From 1 to 3 February, the 23^rd edition of the European Energy Transition Conference will be held in the Grand Genève cross-border region. Close to 3,500 participants (communities, ecological transition scientists and experts, economic players and associations) will meet at Palexpo (International Exhibition and Congress Centre in Geneva) to discuss and share their experiences in the local energy transition and in adapting to climate change. The programme will feature over a hundred events, with debates, round tables, interviews, testimonials, workshops and site visits. As in previous years, the event’s co-organizers – Grand Genève, the Dunkirk Urban Community, Greater Bordeaux and ADEME (French Agency for Ecological Transition) – have chosen a main theme reflecting current challenges. The 2022 edition, entitled “Less for More!", will focus on the topic of sobriety. As the leading European event for local players focussing on the energy transition after COP 26, the 2022 Conference promises to be a significant discussion forum.

"European Energy Transition Conference":

THE annual meeting for local energy transition players since 1999

The European Energy Transition Conference was launched in 1999 by the Dunkirk Urban Community in partnership with ADEME, and later co-organized by Greater Bordeaux and Grand Genève. Over the years, the event has become the leading annual meeting of European regional players engaged in the energy transition. Held as an extension of significant government meetings – particularly the UN Climate Summits (COP) – the Conference is an opportunity for governments and local players, and their partners, to address new national and international issues collectively, and above all to share successful experiences and concrete solutions to implement the energy transition on the local level. Each year, the event brings together nearly 3,500 delegates over three days around a programme of over a hundred events, with plenary sessions, workshops, site visits, the energy transition village and the Job Forum on Energy Transition.

"Energy sobriety": the theme for the 23^rd edition

"National economic, budgetary, commercial, fundamental and applied research, and commercial orientations: How are they consistent or inconsistent with energy sobriety?”, “The place of energy sobriety in forward-looking scenarios to achieve carbon neutrality” or, more surprisingly, “Sports, levers for a happy and intentional sobriety”. The 23^rd edition of the Conference will address the theme of energy sobriety through the theme “Less for More!”. LESS fossil fuels, pollution, CO2 emissions, resources consumed and energy insecurity for MORE renewable energy, well-being, quality of life, innovation and local jobs? In all: some 20 plenary sessions will tackle this issue with European, national, regional, inter-municipal and local, heritage and even individual perspectives, through multiple lenses and viewpoints: elected officials, experts, neuro-psychoanalysts, communicators and young generations.

Programming to reflect current events and discussion formats that promote the sharing of ideas, co- construction and commitment.

As in previous years, the co-organizers wanted to devise a programme that reflects as closely as possible the concrete problems facing local players in implementing the local energy transition. So, a call for contributions, open to all, was launched early in the year. It received nearly 300 suggestions and proposals for presentations. Although the final programme won’t be unveiled until early December, a number of key events have already been confirmed, including the presentation of ADEME’s Cit’Ergie labels, the presentation of the “Hydogénies” awards, approximately one hundred thematic workshops that will invite participants to share, discuss and co-create, and a variety of events during which financial players, elected officials and energy operators will be called upon to concretely commit to energy sobriety by 2022! Finally, another official announcement: Etienne Klein - physicist, professor at Ecole Centrale Paris and Director of the research laboratory on matter sciences at France’s CEA (Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission), PhD in philosophy of science, specialist in the question of time - will participate in all the discussions throughout these three days, as a great witness to the edition!