Securing a slice of the PPA market

From FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, Watt Matters is a podcast all about the energy transition and the shift to a decarbonised economy.

For the best possible audio experience, listen to Watt Matters in the FORESIGHT app. This requires a subscription to FORESIGHT Climate & Energy. If you would like to know if your company/organisation is subscribed to FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, or if you would like a reminder of your login details, send an email to info@foresightdk.com.

The world of PPAs is complex, particularly for corporations seeking to secure and decarbonise their power sources.

But as demand for clean capacity from businesses grows, so must the PPA market. Maintaining the fluidity of the market and ensuring everyone can get a slice of the pie if they want to is a challenge for operators, developers and regulators.

In a special live recording of the podcast at the SolarPower Summit in Brussels in early March, the Watt Matters team are joined by an esteemed panel of experts from across the corporate sourcing world to discuss these challenges and how the market is also providing some of the solutions. This week’s guests are:

Ruud Kempener from DG Ener at the European Commission
Annie Scanlan, Policy & Impact Director from RE-Source, a forum for corporate renewable energy sourcing
Maria Flora Middelboe Andersen, Reel Energy, a Danish digital power market aggregation company
Toby Ferenczi, CEO and co-founder of Granular Energy, a software company that helps utilities, traders and large energy buyers to manage their portfolio of energy certificates
Jaime Gorjon Piquer, PPA Origination Director at Portugese utility EDPR
Nick Keramidas, Executive Director of EU & Regulator Affairs, Mytilienos, a Greek electro-intensive metallurgical company

Enjoy the show.

If you have any thoughts or questions about anything that has been discussed in this week’s episode, you can reach us at our Twitter accounts:
Ruud Kempener
Annie Scanlan
Maria Flora Middelboe Andersen
Toby Ferenczi
Jaime Gorjon Piquer
Nick Keramidas
Michaela Holl
Jan Rosenow
David Weston
@WattMattersPod
FORESIGHT Climate & Energy

Listen and subscribe to Watt Matters wherever you get podcasts. Follow us on Twitter at @WattMattersPod or email us at show@wattmatterspodcast.com. You can also find FORESIGHT Climate & Energy on LinkedIn.

Illustration: Masha Krasnova-Shabaeva.

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India’s pollution progress

From FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, Policy Dispatch is a podcast all about the policies that underpin the global energy transition.

For the best possible audio experience, listen to Policy Dispatch in the FORESIGHT app. This requires a subscription to FORESIGHT Climate & Energy. If you want to know if your company/organisation is subscribed to FORESIGHT Climate & Energy or would like a reminder of your login details, email info@foresightdk.com.

India is poised to become the most populous country on Earth, with energy demands and climate concerns set to grow in step. Air pollution has long been a significant health concern in many of India’s cities, in particular in the capital of New Delhi, which regularly tops global pollution indexes.

Given that air quality is intrinsically linked to the energy transition through sectors like transport, power generation, agriculture and more, India is a fascinating testbed for policies that can work on a broad scale.

Whether that means shifting vehicles towards e-mobility, setting new industrial standards or making big investments in cleaning up the heating sector, India is slowly but surely making progress. But is it fast enough? What other policies must be taken seriously by the government to solve this problem? And what can India learn from other countries that struggle to keep air quality high?

To tackle the pollution-climate issue, Sam is joined this week by Pallavi Pant from the Health Effects Institute, a US-based research group where she leads the global health programme.

Enjoy the dispatch!

If you have any thoughts or questions about anything that has been discussed in this week’s episode, you can reach us at our Twitter accounts:
Pallavi Pant
Sam Morgan
@Policy Dispatch
FORESIGHT Climate & Energy

Listen and subscribe to Policy Dispatch wherever you get podcasts. Follow us on Twitter at @Policy Dispatch or email us at show@policydispatch.com. You can also find FORESIGHT Climate & Energy on LinkedIn.

Show notes:
FORESIGHT Policy Section

Understanding clean aviation fuels

From FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, Energy Enablers is a podcast in which we speak to those who are making a difference in the race to a decarbonised economy.

