The Shift Project

What The Shift Project does

The Shift Project is a French non-profit think tank (association d'intérêt général) founded in 2010 by Jean-Marc Jancovici, dedicated to producing rigorous, physics-based analysis of climate-energy transition challenges for France and Europe. The organization conducts quantitative and qualitative decarbonation research across 14+ economic sectors — including agriculture, digital technology, healthcare, sports, defense, transport, energy, industry, and building — and publishes all reports and tools free of charge. Its core intellectual product is the "double contrainte carbone" (carbon constraint) framework, which grounds transition analysis in physical laws (energy, materials, carbon budgets) rather than purely economic assumptions. The organization has produced first-of-kind physical carbon footprint assessments for the French autonomy sector (10 MtCO2e), health industries (16.5 MtCO2e across medications and medical devices), football and rugby (2.2 MtCO2e), and digital/AI infrastructure. Its research is amplified through a volunteer network of nearly 20,000 Shifters and large-scale public consultations (Grandes Consultations) that have engaged more than 7,700 farmers, 12,000+ sports professionals, and thousands of municipal officials.

The Shift Project operates a community-led go-to-market model with no commercial products, pricing, or proprietary software. Its intellectual output — including the multi-year Plan de transformation de l'économie française (PTEF, 2022) and its successor Plan robuste pour l'économie française (PREF, 2026) — is distributed through the theshiftproject.org website, the Comprendre2050.fr educational platform (co-developed with ADEME and négaWatt), public conferences, academic encounters, and earned media in major French outlets. Revenue is generated through three streams: large-scale public crowdfunding (a record €4.5M+ campaign from 36,000+ contributors in August 2025), tax-deductible individual donations under its general-interest association status, and institutional partnerships/sponsorships for specific research programs (e.g., CNSA, CNAM, HCAAM, MGEN, EN3S, MAIF, ADEME, AXA, Caisse des Dépôts, Devoteam). Customers in the conventional sense are policymakers, industry professionals, sector federations, and engaged citizens who consume the research to inform decisions; key stakeholder relationships include the French Football Federation, French Rugby Federation, LFP, LNR, and multiple French Social Security agencies.

Name

The Shift Project

Legal name

The Shift Project

Website

https://theshiftproject.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

The Shift Project is a French non-profit think tank founded in 2010 that produces physics-based decarbonation research across 14+ sectors and serves policymakers, industry leaders, and citizens via free publications, consultations, and a 20,000-volunteer network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Crowdfunding and donations: The Shift Project relies heavily on public crowdfunding and individual donations. In 2025, they conducted a record-breaking crowdfunding campaign 'Décarbonons la France!' that raised over 4.5 million euros from more than 36,000 contributors in just a few weeks. This funds their action program for 2027 and the Plan robuste pour l'économie française.
2. Institutional partnerships and sponsorships: The organization receives support from institutional partners and corporate sponsors for specific research programs. Examples include partnerships with CNSA, EN3S, CNAM, HCAAM, and MGEN for healthcare research, and MAIF for sports decarbonation projects. The Shift also receives funding from organizations like ADEME and various agricultural partners.
3. Association d'intérêt général: The Shift Project is an 'Association d'intérêt général' (general interest association), which allows them to receive tax-deductible donations and support from individuals and organizations committed to their mission of decarbonation research and advocacy.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Shift Project is a French think tank that produces independent scientific research and policy analysis on the decarbonization of the economy. It delivers sector-specific reports on energy, transport, agriculture, digital, healthcare, defense, and sports, and runs large-scale public consultations to inform French and European climate-energy policy. All publications and analyses are provided free of charge to policymakers, industry professionals, and the general public.

