Anaïs Immas (E11), Business Development Director at EDF Renewables North America, and Mathilde Godard (E17), Solution Sales at Engie North America, answer a burning question: will the world’s second biggest producer of greenhouse gases be able to rise to the challenges of climate change? 

Reflets Magazine: Which consequences of climate change in the United States can already be seen there today? 

Mathilde Godard: This summer, the United States was struck by unprecedented climatic events: Hurricane Laura in Louisiana, a deadly storm in Iowa, rising sea levels in New York, and record temperatures in the West and South, with 49°C recorded in Los Angeles... And, of course, the fires in California, which have destroyed 18,000 km² of forest, a surface area larger than that of Ile-de-France and more than ten times that of Greater London. 

Anaïs Immas: It is undeniably a manifestation of climate change, as rising temperatures dry out soil and vegetation. And the experts are united in the opinion that things will only get worse, bringing a range of repercussions, such as air pollution, land erosion, human migrations... 

RM: What have been the main changes in American environmental policy in recent years?* 

M. Godard: Donald Trump’s election as president really shook things up. Since 2016, the executive branch has repealed swathes of environmental regulations and standards in an effort to promote fossil fuels and heavy industry. The most glaring decisions include raising the ceiling for methane emissions in the oil and gas industry, reducing funding for research into renewable energy, and lowering taxes for the companies that run coal-fired plants. 

A. Immas: And actually today, environmental policy plays out primarily on a city and State level, many of whom are seeking to compensate for the USA’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. California, for example, is aiming to be carbon neutral by 2045, and New Mexico has committed to reducing its CO2 emissions by 45% by 2030.

M. Godard: These measures are not in vain. The number employed in mining continued to fall between 2016 and 2019, and the portion of energy produced by coal has fallen by 22%. Unfortunately, that will not be enough, as evidenced by the continuing increase in greenhouse gases over the past five years.

RM: In parallel to this, how have the practices of American companies changed with regard to the environment?

A. Immas: An ever-increasing number of companies are taking action to reduce their carbon footprint, for reasons of both image and cost. This takes the form of using renewable energies and electric vehicles, managing supply chains, supporting climate change initiatives, and lobbying in favour of a carbon tax. However, these action plans lack transparency: we are still waiting to see their implementation and impact.

M. Godard: 40% of Fortune 500 companies have not yet established a roadmap or targets for their energy transition. And those that are committed are primarily talking about using greener electricity. It’s not enough. Environmental challenges mean that we need to rethink industrial processes by replacing ageing equipment, managing energy use, and producing – and storing – energy on-site, to give just a few examples. The same goes for the entire supply, distribution, and sales chain, which accounts for an average of 80% of a company’s carbon footprint.

RM: What about the American people? What do they think about the environmental transition?

A. Immas: The American people are extremely divided on this issue. On the one hand, climate change scepticism has grown since Trump was elected, especially amongst Republicans. On the other, we are seeing a real increase in awareness: almost half of all Americans say they are already suffering as a result of environmental deregulation. Changes in behaviour, however, come up against reality on the ground. Car and air travel, in particular, remain firmly rooted in the American way of life.

RM: You work, more specifically, in renewable energy. How is that sector doing in the United States? 

M. Godard: Wind power has increased tenfold in less than 15 years, and solar power has done the same in less than eight. And the prospects for growth are exponential. Green gas, or biomethane, is still in its infancy.

A. Immas: Renewable energies already account for 18% of the country’s energy mix. This is explained by their tariffs, which are now equal to or even less than the tariffs for gas, coal, and nuclear energy, as well as by the active policies of the States themselves, 37/50 of which have a renewables mandate or renewable energy targets. New York, for example, aims to achieve 70% green electricity consumption by 2030. 

RM: You work for EDF and Engie, respectively. What is the place of French energy companies, and can they take root in the United States?

A. Immas: French energy companies already boast a solid presence in the United States, especially the major groups like EDF, Engie, Total, Veolia, and Suez. They are well-positioned to win market share through both internal growth initiatives and acquisitions.

M. Godard: More broadly speaking, European players contribute their renowned expertise in renewable energies. They are several years ahead in terms of technology, with sound experience in offshore wind power, tidal energy, methanisation, and geothermal energy. 

* Interview conducted before the election of Joe Biden and the announcement of his intention to rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement.

Interview by Louis Armengaud Wurmser (E10), ESSEC Alumni Content Manager