The transition is not just a cost: it has become the leading driver of energy investment worldwide, and an opportunity for reindustrialisation.
5.1The money has already switched
In 2024, global investment in clean energy reached about $2 trillion, twice the amount devoted to fossil fuels (IEA). Solar alone approaches $500 billion. Financially, the transition is already under way.
~$2tn
Global clean energy investment in 2024 (IEA)
×2
Low-carbon vs fossil investment
17M+
Electric vehicles sold worldwide in 2024
5.2The French players
- EDF: nuclear, hydropower and renewables; a pillar of the low-carbon mix.
- TotalEnergies, Engie: majors diversifying into electricity, solar and gas.
- Verkor: battery gigafactory in Dunkirk (16 GWh at the end of 2025, aiming for 50 GWh in 2030, ~1,200 direct jobs); ACC (Automotive Cells Company).
- ADEME: the French public agency for the transition: expertise, funding, scenarios.
5.3Transition jobs
Solar and wind installation, energy renovation of buildings, heat pumps, smart grids, nuclear engineering, hydrogen, carbon accounting: so many sectors short of recruits. For social science and policy profiles: energy public policy, green finance, regulation, climate negotiation, urban and regional planning.
5.4Green finance
Green bonds, the EU taxonomy, ESG criteria and the EU carbon market (EU ETS) (where a tonne of CO₂ trades around €70-90) now steer trillions of euros. The Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) taxes imported carbon.
Key takeaway for entrepreneurs
The winning markets are not only technological: renovation, efficiency, grid services, carbon measurement and financing are huge opportunities, often far less capital-intensive than a gigafactory.
Sources
IEA, World Energy Investment 2024; ADEME (ademe.fr); Verkor and ACC; European Commission, EU ETS and CBAM.
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