Trottier Symposium 2025

Polytechnique Montréal's Institut de l'énergie Trottier is inviting you to the Trottier Symposium Part I: Feature Seminar. This year, we are pleased to welcome Simon Sharpe, author of the acclaimed book Five Times Faster.

Simon Sharpe, a committed expert

Simon Sharpe is Managing Director of S-Curve Economics CIC, a non-profit research organisation dedicated to advancing understanding of the economics and diplomacy of the low carbon transition. He is also Director of Economics for the Climate Champions Team. He has published influential reports and created ground-breaking international projects in climate change risk assessment, economics, and diplomacy.

He played various roles in the UK government, including serving as Deputy Director of the COP26 Unit in 2020-21, leading international climate change strategy, establishing low-carbon growth as a priority in the UK’s industrial strategy, and serving as head of private office to a Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change.

Rethinking the economics and diplomacy of the energy transition

In his conference, Simon Sharpe will talk about how the wrong kind of economics has encouraged governments to look at the energy transition backwards: starting with putting pressure on the incumbent systems, instead of by building the new. Technology transitions did not happen this way in the past. Understanding the economy as a system that is evolving rather than static leads to a different view of each of the main levers of policy. It also suggests a way forward for diplomacy – an approach that is less about emissions targets and more about tipping points. In both national policy and international diplomacy, new ideas and institutions could enable faster progress on the transition, making better use of whatever political and financial capital is available.

Simon Sharpe's talk will be followed by a conversation with Normand Mousseau and audience Q&A.

As a second part of this Trottier Symposium, a discussion with experts will follow this November, in person and in French -- more info to come.

The Trottier Symposium is an annual seminar series that alternates with McGill's TISED.