RD20 is an international research and development framework by major research institutes in the G20 countries and regions that develop cutting-edge technologies to achieve carbon neutrality.
RD20 secretariat promotion team will deliver monthly articles introducing RD20 member institutions. The first issue will introduce the French research institute CNRS.

What is CNRS, France’s largest research institute

The CNRS (French National Center for Scientific Research) is the largest public research institute in France and conducts multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research. As a research institute, it has identified six challenges: climate change, educational inequality, artificial intelligence, health and the environment, territories of the future, and energy transition, and is conducting research and development in each of these areas.
CNRS WEB　https://www.cnrs.fr/en

Energy transition’ challenge

CNRS is carrying out research activities on the whole value chain of the energy transition, from renewable energies to social-economical aspects through batteries for mobility and hydrogen for industry, mobility and stationary applications. CNRS is strongly linked to other national research organizations (CEA, IFPEN…) dealing with energy as well to industries (several joint labs).
CNRS has established tight international cooperation with numerous countries thanks to several tools. As non-exhaustive examples, research programs are currently running with Singapore (SINERGIE/NTU), Australia (FACES, FACET, H2 with CSIRO), Japan (IRC/U. Tokyo), South-Korea (KENTECH), India (INFINITE with CSIR), among many others.

The CNRS Energy transition’ taskforce is coordinated by Dr. Abdelilah SLAOUI, who is also a member of the RD20 action committee. Since 2021, he is also the scientific director for CNRS of the national research program on low carbon hydrogen (PEPR-H2; https://www.pepr-hydrogen.com/), jointly with Hélène Burlet from CEA.
CNRS　Energy Transition https://celluleenergie.cnrs.fr/programmes-energie/

Contribution to RD20

At previous RD20 international conferences, in addition to the Leaders’ Sessions, speakers from the CNRS have presented papers on topics such as LCA and carbon management in the technical sessions.

The 3rd RD20 Conference in 2021

Theme: CNRS Research activities on clean energy
Dr. Abdelilah Slaoui CNRS-Paris, France

The 4th RD20 Conference in 2022

Theme: Life cycle assessment and techno-economic analysis of hydrogen
Dr. Myriam Merad CNRS-Paris Dauphine, France

Theme: Carbon Management
Dr. Valérie Keller CNRS/University of Strasbourg, France

The 5th RD20 Conference in 2023

Theme: LCA and environmental impacts on large-scale deployment of PV
Prof. Myriam Merad CNRS–Paris Dauphine, France

In addition, the first “Summer School”, an exchange and training program for young researchers in the field of clean energy, was held in 2023 and was hosted jointly by CNRS and CEA (Atomic Energy and Alternative Energies Commission).
RD 20 Summer School https://rd20.aist.go.jp/actions/summerschool/
CEA https://www.cea.fr/