Following an interview with Ms. Bayssen Amami, a doctoral engineer in the Energy Efficiency in Industry Department at the National Agency for Energy Management (ANME), to discuss the topic of decarbonization. Through a series of questions, she shed light on the ins and outs of this essential process for Tunisia's future. Her answers provide an in-depth and enlightening overview of the challenges and opportunities associated with decarbonization.

What is decarbonization as a phenomenon ?

Decarbonization refers to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, primarily from the combustion of fossil fuels such as oil and natural gas, as well as certain industrial activities. Its goal is to decrease the carbon footprint of human activities to counteract global warming and its harmful effects on the environment.

What is the Tunisian context in relation to mitigation or decarbonization?

The interview with Bayssen Amami highlighted Tunisia's concrete commitments to mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, following the ratification of the Paris Agreement in 2016 and the submission of its first Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) in 2015. An updated version of the NDC was released in 2021, adopting more ambitious targets, expressed primarily in terms of carbon intensity, aiming to reduce Tunisia's economy's carbon intensity by 45% by 2030 compared to 2010 levels. The energy sector is recognized as the main emitter of greenhouse gases, but it also holds the greatest potential for mitigation, accounting for 72% of the total, with 17% attributed to the industrial sector. Thus, Tunisia's energy sector offers significant opportunities for emissions reduction, but this largely depends on the implementation of the measures defined in the sectoral action plans of the Tunisian NDC. Operational action plans have been precisely defined, emphasizing the importance of energy efficiency and renewable energies. For example, for the industrial sector, the development of cogeneration offers a 47% mitigation potential. However, the implementation of these measures requires significant financial investment. According to estimates from the updated NDC, approximately $14.4 billion in financing is required to achieve the mitigation targets, with $11.7 billion allocated to the energy sector, and 7% of which is needed to achieve the industrial sector's mitigation objectives. This financial mobilization is essential to achieve Tunisia's ambitious decarbonization goals.

What is the approach for supporting industrial companies to accelerate the low-carbon transition?

Role of the ANME in addressing the challenges and issues faced by the Tunisian industrial sector Mme Bayssen Amami confirmed that the ANME, aware of the challenges facing the Tunisian industrial sector in its transition to a low-carbon economy, has implemented a comprehensive support approach. This approach includes several areas of intervention, including financial support through the Energy Transition Fund (FTE), which now includes subsidies for carbon accounting studies (Carbon Footprint Calculation and Product Carbon Footprint) up to 70%. Furthermore, and to address the challenge of initial financing, Mme Bayssen Amami stated that the banking sector will be the pivot of this "green transition" and that in this context, the ANME is collaborating with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Banking and Financial Council (CBF) to set up a digital financial guide listing the green financial products of Tunisian banks, thus promoting investment in clean technologies and the most sustainable practices and conditioning access to financing with demanding sustainability criteria. On a procedural level, Mme Bayssen Amami specified that the ANME is developing a specification to frame the exercise of carbon expertise, thus ensuring compliance with international carbon accounting standards. To raise awareness among companies, she added that the ANME organizes monthly information workshops on various aspects related to climate change and carbon accounting. In addition, aware of the importance of compliance with international climate requirements, which concerns not only the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), but also customer requirements that are becoming increasingly stringent for key sectors such as aeronautics, automotive and textiles, Mme Bayssen Amami stressed that the ANME is conducting a mission to support Tunisian companies in calculating their product carbon footprint, by providing them with international expertise and developing national skills. Finally, Mme Bayssen Amami announced that the ANME plans to develop a digital decarbonization platform to centralize best practices and success stories, thus facilitating access to information and the exchange of experiences, with the integration of a free Carbon Footprint calculator for Tunisian companies.

What is the impact of government policies and international agreements on the advancement of decarbonization in Tunisia?

Mme Bayssen Amami highlighted the importance of international agreements for decarbonization, stating that Tunisia is required to update its NDC every 5 years, to report regularly on progress made in mitigation and to revise its targets upwards. Regarding government policies, she indicated that Tunisia currently aims to put in place strict regulations, calling for the establishment of more binding policies such as a carbon taxonomy to encourage emissions reductions.

What are the economic and environmental benefits of decarbonization in Tunisia?

Mme Bayssen Amami highlighted several economic and environmental benefits of decarbonization in Tunisia. She stated that the transition to greener practices would create a new "green job market", significantly reduce energy costs for the state and businesses, while offering a competitive advantage on the international market.

Why is public awareness crucial for the success of decarbonization in Tunisia?

Mme Bayssen Amami emphasized the crucial importance of public awareness for the success of decarbonization in Tunisia. She stated that awareness can put pressure on companies to adopt sustainable technologies and market environmentally friendly products. Moreover, she noted that a aware public tends to opt for practices that generate fewer greenhouse gases, such as investing in clean energies, purchasing energy-efficient appliances and preferring local products with a low carbon footprint.

What are the main obstacles to the adoption of decarbonization on an industrial scale in Tunisia?

• Mme Bayssen Amami identified two main obstacles to the adoption of decarbonization on an industrial scale in Tunisia. 
• She confirmed that investment in energy efficiency technologies remains costly in the country, thus highlighting the crucial need for better access to financing. 
• Moreover, she highlighted the lack of awareness among companies about the urgency of the climate situation, which is another challenge to overcome in the process of industrial decarbonization.

What advice would you give to Tunisian business leaders to effectively integrate decarbonization into their operations?

Mme Bayssen Amami suggested several avenues that Tunisian companies can follow to effectively integrate decarbonization into their operations:

• Regularly calculate their Carbon Footprint to identify emission sources and design appropriate reduction strategies.
• Set emission reduction targets and develop action plans to achieve them.
• Raise awareness and train employees on climate change issues and sustainable practices.
• Establish a transparency policy by declaring emissions, thus involving suppliers and consumers in a voluntary commitment.
• Explore further green investment opportunities to support the transition to a low-carbon economy.
• Collaborate with startups and universities for the development of sustainable technologies.