2004 – 2015: A decade of expertise on climate economics

2 December 2015 - Special issues - By : Benoît LEGUET / Pierre DUCRET

I4CE – the Institute for Climate Economics is an initiative of the Caisse des Dépôts, which continues to support us, and the Agence Française de Développement, which has joined this project, giving the Institute a strong international dimension.
The two major French public financial institutions are thus joining forces to create a real think tank, open to other partnerships.

From the outset, I4CE – the Institute for Climate Economics – benefits from the expertise and reputation which CDC Climat Research has acquired over ten years through our publicly available research, our discussions with public and private decision makers, and our research partnerships with other teams in France, Europe and around the world. I4CE aims at strengthening this independent economic expertise and increasing its influence.

The creation of I4CE in 2015 is a step towards creating an agenda of solutions for the climate. We hope that our work will feed into efforts by France and international negotiators to reach an agreement in Paris in December. However, we have long believed that the transition towards a ‘decarbonised’ economy which is resilient to climate change does not depend solely upon work by governments.
We believe that three other categories of stakeholders are just as essential for ensuring that this change is successful:

the industrial sector, and the energy sector in particular, the speed of transformation of which will depend greatly upon the inclusion of a carbon price in its model;
the finance sector which now must incorporate the 2°C objective into the way in which it allocates capital;
regional stakeholders which decide on the future of cities, agriculture and forestry.
We have developed and organised our research programme for the coming years around these three areas, with the aim of providing our partners with the keys to understanding and decision making, acting as a meeting point for the best academic work and the constraints of political and economic action.

This report will give you an overview of our activities and ways of working.

2004 – 2015: A decade of expertise on climate economics Download

I4CE Contacts

Benoît LEGUET

Managing Director Email

To learn more

12/11/2025 Blog post
Climate finance at COP30: Progress, pitfalls, persistent challenges and the path ahead

A few weeks ago, COP30 concluded in Belém with all parties agreeing on a “global mobilization” (or mutirão) against climate change, proving that multilateralism remains a viable path for action, despite strong geopolitical and economic headwinds. However, Belém delivered underwhelming results: no roadmap to transition away from fossil fuels –despite a powerful push from President Lula, rallying over 80 countries, a lack of concrete decisions on deforestation –disappointing for an “Amazon COP”, and mixed results on the global goal on adaptation, among other outcomes.
12/05/2025 Foreword of the week
Maintaining the 2035 target: Ensuring a viable future for Europe’s automotive industry

In the run up to the publication of the European Commission’s proposals for an automotive package on 10 December, car manufactures have stepped up the calls to relax the CO2 standards and the 2035 phase-out of new combustion-engine vehicles by including some flexibilities. They highlight the challenges the industry has faced in recent years, growing competitive pressure from China, and insufficient demand for electric vehicles in Europe as reasons for the sector needing more time for the transition required to meet the targets.
12/04/2025 Blog post
Relaxing EU standards on CO2 emissions won’t save the EU’s automotive industry, or help consumers

Recently, car manufacturers have been calling for a relaxation of CO2 emission standards for cars and vans and the 2035 phase-out target for new internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, by including some flexibilities. They point in particular to the crisis the industry has faced in recent years, growing competitive pressure from China, and insufficient demand for electric vehicles (EVs) in Europe, as reasons for the sector needing more time for the transition required to meet the targets. As the European Commission (EC) prepares to publish its package for the automotive industry, including a revision of CO₂ standards for cars and vans, this blogpost examines the realities behind the difficulties currently faced by car manufacturers and the consequences of relaxing and postponing the planned EU regulations for this sector.

2004 – 2015: A decade of expertise on climate economics

Benoît LEGUET

Climate finance at COP30: Progress, pitfalls, persistent challenges and the path ahead

Maintaining the 2035 target: Ensuring a viable future for Europe’s automotive industry

Relaxing EU standards on CO2 emissions won’t save the EU’s automotive industry, or help consumers