Facing future challenges with Franco-British solutions
Issues around energy, climate change and sustainability are some of the greatest challenges we currently face, and Franco-British solutions are leading the way. Changes in energy to reduce our carbon footprint will require considerable investment in energy and changes in industrial production, transport infrastructure, housing and agriculture. The Franco-British Council regularly brings together government, experts, industry, academics and civil society to discuss and promote cooperation between the two countries.
Visit to Dunkirk
In February 2025, the Council visited Dunkirk for a visit organised in partnership with the Dunkirk Urban Community as part of its work on energy, climate change and sustainable development.
On the first day of the visit, Hervé Mariton led a roundtable discussion on the theme of “Dunkirk: Opportunities and Challenges in Decarbonizing Industry.”
On the second day, the delegation was invited to a breakfast presentation organised by the Dunkirk Urban Community at their new ÉcosystèmeD premises, on their regional industrial decarbonisation strategy with the DKarbonation project, in partnership with the Grand Port Maritime de Dunkirk and local industrialists. The group was then welcomed to ArcelorMittal for an impressive tour of the Blast Furnaces plant.
A visit to the EDF Gravelines nuclear site was then organised with a presentation of the CNPE, the EPR2 project, a panoramic tour of the current site and the future EPR2 site and the installations, a visit to the machine room and at the foot of one of the six reactor buildings.
The report is available here.
Visit to Scotland
In December 2023, the Franco-British Council organised a three-day visit to Scotland to discuss the key issues of Energy, Climate Change, Sustainability and Food Security and Securing Our Future.
France and the UK have common goals in tackling issues around energy, climate change and sustainability, and recent world events have highlighted the vulnerability of energy and food security.
Franco-British solutions are leading the way in finding solutions and Scotland has ambitious plans to deliver Net Zero and innovative energy solutions.
You can read the report here
“A Franco-British engine for the future of civilian nuclear energy”
During the General Assembly of the Conseil franco-britannique on 3rd July 2023 at the Senate, Mr. Vincent de Rivaz, former CEO of EDF Energy, gave an enlightening keynote on the theme of “a Franco-British engine for the future of civilian nuclear energy”. He played a key role in the implementation of the Hinkley Point C project in the United Kingdom and is also a member of the Council.
You can read the report here
Visit to Hinkley Point
On 22-23 March 2022, the Franco-British Council organised a two day visit to Hinkley Point site in Somerset. A huge Franco-British collaboration in nuclear energy being developed by EDF Energy. The delegation included Board members, Young and Local Leaders plus representatives from our partner organisations.
As part of this visit, the Council also hosted an energy seminar on financing renewable energies and nuclear power chaired by our co-chair Hervé Mariton with Paul Spence from EDF Energy, Christian Gollier from Toulouse School of Economics and Anne-Christine Champion from Natixis.
The report can be found here
Conference on Climate Change and Energy
The Franco-British Council organised a Conference on Climate Change and Energy at the Economic, Social and Environmental Council in Paris on 27th February 2020. You can read the report about the conference here.