An investor and architect perspective facing the challenges of 2050
For the business world, it is a certainty that the road to energy transition is long and arduous, but also a generator of opportunities and innovations. Especially for highly exposed sectors like construction or finance. A joint interview with two professionals from these sectors.
When finance and architecture are also committed to the energy transition
Energy sector players are not alone in the face of climate problems or crisis. Of course, citizens, and above all companies, regardless of their field of activity, participate in the zero carbon trajectory. This applies, among others, to investors and architects, whose levers of action are approaching the center of common interest – the building.
Tikehau Capital is an asset manager. Founded in 2004 by Antoine Flamarion and Mathieu Chabran, it currently manages around 38 billion in assets and bills itself as a “financier and player in the energy transition”. We also launched the first decarbonisation fund in 2018 and invested in renewable energy well before the crisis,” said Pierre Abadie, managing director of private equity. Today, Tikehau can boast of having “ just over €2 billion under the administration dedicated to climate action “. His ambition: to reach 5 billion euros
In 2025.
Delphine Aboulker, for her part, is an all-round specialist in architecture. Trained as an architect, he co-founded two firms, Architecture de Collection and Architrip. In 2011, he also created the Archinovo prize, the first prize in architecture dedicated to the private house (the subject in which he specialized and devoted his doctoral dissertation). He is also the author of Maisons rêvées, published in October 2022. housing touches on the main issues of the modern era, starting with the impact on the environment “.
Two professions, two different paths, but the same belief: apart from the driving role of energy players, the construction sector is a key sector for the transition to low carbon, especially to achieve a halving of CO2 emissions by 2030, i.e. 2500 days. to change everything!
Investing in the energy transition
All resources, whether individual or collective, professional or personal, must be mobilized to overcome the climate challenge. Once money is placed as one of the fundamentals” war news (but he is not alone) and levers to activate. The IPCC believes that at least one should invest in ” Pierre Abadie reminds us that 4,000 to 6,000 billion per year to decarbonize our energy and economic system. Today, between 1200 and 1500 billion are invested annually. This is already a significant amount of awareness. But it would be necessary to increase this amount four times. »
And there is no magic wand in this matter. It’s hard to get ahead without the right investments. Therefore, reducing carbon emissions or financially incentivizing increased renewable energy production (especially by facilitating self-consumption of solar energy) alone may not be sufficient to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) production. Focusing on energy efficiency is critical to effectively decarbonizing the economy. And this is where innovation will provide sustainable solutions.
In this regard, France should not be left behind and can already be proud of several ingots. “ Today, the first lever of competitiveness for France is decarbonization », Pierre Abadie continues.
Here too, the financial world has an important role with various actors involved: feeding the wall of necessary and mandatory investments to follow the transmission line “.Especially in Europe, it is up to the public players to create an appropriate regulatory framework, and to finance the transition to the private sector.” Everyone should understand that finance has a leading role in the transition because it is the conduit that connects the real economy globally. And that means overturning our perception of the role of finance. From now on, we are no longer investing euros to restore euros, but effective financing has taken on the mission of investing to allow us to stay on this planet. »
Repair and redesign of buildings
For this, the construction industry, including architects, is at the forefront of the transition. Why? Because the construction sector alone accounts for 43% of France’s annual energy consumption and generates 23% of France’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Apart from gestures of energy prudence to be adopted by users, “ The biggest challenge today is to reduce the carbon footprint of what is already there. Therefore, the main segment of the energy transition is the renovation of the building with heat. “says Pierre Abadie.
An opinion shared entirely by Delphine Aboulker: ” Repair, restoration and construction of buildings have become major problems for architects. In times of climate emergency and energy crisis, energy renovation of buildings is no longer just an obligation, but a duty, to use the words of architect Pierre-Louis Faloci (winner of the National Architecture Grand Prix in 2018). . »
It should also be noted that soon the residences considered as “thermal sieve” will no longer be available for rent. Nevertheless, it is clear that mentalities are changing. Today, we are witnessing a double paradigm shift: for the first time, renewable energy sources are cheaper than fossil fuels; and individuals and companies are less and less hesitant to invest in modifying their buildings and making them more efficient and energy efficient. ” Energy efficiency is a priority and many individuals, as well as more and more professionals, want to physically provide some of their energy with panels on their roofs or factories… and be able to use them for their own consumption. “, explains Pierre Abadie. Among the reasons: apart from real awareness and regulatory constraints, the current crisis context puts Europe in a state of scarcity, pointing the finger at what we will end up in if the transition is not carried out.
Rethinking the approach to architecture: a response to energy issues
In this context, architects propose concrete and sustainable solutions to reconcile environmental and economic dimensions such as low consumption and reduction of CO2 emissions: hemp, clay, wood or linen. But even more, the connection between these old and local architectural methods and new digital technologies makes renovation efficient and accelerates the energy transition. buildings “, confirms Delphine Aboulker. And to remember it for an architect, a private home often represents a fundamental laboratory that allows him to experiment with new practices on a small scale. “The problem now is that” show the homes that make people dream, but that citizens can design themselves on an affordable budget. And to question our relationship with ecology: how to reinvent the home without ignoring climate change. This is the idea carried by houses that are especially integrated into the landscape, integrated into the grasslands of the land with green roofs and hidden or even camouflaged. »
Investing in low carbon and investing in building renovation are therefore key conditions for moving towards energy prudence and climate change, and perfectly complement the measures already implemented to better achieve the goals. According to 55.
