ENGIE has a special responsibility: to make energy challenges understandable and to support citizens, businesses, and local territories in their decisions. By becoming the first partner of the EnerG Institute, we affirm our commitment to providing rigorous, accessible, and useful insights for everyone, in a sector where shared understanding is essential for a successful transition.”On December 11, 2025, GEM brought together more than one hundred participants from the public, industrial, academic, and territorial sectors for an anniversary edition of the Energy Forum organized by the Energy for Society Chair. This event has become a key meeting point for deciphering sector dynamics and shedding light on upcoming developments. This highly anticipated 10th edition placed at the heart of the discussions a crucial question: how can we reconcile political urgency, economic feasibility, and citizen support in the energy transition?
The roundtable brought together high-level speakers whose diversity, industrial leaders, policymakers, economic stakeholders, academic experts, and local authorities, was one of the key strengths of this rich and insightful discussion. Among the participants were Catherine MacGregor, CEO of ENGIE; Senator Fabien Gay; Sophie Sidos, President of MEDEF Isère and executive at the Vicat Group; Carine Sebi, Professor at GEM and Director of the Energy for Society Chair; and Malik Hechaïchi, President of SYDER. Moderated by Éric Limoncini, the discussion shed light on the concrete levers needed for a more transparent, coherent, and widely supported energy transition.
Analysis: between citizen expectations and an unstable framework, the urgent need to rebuild trust and clarity
In a context where the French population largely supports the energy transition while expressing strong concerns about its pace and impacts, the speakers emphasized the need for clear, accessible, and non-anxiety-inducing communication. Drawing on the IFOP–ENGIE study and on the work of the Energy for Society Chair, Catherine MacGregor and Carine Sebi agreed on a key point: citizens are more likely to support the transition when they understand the choices being made, can identify local benefits, and have access to reliable information. Political polarization and opposition between energy sources blur this message, even though pragmatism and education have become essential to rebuilding trust.
The discussions at this edition confirmed the need for a platform capable of providing scientific expertise, independent insights, and practical tools: the Institute’s ambition is precisely to become a national and international reference on energy transitions.
Businesses, regions, and the state: restoring a clear direction and essential stability
The discussions also highlighted the challenges faced by businesses and local authorities in dealing with a changing and misaligned regulatory framework. Fabien Gay and Sophie Sidos emphasized that successive changes in public policies, which regularly modify, suspend, or restart support mechanisms, hinder investments and complicate industrial planning. Yet, the transition represents a major opportunity for competitiveness, reindustrialization, and job creation.
Malik Hechaïchi stressed the central role of local territories, which are called upon to support projects, adjust business models, and turn the transition into a value driver rather than a constraint. A clear consensus emerged: successfully managing the transition requires strengthened coordination between the government, businesses, and local authorities to develop solutions that are adapted to local realities.
ENGIE has a special responsibility: to make energy challenges understandable and to support citizens, businesses, and local territories in their decisions. By becoming the first partner of the EnerG Institute, we affirm our commitment to providing rigorous, accessible, and useful insights for everyone, in a sector where shared understanding is essential for a successful transition.”Catherine MacGregor, General Director of ENGIE
ENGIE becomes the first partner of the energ institute: a structuring partnership for gem and the territory
This 10th edition also marked a major milestone with ENGIE signing on as the first partner of the EnerG Institute, GEM’s new center of excellence dedicated to energy and climate transitions. At the heart of the EAGLE 2030 strategic plan, the EnerG Institute will bring together researchers, industrial actors, public decision-makers, and local stakeholders to analyze energy transformations, support organizations, and train future leaders through immersive learning, including crisis simulations and applied projects at the local, national, and international levels.
The Institute will also structure a comprehensive training offer at GEM, from student programs to Executive Education, in order to prepare tomorrow’s talent and strengthen the skills of current decision-makers—a key lever for supporting the sector’s transformation at all levels.
This agreement with ENGIE represents a major milestone for GEM. Our school has developed at the heart of a region shaped by science, industry, and innovation—the very place where hydropower was born. Being supported by a global and committed energy player strengthens our mission: to train decision-makers capable of integrating technology, management, and the energy transition. Together, we are laying the foundations for a dynamic approach based on science, local roots, and action "Fouziya Bouzerda, General Director of GEM