Product overview

The Shift Project is a French think tank (association d'intérêt général) focused on decarbonation of the economy, founded in 2010 by Jean-Marc Jancovici. The organization does not offer a unified software product but rather produces research publications, reports, and analysis across multiple sectors including agriculture, digital technology, healthcare, sports, defense, and energy. Key offerings include the Plan robuste pour l'économie française (PREF) action program, Grande Consultation citizen surveys, the Comprendre2050.fr knowledge platform, and thematic research reports on sector-specific decarbonation pathways. The Shifters volunteer network (20,000+ members) supports dissemination of findings. The organization operates primarily through funded research projects rather than commercial product offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Plan robuste pour l'économie française (PREF) Multi-year action program structuring concrete responses to contemporary energy and climate crises ahead of the 2027 French presidential election, involving 20 key transformation projects across the French economy.
• Comprendre2050.fr Collaborative educational website developed with négaWatt and ADEME that decodes prospective scenarios and synthesizes over 5,000 pages of publications on French energy and climate issues for the general public.
• Grande Consultation des Agriculteurs Large-scale farmer consultation survey that gathered 7,711+ responses from French farmers and agricultural professionals on the future of French agriculture, climate vulnerability, and transition readiness.
• Healthcare Decarbonation Reports Comprehensive analyses on decarboning the French healthcare system (49 MtCO2e, 8% of national emissions) and health industries including medications and medical devices.
• Sport Decarbonation Program Quantitative analysis of French football and rugby carbon footprints (2.2 MtCO2e/year) with decarbonation pathways aligned with Paris Agreement objectives.
• Digital & AI Infrastructure Report Final report analyzing AI and data center energy consumption trends, projecting potential tripling by 2030, and recommending technological choices compatible with carbon constraints.
• Digital Sector Decarbonation Research Program Ongoing research program covering data centers, AI, 5G governance, digital sobriety, and environmental impacts of video streaming, with sponsorship from ADEME, AXA, Devoteam, Institut Norsys, and Davidson.
• Rencontres Académiques Annual academic encounters series bringing together transdisciplinary expert panels to provide scientific insights on specific questions (MATER model, carbon sinks, just transition, uncertainty).
• DEFENDRE Program Defense, Energy, Sustainability, Resilience program analyzing energy and material dependencies of the French defense sector under physical constraints.

Quantifiable outcome

• Football and rugby can reduce carbon emissions by factor of 5 in 25 years, aligning with Paris Agreement objectives
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ADEMEcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025ADEME (Agence de la transition écologique) is a program partner for the Digital sector research, providing both technical and financial support for studies on digital environmental impact and AI infrastructure.
• CNAMminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations supports the Digital program as a founding sponsor, contributing to research on digital sector decarbonation.
• CNAM (Caisse nationale d'assurance maladie)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 June 2025Partnership with CNAM for research on decarbonation of health industries, specifically medications and medical devices. The project produced first-ever physical carbon footprint assessments for these sectors in France.
• HCAAM (Haut Conseil pour l'Avenir de l'Assurance Maladie)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 June 2025Partnership with HCAAM for health industries decarbonation research, providing institutional perspective on healthcare system transformation.
• MGENcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 June 2025Partnership with MGEN (mutual health insurance) for health industries decarbonation research, contributing expertise on health insurance and preventive care perspectives.
• EcovamedminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 June 2025Partnership with Ecovamed for estimation of greenhouse gas emissions from active pharmaceutical ingredients, providing specialized expertise for health industries research.
• ADEME and négaWattcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2025Launch of Comprendre2050.fr in collaboration with ADEME and the négaWatt association. This educational platform synthesizes over 5,000 pages of publications to decode energy-climate scenarios for the French public.
• CNSA (Caisse nationale de solidarité pour l'autonomie)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 April 2024Partnership with CNSA for collaborative research on decarbonation of the autonomy sector (elderly and disabled care). The partnership produced a comprehensive report estimating 10 million tonnes CO2e annual emissions and identifying levers to reduce emissions by 70% by 2050. This was the first detailed ecological planning exercise at the scale of a Social Security branch.
• EN3S (École des dirigeants de la protection sociale)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 April 2024Partnership with EN3S for the autonomy sector decarbonation research project, bringing expertise in social protection and management education to the initiative.
• EHESP (École des hautes études en santé publique) - Chaire RESPECTcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 April 2024The Chaire RÉsilience en Santé, Prévention, Environnement, Climat et Transition (RESPECT) of EHESP contributed to the autonomy sector decarbonation research.
• Various agricultural organizations (approximately 100)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNearly 100 agricultural organizations (chambres d'agriculture, syndicats, filières, associations, entreprises, collectifs) relayed the Grande Consultation des Agriteurs, which received 7,711 responses from farmers across France.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Shift Project