For the best possible audio experience, listen to Energy Enablers in the FORESIGHT app. This requires a subscription to FORESIGHT Climate & Energy. If you want to know if your company/organisation is subscribed to FORESIGHT or would like a reminder of your login details, email info@foresightdk.com.

Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAFs) will form the core of the aviation industry’s efforts to decarbonise.

The sector and its supply chains are spending significant resources on developing the production capacity and source of low-carbon feedstocks to produce enough SAFs to meet the mid-century decarbonisation targets.

But with a lack of standardisation and many options available, deciding the best routes to focus on is proving difficult.

In this week’s Energy Enablers, David speaks to Sylvain Verdier, Senior Business Strategy Manager for Strategy & Innovation at Topsoe. They discuss how seriously the aviation sector is tackling the shift to sustainable aviation fuels and what governments must do to help.

The Energy Enablers podcast, a regular series from FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, speaks to those who are making a difference in the race to a decarbonised economy.

Enjoy the show!

If you have any thoughts or questions about anything that has been discussed in this week’s episode, you can reach us at our Twitter accounts:
Sylvain Verdier
David Weston
@EnergyEnablers
FORESIGHT Climate & Energy

Listen and subscribe to Energy Enablers wherever you get podcasts. Follow us on Twitter at @EnergyEnablers or email us at show@energyenablers.com. You can also find FORESIGHT Climate & Energy on LinkedIn.

The problem with wind power

From FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, Watt Matters is a podcast all about the energy transition and the shift to a decarbonised economy.

The wind industry should be experiencing a golden age. As one of the world’s cheapest forms of new generation, with a renewed global focus on energy security, and the need to decarbonise, wind energy is often the go-to technology of choice.

But orders for new machinery were down in 2022, and western original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) have issued warnings for a difficult 2023. A similar story is seen along the whole supply chain.

Many fingers point to permitting, particularly in Europe, as the main bottleneck for the deployment of new wind capacity. But there are other issues the sector is facing that it must also overcome.

In this week’s Watt Matters, Ben Backwell, CEO of the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), and Morten Dyrholm, Vice President and Global Head of Marketing and Public Affairs at Danish OEM Vestas Wind and chair of GWEC, discuss with the team why the wind manufacturing sector is struggling, what the solutions could be and why there is still cause for optimism.

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If you have any thoughts or questions about anything that has been discussed in this week’s episode, you can reach us at our Twitter accounts:
Morten Dyrholm
Ben Backwell
Michaela Holl
Jan Rosenow
David Weston
@WattMattersPod
FORESIGHT Climate & Energy

Illustration: Masha Krasnova-Shabaeva.

Show notes:
Fit for the future, not Fit-for-55 | Ember
At Last, a New Deal for the High Seas
Developing offshore wind energy in India
Energy House 2.0 project by Salford Uni in Manchester, UK

Beyond the tipping point

From FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, Policy Dispatch is a podcast all about the policies that underpin the global energy transition.

For the best possible audio experience, listen to Policy Dispatch in the FORESIGHT app. This requires a subscription to FORESIGHT Climate & Energy. If you would like to know if your company/organisation is subscribed to FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, or if you would like a reminder of your login details, send an email to info@foresightdk.com.

The energy transition continues to gather pace. As data for 2022 is crunched and processed, an optimistic picture begins to be painted. Renewables are going from strength to strength and the rate of development of new energy technologies continues to make past predictions look conservative. But will this growth last? What does 2023 and beyond look like? Have we reached a tipping point of clean energy uptake that will trigger even more installations?

These are the literal multi-billion dollar questions. In an attempt to try and answer them, the Policy Dispatch is this week joined by the CEO and founder of research and intelligence firm Rystad Energy, Jarand Rystad. Sam caught up with Jarand at an energy event in Brussels, for a Foresight chat about foresight.

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If you have any thoughts or questions about anything that has been discussed in this week’s episode, you can reach us at our Twitter accounts:
Jarand Rystad
Sam Morgan
@Policy Dispatch
FORESIGHT Climate & Energy

Show notes:
FORESIGHT Policy Section

Understanding the energy crisis

From FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, Energy Enablers is a podcast in which we speak to those who are making a difference in the race to a decarbonised economy.

