Marion Santini joined RAP’s Europe team in early 2020 to support its work on energy efficiency and electrification. In her first years with RAP, she provided insights into the development of EU energy policies, and conducted research on new instruments for heat decarbonization.
She has a deep knowledge of the European Union’s energy efficiency legislation, which she acquired during her work for the Secretariat of The Coalition for Energy Savings, a Brussels-based advocacy group. As senior consultant for Stefan Scheuer SPRL, she led the coalition's advocacy efforts during the Clean Energy for All Europeans legislative process, coordinating with industry and civil society organisations. During those years she also conducted several projects on EU climate and energy legislation for other clients.
Earlier, Santini supported World Wide Fund for Nature in coordinating and developing its climate-related business partnerships across the world. She also worked in Cambodia, where she led the communication team of Nexus, a nonprofit providing access to finance for clean energy and water solutions in Asia.
Marion Santini holds a master’s degree in European policies from the Institut d'Etudes Politiques of Strasbourg (France), where she completed her undergraduate degree in political science. She also holds an undergraduate degree in economics and management from Université Pierre Mendes France — Grenoble 2.
In addition to her native tongue, French, Marion speaks English fluently and has a basic understanding of German and Italian.
How Marion Santini is Energizing Change
Clean heat standards handbook
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Boiler alert: Predicting boiler breakdowns benefits households and reduces harmful emissions
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How did you catch the “energy” bug?
I first moved to Brussels in 2005 where I started an internship with environmental organisation WWF. I was captivated by how the EU was at the time advancing environmental policies. I later got to work with WWF’s climate change programme, on corporate engagement. That’s where I caught the energy bug, working with WWF’s partner companies who were investing in energy efficiency and renewable energy to reduce their carbon footprint.
What is something that makes you feel hopeful about the future?
I believe in the power of individual commitments. Every day I see collective and individual initiatives by people who want to make a difference. Politicians are more likely to make the right choices for society if they experience changes in their daily lives. Working with RAP I have lots of discussions about policies with my colleagues. But we also chat about our own ecological transitions, including for example how we are renovating our homes. This mix of personal and societal engagement makes me hopeful that we can move things ahead.
When I was 5, I was pretty sure I'd be a gardener when I grew up. As a kid I spent a lot of time with my grandparents. They had a massive garden with basically all kinds of fruits and vegetables that can possibly grow in this cold part of France. My grandfather would give me some missions to complete, like for example harvesting carrots or radishes. I would watch our crops grow along the seasons and observe the different insects living there. So, I wanted to become a gardener. I then attended a school of nature for children. I got to learn about the trees, plants and animals living in our forests, and my professional plans changed. I wanted to be a biologist.