can only manage what you can measure. So, we need to have clear electrification target in each member state. And the third one, let's not forget people. We need to put people at the center of this discussion. We need qualified jobs. We need to make sure that the social transition is at the core of this discussion. And again, we are very lucky in Europe because we have this capacity to have public debate around our EU agenda. We have lots of elections happening. Let's make sure this debate is in the discussion with our politicians. We are investing for the next 100 years, okay? When we talk about infrastructure in energy. So, we cannot have change in the rules all the time because otherwise, we will be in a difficult for the front runners. They will lose if they don't have this visibility. So, let's make sure that we have a clear signal for investment. We are ready. We need to have this matching, right? Between public policy and corporate policy. EDF is investing 25 billion per annum for this transition. We need these rules to be very clear. So, make sure this partnership is working for the long run.