For the best possible audio experience, listen to Energy Enablers in the FORESIGHT app. This requires a subscription to FORESIGHT Climate & Energy. If you would like to know if your company/organisation is subscribed to FORESIGHT, or if you would like a reminder of your login details, send an email to info@foresightdk.com.

A decade of low energy prices, falling further during the Covid-19 pandemic, meant the sudden price spikes of 2022 were felt even more keenly.

The long-term impacts of the energy crisis, the societal lockdowns of 2020 and the fallout from the invasion of Ukraine are still unknown. A short-term knee-jerk reaction to the market design could have implications for the energy transition, but changes need to be made, and quickly, in order to provide secure and stable power supplies

In this week’s Energy Enablers, David is joined by Derk Swider, Vice President Group Strategy, Foresight & Analytics at E.ON. They talk about how the market could change in a way that provides security while also promoting new clean energy sources.

The Energy Enablers podcast, a regular series from FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, speaks to those who are making a difference in the race to a decarbonised economy.

Enjoy the show!

If you have any thoughts or questions about anything that has been discussed in this week’s episode, you can reach us at our Twitter accounts:
Derk Swider
David Weston
@EnergyEnablers
FORESIGHT Climate & Energy

Hydrogen set to spread its wings

From FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, Watt Matters is a podcast all about the energy transition and the shift to a decarbonised economy

The branches of the burgeoning green hydrogen sector are spreading slowly around the world. This creates huge uncertainty but also significant opportunities for businesses and governments the world over to leverage a whole new industry.

The guest on this week’s podcast is Sara Edmonson from Australia-based developer Fortescue Future Industries—a company that solely focuses on green hydrogen and ammonia production.

Edmonson believes green hydrogen technology is ready to scale up, but issues around permitting of renewables and new other projects need to be sorted out. Meanwhile, the green hydrogen sector offers export opportunities for emerging markets that have significant renewables potential but not the grid infrastructure to support it.

Enjoy the show!

If you have any thoughts or questions about anything that has been discussed in this week’s episode, you can reach us at our Twitter accounts:
Sara Edmonson
Michaela Holl
Jan Rosenow
David Weston
@WattMattersPod
FORESIGHT Climate & Energy

Illustration: Masha Krasnova-Shabaeva.

Show notes:
Green hydrogen organisation – good contracting principles
Solar outpaces IEA predictions
The issues with importing from North Africa
Fossil fuel subsidies continue to rise
Commission sets out rules for renewable hydrogen
Vestas’ blade circularity breakthrough

The Green Shipping News

From FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, Policy Dispatch is a podcast all about the policies that underpin the global energy transition.

International trade and the global economy is reliant on ships to transport goods across the planet, but the sector is also a massive contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. The industry will have to play an integral part of the energy transition, whether it likes it or not, as climate targets loom ever nearer on the horizon. Technology will help clean up shipping’s act, as will regulation, but when will we see emission-free vessels in the water?

Simon Bergulf, senior director for ESG Public & Regulatory Affairs at Maersk, one of the world’ largest shippers, is the guest on this week’s Policy Dispatch and talks to Sam about the course his company is charting.

Enjoy the dispatch!

If you have any thoughts or questions about anything that has been discussed in this week’s episode, you can reach us at our Twitter accounts:
Simon Bergulf
Sam Morgan
@Policy Dispatch
FORESIGHT Climate & Energy

Show notes:
FORESIGHT Policy Section

Understanding storage

From FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, Energy Enablers is a podcast in which we speak to those who are making a difference in the race to a decarbonised economy.

The energy transition will require a significant scale-up of storage capacity to help deal with both the increasing levels of variable clean energy generation and an ever-growing level of flexible demand.

Balance these two moveable feasts will require agile and rapid response battery solutions as well as long-term, seasonal storage—a barrier that has yet to be fully overcome.

In this episode of Energy Enablers, David is joined by Johan Söderbom, Thematic Leader Smartgrid and Storage at EIT InnoEnergy. They discuss how the rise of storage capacity will be made easier with other demand-side technologies helping to reduce demand.

