2 April 2024

14:20 – 15:05

Amphi 1

Alex Bigouret

Alex Bigouret is a political scientist by training (MSc. Université de Montréal 2022) and has spent the last four years working in both the private and public sectors as an energy transition analyst. A specialist in public policy and international affairs, Alex is interested in the (geo)political, economic and technical issues associated with the energy transition, with a particular focus on hydrogen and metals. His interest in popularization has led him to publish various energy-related articles for the Climate Institute of Canada and the French magazine Diplomatie. Alex is also the co-founder of the Post Carbone podcast, in which he interviews researchers and specialists on energy-climate issues in Canada.

What is the availability of metals for the energy transition?

For several years, public and private announcements and investments associated with the energy transition have been multiplying. By 2023, $1,800 billion had been invested worldwide in low-carbon technologies (wind, solar, batteries and hydrogen), a new record and almost double the amount invested in fossil fuels. Year on year, the deployment of renewable energies is accelerating, and electric vehicles are increasing their market share in most corners of the globe. So much so, in fact, that the International Energy Agency predicts a peak in fossil fuel demand within the decade. Yet at the same time, concerns are emerging about our ability to deploy the technologies needed to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, in sufficient quantity and on time. The main concern centers on the availability of metals, on which the manufacture of low-carbon technologies is particularly dependent. Some argue that the advent of a carbon-neutral energy system is compromised by a lack of metal resources. The aim of this conference is to determine to what extent the availability of metals for the energy transition is or is not an obstacle to achieving our climate objectives.