Understanding the global dynamics of the energy transition with the MSc in Management of Energy Transitions
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In this interview with Opera Energy, Xavier Blot, Director of the MSc in Management of Energy Transition at emlyon business school and Associate Professor, takes stock of the global energy transition and analyzes the European Union’s strategies to reduce its dependence on hydrocarbons.

Europe facing energy dependence

The war in Ukraine revealed the EU’s dependence on Russian gas. Between 2021 and 2024, the share of Russian gas fell from 45% to 19%. Brussels now plans a complete phase-out by 2028. According to Xavier Blot:

“Doing without Russian gas is not unrealistic at all. The real challenge is having the necessary capacity to cover Europe’s gas consumption with LNG.”

However, he emphasizes that energy dependence remains a powerful political lever, and that new agreements with the United States introduce a different form of dependence—more complex and multidimensional.
 

Global energy transition: a positive dynamic

Xavier Blot reminds us that the transition is not limited to infrastructure:

“The energy transition cannot be reduced to a transition of production assets. Consumption is the central issue, yet it has been completely neglected.”

In the United States, the Inflation Reduction Act has led to spectacular growth in low-carbon investments and renewable capacity, with +30% per year over five years. Europe has also significantly expanded its renewable energy capacity, with more than 300 GW installed between 2015 and 2024, and low-carbon electricity increasing from 40% to 52%.

China, installing 300 GW each year, remains the global leader, while countries such as Pakistan show that solar power is accessible at all scales and primarily driven by economic logic.

“The global momentum is excellent,” concludes XB, putting into perspective the IEA’s downward revisions of global targets.

Understanding the energy transition with the MSc in Management of Energy Transitions

The MSc in Management of Energy Transition, directed by Xavier Blot and Thibaud Voïta, trains professionals capable of analyzing global energy transformations and steering complex strategies. The program covers:

  • energy diversification strategies and security of supply,
  • the impact of international policies and geopolitical agreements,
  • the transition to renewable and low-carbon energy,
  • economic rationality and consumption as a central lever.

The analysis of Europe and the world in the face of energy dependence and the development of renewables is a concrete and emblematic case of the issues addressed in the MET program.