Our history

In 2009, after more than ten years of network activity, the desire to found an association was born. Several individuals were behind the idea.

Stéphane POUFFARY, with a background in engineering and anthropology, and then Head of the International Expertise Unit for Energy Management at ADEME (Agence de l’Environnement et de la Maîtrise de l’Énergie), and Stéphane Bouissou, Researcher in geothermal energy and sustainable food systems, then Head of the Master GEDD (Gestion de l’Environnement et Développement Durable) at the Université Nice Côte-d’Azur, spearheaded this transformation.

We’d also like to mention our friends Stéphane QUEFELEC, Laurent DITTRICK and Arab HOBALLAH, who accompanied us on this special journey.

In April 2011, in an international context marked by repeated social, economic and environmental crises, and as the following year would mark the 20th anniversary of the Rio Earth Summit, ENERGIES 2050 was established as a non-profit, non-governmental organization (association loi 1901 in France).

Strong in its conviction that our development trajectories are not inevitable, the association advocates the involvement of all the world’s citizens in generating lifestyles that are respectful of natural resources and resilient. ENERGIES 2050 is an association that combines cutting-edge technical expertise with a deep commitment to international solidarity.

The founding ambition was clear: to combat the apparent inevitability of climate change and promote a model of sustainable, inclusive development that goes beyond fragmented solutions and traditional approaches. The opportunity offered by a unique combination of complementary skills and expertise, as well as the carrier network that the association has been able to catalyze over the years, motivated the two founders to confirm this already collective adventure.

From the outset, ENERGIES 2050 adopted an interdisciplinary approach, which quickly evolved into the systems approach that characterizes it today. It was quickly recognized that environmental problems could only be solved by integrating their complexity and working across disciplines. Whether in the fields of energy, biodiversity or construction, the association sought to integrate best practices and propose innovative, adaptable solutions.

Its commitment is also evident in the way it works. ENERGIES 2050 stands out for its transparency, rigorous ethics and use of precise metrics to measure the impact of its actions.

Recognized as one of the world’s “doers” (as opposed to “thinkers”, who are passive and involved exclusively in theory far removed from the field), its members adopt an operational and project-based approach, with particular attention to local realities and the specific needs of communities.

Aware of the need for global solidarity, ENERGIES 2050 has anchored its approach in an international framework, drawing inspiration from the decisions of the 1992 Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and various international, regional and national agreements relating to energy, the environment and climate change. The organization favors local action to put the results of its research and initiatives into practice.

From the outset, ENERGIES 2050 has positioned itself as a climate, ecology and energy think-tank for citizens, with the aim of imagining and inventing solutions together, so that everyone becomes aware of the importance of their role in the changes to come.

Fortified by the power of its alliances, the organization continues to develop a vast international network of partners. Working in synergy, these partners combine their skills and resources to maximize the impact of their actions. Their bottom-up approach enables them to develop specific solutions adapted to local contexts, while influencing global policies (top-down).