Professor Valérie Masson-Delmotte:

On housing retrofit, of particular importance is the availability of almost zero interest loans, in respect of which which people can be reimbursed when they get the benefits of investments in energy efficiency. There are multiple examples of such actions. It works best when it is done at community level and administrative procedures are as simple as possible. It fails when people have to go through multiple entry points to avail of the supports available from local government. Simplicity is important. Initiatives must be targeted at the most vulnerable people, in particular those facing energy poverty. For example, in the city of Grenoble people have been appointed to certain jobs to work on the bills of others and help them to understand how they can reduce them and the other things they can do. There are differences between owning and renting housing. It is important to target the two approaches. Based on the experience in France, what is really important is that there is a system in place to control the quality of the work done, with people being paid once there is proof that a particular level of avoided energy usage has been reached. Practice shows that even with goodwill, the implementation of retrofitting can be of poor quality, if not done well. Having in place a system whereby payment is based on quality of service puts pressure on those who implement the retrofitting and may help to ensure the savings expected are achieved. France is late in its commitment in that regard also.

On transport, I recently examined an interesting piece on the life cycle of various types of vehicle. The weight of vehicles for private transportation is key. Electrified transport and super heavy cars do not work well when one examines the life cycle emissions from production to dismantlement. As I said, the weight of the vehicle is very important. The added value of electric vehicles depends on the way the batteries and the vehicle are produced. If it is using coal, it is different from other options. Also, it depends on the carbon content of the electricity used when using the car. It is important to remember that while electric vehicles produce zero emissions during use, they still produce emissions over their life cycle. The best option in travelling distances of 10 km or less as is the case for many people on a daily basis is to use bicycles, including electric bicycles. This requires public investment in secure transportation pathways, in respect of which Switzerland is leading the way, together with other countries.