The Energy Enablers podcast, a regular series from FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, speaks to those who are making a difference in the race to a decarbonised economy.

Enjoy the show!

If you have any thoughts or questions about anything that has been discussed in this week’s episode, you can reach us at our Twitter accounts:
Johan Söderbom
David Weston
@EnergyEnablers
FORESIGHT Climate & Energy

Europe breaks fossil fuel shackles

From FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, Watt Matters is a podcast all about the energy transition and the shift to a decarbonised economy

As Europe emerges from the long dark winter days, many grid operators around Europe are breathing a sigh of relief. A milder winter than expected meant there wasn’t the need for increased levels of fossil fuel generation to meet heightened demand.

A new report by environmental think-tank Ember found wind and solar technologies generated a fifth of EU electricity in 2022—a new record—and for the first time overtook fossil gas.

Coal power share increased by just 1.5 percentage points to generate 16% of EU electricity in 2022, with year-on-year falls in the last four months of 2022 as Europe prevented a threatened return to coal power in the wake of the 2022 energy crisis.

Joining the team this week is Ember’s head of data insights and lead author on the report, Dave Jones. We discuss what to look out for in 2023 and how Europe can avoid returning to old habits.

Enjoy the show!

If you have any thoughts or questions about anything that has been discussed in this week’s episode, you can reach us at our Twitter accounts:
Dave Jones
Michaela Holl
Jan Rosenow
David Weston
@WattMattersPod
FORESIGHT Climate & Energy

Illustration: Masha Krasnova-Shabaeva.

Show notes:
European Electricity Review 2023 | Ember
Europe’s wind industry flags further weakness in 2023 despite energy demand | Financial Times
Open Climate Fix
TransitionZero
Preparing for the next winter: Europe’s gas outlook for 2023

How to update a carbon market

From FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, Policy Dispatch is a podcast all about the policies that underpin the global energy transition.

Europe’s emissions trading system is considered to be the backbone of EU climate policies. After very nearly 20 years of service, the carbon market plays a substantial role in cutting emissions and driving demand for green technology by enforcing the polluter pays principle. Late last year, EU negotiators brokered an agreement on how to update the ETS, so that emissions are cut even further and more emitting sectors are finally introduced to the world of carbon pricing. The reform promises much but with more rules, comes more complexity.

To understand more about the mammoth ETS deal, Policy Dispatch caught up with one of the negotiators that helped get the agreement over the line. Emma Wiesner, a Swedish MEP, chats with Sam live from her Parliament office in Strasbourg about what the future holds for the ETS, what aspects of the agreement disappointed her and how pricing pollution is just the start.

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If you have any thoughts or questions about anything that has been discussed in this week’s episode, you can reach us at our Twitter accounts:
Emma Wiesner
Sam Morgan
@Policy Dispatch
FORESIGHT Climate & Energy

Show notes:
FORESIGHT Policy Section

Understanding digitalisation

From FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, Energy Enablers is a podcast in which we speak to those who are making a difference in the race to a decarbonised economy.

The 21st Century has been defined by the rapid growth of digitalisation across all areas of our lives. At the start of 2000, the use of Wifi broadband internet or smartphones were almost non-existent. The rapid change in digital technology has also infiltrated the energy sector and its role in helping advance the energy transition is increasing.

In this episode of Energy Enablers, David speaks to Matthias Rebellius, CEO of Siemens Smart Infrastructure about how digital tools can help manage the ongoing energy crises and promote decarbonisation.

The Energy Enablers podcast, a regular series from FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, will speak to those who are making a difference in the race to a decarbonised economy.

Enjoy the show!

If you have any thoughts or questions about anything that has been discussed in this week’s episode, you can reach us at our Twitter accounts:
Matthias Rebellius
David Weston
@EnergyEnablers
FORESIGHT Climate & Energy

Shocks, stability and sustainable markets

From FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, Watt Matters is a podcast all about the energy transition and the shift to a decarbonised economy

European energy markets are at a crossroads: on the one hand, they need to face the immediate shocks posed by the ongoing energy price crisis. On the other hand, the EU’s electricity market is gearing towards reform in 2023, which should make it fit to deliver a decarbonised power system by 2035.

