"High-level science is needed to tackle the challenges of the energy transition" (T. Coulhon, IP Paris)

Thierry Coulhon, chairman of the board of Institut Polytechnique Paris, told News Tank on 10/02/2026: "We need very high-level science" to tackle the energy transition. He was speaking on the occasion of the 3^rd edition of the Réflexions international conference, organised by the institute on 05/02/2026 on the energy transition.

The main aim of the conference was to "go beyond a fragmented approach" by bringing together public policy-makers, businesses and scientists. "It's a global imperative for a higher education institution like ours. If we're useless in our ivory tower, we might as well stop immediately", says Thierry Coulhon.

To take action, he says, "we need to change the way things are done, scale up techniques and develop new technologies. Without that, we won't be able to reduce CO₂ emissions sufficiently. So that requires new science", making it clear that this is not about being "techno-solutionists".

As to whether French and European public policies are up to the challenge, he says: "we can no longer content ourselves of wishful thinking, of saying that we should triple…