France & India should poach US scientists from Trumpland to work on Triple Regeneration projects
In 2017, when Trump pulled the US out of theParis Agreement, French President Emmanuel Macron announced a bold program: “MAKE OUR PLANET GREAT AGAIN”
It aimed to lure US scientists away from the US and come work in France on climate solutions.
Endowed with €60-million (US$69-million), the scheme was very successful: hundreds of researchers had applied for the program, which offered of 4-year grants worth up to €1.5 million.
In 2025, President Macron could team with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to announce a new Indo-French fellowship program aimed to “MAKE OUR PEOPLE, PLACES, and PLANET GREAT AGAIN”.
In 2017, we had the luxury to focus on Mitigation (reducing emissions)
In 2025, however, we need robust Adaptation strategies to help PEOPLE and PLACES adjust to climate change’s worsening effects.
Climate change is already afflicting People (Health) and is deeply impacting and transforming Places (cities, landscapes).
Hence, we need not only climate scientists but also experts in geomatics (which will become a VERY HOT discipline in 21st century), healthcare (medicine), urban planning, etc. to co-develop robust adaptation solutions to protect People and Places against climate change’s dire impact.
I spent 2022 and 2023 traveling in multiple regions across France to identify PLACE-specific climate mitigation and adaptation strategies.
I was inspired to see the “territoires” (equivalent to districts in India and counties in US) are not just leading an energy transition.
Rather they boldly lead a systemic transition that aims to regenerate People, Places, and the Planet synergistically.
Read my Stanford Social Innovation Review case on how a French town leads a systemic transition frugally.
I call this Triple Regeneration — a holistic approach to boost the health and vitality of individuals, physical places, and the planet altogether.
Read my Sustainable Brands article on Triple Regeneration.
In past 4 months, traveling across India, I found India is adopting a humanistic and socially-conscious approach to fight climate change.
I identified many systemic transition and holistic climate solutions pioneered by startups, business, regional governments across India to restore, renew, and grow people, communities, and natural ecosystems.
Indian and French leaders and entrepreneurs have a heightened consciousness: for us, the sustainability of PEOPLE and COMMUNITIES is as important as the sustainability of the Biosphere.
We believe we are *part* of Nature, not separate from it.
India & France both boast deep expertise in Frugal AI, medicine (modern and traditional), Geomatics (geospatial) engineering, agri-food, water, and renewable energies.
In 2025, climate-skeptic Trump is back in the White House: he has once again pulled the US out of the Paris agreement.
Against this backdrop, France and India could announce joint-fellowships to attract disgruntled US scientists to come work with their peers in India and/or France on systemic transition projects that will regenerate People, Places, and the Planet symbiotically.
