Jean-Marc Jancovici: how to make sobriety desirable?

Written by Sophie Renassia

Published on October 22, 2024, modified on April 29, 2025

Looking for practical advice, feedback and inspiration for your next train journey? Make yourself comfortable and put your headphones in your ears: board now for “Je t'offre un rail?”, the podcast that will get you hooked on trains, produced with the support of SNCF Connect!

Train, sobriety and climate: the view of Jean-Marc Jancovici

A leading figure on climate and energy issues, Jean-Marc Jancovici has established himself over the years as one of the most influential voices on the subject. Among his many hats, he is co-founder and director of Carbone 4, whose mission is to confront companies with their impact on the climate; president of The Shift Project, an association that intervenes in the public debate on decarbonization issues (and to whom we owe the book Le plan de transformation de l'économie française); author of the best-selling comic strip Le Monde sans fin, miracle énergétique et dérive climatique illustrated by Christophe Blain; and also a lecturer, author and teacher...

Tolt was honored to lend him its microphone for our podcast Je t'offre un rail? For just over 45 minutes, they talked about sustainable mobility, the decarbonization of travel, deliberate sobriety, his relationship with trains, the future of the airline industry, but also his train journeys and more personal anecdotes. A fascinating episode to discover right here. Enjoy!

Episode summary

• The train as a “living room on wheels”: for Jean-Marc Jancovici, the train is undoubtedly the most comfortable mode of transport. A place where, as in a living room, you can read, work, chat, listen to music, stand up... In short, “not to waste time” and to be particularly productive!
• His long train journeys across Europe: from Morocco to Sweden to give lectures, via Poland and Denmark to attend COPs, or a return journey by train from Portugal. He tells us about his long-distance journeys, the little adventures that punctuated them and his attraction for the Nordic countries.
• Why we should limit ourselves to “4 flights per lifetime”: Jean-Marc Jancovici explains the reasoning behind this shock proposal. He details the consequences of aviation on the climate and the need for sober air travel.
• The Plan de Transformation de l'Économie Française (PTEF): he presents the Shift Project's proposals for decarbonizing mobility, including the goal of tripling rail traffic in France over the next 30 years.
• The challenges of the transition to sustainable transport: he explores the issues linked to infrastructure, the resources required, and the reconversion of jobs in the aeronautical industry.
• His position as a media-savvy authority figure and his relashionship with criticism...
• And other nuggets we'll let you discover right here 👇

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