MSc Energy Business & Climate Strategy

The MSc Energy Business and Climate Strategy program at GEM equips students with the skills and competencies firms and public sector organizations need to confront the challenges of sustainable energy and climate change and meet their net-zero ambitions.

Level: Master's Degree. Diploma aimed at Bac +5 conferring the Master's degree: "Higher studies diploma in strategic management of international activities". RNCP 37252.

Drive Transition in the Energy System, From the Supply Side to the Demand Side and Its Governance

Climate change and energy pose formidable challenges on global, regional, and local scales in the 21st century. Two-thirds of global greenhouse gas emissions are due to energy. Ensuring emissions-free, affordable, and secure energy for all requires a strong commitment to change from governments, companies, and civil society. The MSc Energy Business & Climate Strategy (MEBCS) program at GEM addresses the pressing issues of sustainable development, energy, and the natural environment, preparing students to drive transition in the energy system, from the supply side to the demand side and its governance.

Program highlights

• Apprehend climate change (rather than sustainability at large), its urgency, (international) policy landscape and compliance needs, financial and competitiveness considerations, reputation and stakeholder expectations
• Understand energy technology management from both the supply and demand side in order to meet energy needs in a climate-constrained world
• Use advanced qualitative and quantitative tools and methods to accompany firms' zero-carbon transition building on best practices from leading EU companies
• Courses are taught by GEM professors who are renowned experts in the field. MEBCS builds upon GEM's tradition of academic excellence. These professors have contributed to research published in relevant journals, advised businesses and policymakers, and developed carbon calculators, among other achievements
• The course offers a direct connection with the Energy for Society Chair materials, and professional networks including large multinationals such as Air Liquide, Engie, and Schneider Electric

Skills Acquired

The MEBCS program centers on the Management of Technological Innovation (MTI), offering students a range of hard skills and directly applicable tools, including:

• Carbon accounting and reporting according to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol
• Climate risk analysis and management according to internationally recognized standards (e.g., TCFD)
• Financial analysis for project cash flows and investment returns
• Data-driven energy management and decision-making: Analytics, visualization, descriptive statistics, and big data
• Sustainable business model innovation
• Net-zero deep decarbonization pathways

• Management programs on sustainability transition, in general, are mushrooming, but few have a climate focus, and few focus on the management of technology, even though climate change is the leading issue for firms, and techniques and technologies are central to business responses. What sets this program apart is its focus on technology management, using advanced qualitative and quantitative tools, for the energy sector. The program focuses on climate change (rather than on sustainability at large) because of the urgency to decarbonize to meet the goals of the Paris Climate Accord, the rapidly evolving regulatory landscape and compliance needs, and the strong influence of climate change on finance, competitiveness, reputation, and stakeholder expectations.
• The teaching faculty consists of eminent professors in their fields. These professors have contributed to research published in major scientific energy journals, advised businesses and policymakers, and developed carbon calculators, among other achievements.
• The program balances professional training (recognized standards, tools, and regulations) with advanced academic skills.

Objectives

The main motivations for this program are as follows:

• Meeting international, national, and company targets for decarbonizing all activities within the coming decades. The energy sector, especially electricity, heating, and transportation, has a significant impact on emissions and requires swift adjustments
• Empowering companies to develop concrete strategies for decarbonizing their entire value chains, involving radical technological changes and business model innovations. This includes assessing and managing risks related to climate change, policies, stakeholders, customers (commercial, private, public), and suppliers
• Ensuring compliance with concrete regulations like the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS), EU Non-Financial Reporting Directive (NFRD), and Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR).

• Market analysts and risk analysts (Utilities, public institutions, regulators, syndicates, renewables independent power producers "I.P.P.", Financial Investors, banks (infrastructures B.U.)
• Account managers and business developers (energy retailers, aggregators, energy brokers, e.g. (in France-EU) Energy-Pool, Opera Energy, EdF - Agregio, Axpo, TotalE, Engie, ENI, ... )
• Marketing manager or business developer for technology providers (e.g., Schneider Electric, ABB, Siemens, GE , and startups ...)
• Sustainable energy project developers and managers (I.P.P., e.g. Voltalia, Akuo, BayWa r.e., NEOEN..., Incumbents' renewables companies: ENEL green power, EdF Renewables, Engie Solutions, TotalE-EREN...)
• Sustainable energy consultants (E&Y, Wavestone, SopraSteria...)
• Investor relations manager (energy producers, Utilities, energy-intensive industry)
• Energy policy analysts and advisors on sustainable (energy) strategies and policies (energy agencies, Utilities, energy-intensive industry)
• Policy advisors in NGOs and international institutions (e.g., national energy agencies, European Commission, World Bank, United Nations).

The program runs on a full-time basis from September to February and is conducted entirely in English. It comprises 240 classroom hours, supplemented by internships of approximately 6 months at leading energy organizations, workshops, field projects, company presentations, and a direct connection with the Energy for Society chair.

Duration

• Regular track (2 years): Year 1 - on campus 7 months + 4-6 months internship Year 2 - 5 months on campus + 4-6 months internship
• Short track (1 year): 6 months on campus + 4-6 months internship