The need for a strong, stable and resilient energy market in the short term must also consider long-term decarbonisation goals.

Join us in this live recording of the Watt Matters podcast, hosted at Eurelectric’s offices in Brussels, with support from Siemens and Linde, where we dive deep into the EU’s electricity market reforms.

First, we hear from the European Commission’s Director-General for Energy, Ditte Juul Jorgensen, as she explains how Brussels has been addressing the many challenges of the past 12 months. Then, we are joined in a debate with representatives from three of the EU’s most prominent energy trade associations: Kristian Ruby (Secretary General at Eurelectric), Walburga Hemetsberger (CEO at SolarPower Europe) and Giles Dickson (CEO at WindEurope). They tell us how the clean energy sector is preparing to take up the challenge and what it needs to see happen to accelerate the energy transition.

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If you have any thoughts or questions about anything that has been discussed in this week’s episode, you can reach us at our Twitter accounts:
Kristian Ruby
Walburga Hemetsberger
Giles Dickson/WindEurope
Michaela Holl
Jan Rosenow
David Weston
Anna Gumbau
@WattMattersPod
FORESIGHT Climate & Energy

Illustration: Masha Krasnova-Shabaeva. Art director: Trine Natskår.

Show notes:
Paper on electricity market design – Eurelectric – Powering People
EU recovery plan: Provisional agreement reached on REPowerEU – Consilium

Thanks to Siemens Smart Infrastructure and Linde for supporting this live recording in Brussels.

Heat pumps are hot (and cool)

From FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, Policy Dispatch is a podcast all about the policies that underpin the global energy transition.

Gas heating is not an affordable heating option anymore. Instead, the demand and uptake of heat pumps in Europe’s building stock have seen a major surge in the past few months. Global heat pump sales rose 15% in 2021. In Germany alone, demand rose by 25% in the first half of 2022 year-on-year. And in Finland, by as much as 80% year-on-year.

Heat pumps bring multiple benefits. So much so the European Commission and the International Energy Agency (IEA) have praised the technology: it saves emissions from heating (and cooling), it is proven that it can be installed in existing buildings and it brings multiple advantages for our grids in helping to electrify faster. Russia’s unprovoked war on Ukraine has had a huge impact on a market that has been in constant development for the past ten years.

In this episode, we discuss the present and future of heat pumps in Europe—and dispel the myths around it—with Thomas Nowak, Secretary General of the European Heat Pump Association (EHPA) in Brussels. Before working for the EHPA, he worked on several projects on the economic and social benefits of renewable energy. Thomas holds a university degree in business administration and economics.

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If you have any thoughts or questions about anything that has been discussed in this week’s episode, you can reach us at our Twitter accounts:
Thomas Nowak
Sam Morgan
Anna Gumbau
@Policy Dispatch
FORESIGHT Climate & Energy

Art director: Trine Natskår.

Show notes:
FORESIGHT Policy Section

Policy promoting climate finance

From FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, Watt Matters is a podcast all about the energy transition and the shift to a decarbonised economy

For the best possible audio experience, listen to Watt Matters in the FORESIGHT app. If you want to know if your company/organisation is subscribed to FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, or if you would like a reminder of your login details, send an email to info@foresightdk.com.

The Inflation Reduction Act is the largest climate and energy package in the history of the United States. It will unleash some $370 billion for energy and climate, and it will touch every sector of the economy, from manufacturing to renewable energy communities or environmental justice.

The IRA could launch America back into international leadership in climate mitigation, says Katherine Hamilton, longtime host of The Energy Gang podcast and our guest in today’s episode – our 25th, marking one year since the launch of Watt Matters.

The EU is watching the US’ steps and is highly concerned about the protectionist nature of the Inflation Reduction Act. However, the tax incentives envisioned in the IRA could scale up clean energy technology and provide real carbon reductions – and that “will allow the US to become a much better global neighbour,” said Hamilton.

Katherine Hamilton is Chair of 38 North Solutions and is now a regular contributor to The Carbon Copy podcast. Hamilton has led several councils of the World Economic Forum as a global policy and technology thought leader and is currently Chair of the Global Future Council on Clean Electrification. She served as President of the GridWise Alliance, advocating for smart grid funding in the Obama Administration’s Recovery Act.

Enjoy the show!

If you have any thoughts or questions about anything that has been discussed in this week’s episode, you can reach us at our Twitter accounts:
Katherine Hamilton
Michaela Holl
Jan Rosenow
David Weston
Anna Gumbau
@WattMattersPod
FORESIGHT Climate & Energy

Illustration: Masha Krasnova-Shabaeva. Art director: Trine Natskår.

Show notes:
The global energy crisis is driving a surge in heat pumps, bringing energy security and climate benefits – News – IEA
Enhanced support to make homes warmer and greener – gov.scot
Climate Change from A to Z | The New Yorker

Affordable energy for all

From FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, Policy Dispatch is a podcast all about the policies that underpin the global energy transition.

The European Green Deal must put consumers at the heart of its policies. The European Commission has put strong emphasis in the social dimension of its energy and climate policies, and the energy price crisis has made it more evident that our most vulnerable consumers must not be left behind.

But even when Brussels and EU capitals have some exciting ideas to democratise and make clean energy affordable for all consumers, Europe needs to put the means and the structural measures to ensure those who need it the most can benefit from the energy transition.

In this episode, we discuss with Marine Cornelis on questions around energy poverty, consumer rights and access to clean and affordable energy as a fundamental right. Marine Cornelis is the executive director and founder of Next Energy Consumer, a policy consultancy focused on the social aspects of the energy and climate transitions. Previously, Marine served as the Secretary General of NEON, the European network of energy dispute resolution services and ombudsmen in Brussels.

Enjoy the dispatch!

If you have any thoughts or questions about anything that has been discussed in this week’s episode, you can reach us at our Twitter accounts:
Marine Cornelis
Sam Morgan
Anna Gumbau
@Policy Dispatch
FORESIGHT Climate & Energy

Show notes:
FORESIGHT Policy Section

Are COP talks really worthwhile?

From FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, Watt Matters is a podcast all about the energy transition and the shift to a decarbonised economy

Off the back of an intense two weeks in Egypt, the COP27 negotiations were once again deemed underwhelming. There were some successes: Developed countries will provide finance to emerging economies affected by climate-related disasters. But much of the focus remained on climate adaptation rather than mitigation.

After nearly 30 years of international climate talks, questions are being raised over the efficacy of these events and what value they hold as the global community seeks to decarbonise.

This week the team is joined by Simon Evans, deputy editor and senior policy editor at Carbon Brief, a website specialising in the science and policy of climate change, to discuss his experiences of the talks, what needs to be done to truly begin phasing out damaging fossil fuels from the global economy, and the power of social media in the debate around the energy transition.

Enjoy the show!

If you have any thoughts or questions about anything that has been discussed in this week’s episode, you can reach us at our Twitter accounts:
Simon Evans
Michaela Holl
Jan Rosenow
David Weston
Anna Gumbau
@WattMattersPod
FORESIGHT Climate & Energy

Illustration: Masha Krasnova-Shabaeva. Art director: Trine Natskår.

Show notes:
Barcelona students to take mandatory climate crisis module from 2024
A policy toolkit for global mass heat pump deployment – Regulatory Assistance Project
A ‘buildings breakthrough’ agenda at COP means heat pumps are in the limelight – FORESIGHT
COP27: Key outcomes agreed at the UN climate talks in Sharm el-Sheikh – Carbon Brief
Daily Briefing | Revue
Living with Heat Pumps – Fully Charged Show
Live recording of Watt Matters: Shocks, stability and sustainable markets

‘Fit for 57’?

From FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, Policy Dispatch is a podcast all about the policies that underpin the global energy transition.

The European Commission’s climate chief Frans Timmermans said before leaving to COP27 that the EU’s emissions reduction target “can be increased to 57%”. This news came as EU legislators concluded the revisions of two key pieces of the EU’s climate legislation, the Effort Sharing Regulation and the LULUCF Regulation.

Why are these two pieces of legislation so relevant and what is the state of play of many of the files that are still under negotiation? Should we start calling this climate legislation the ‘Fit for 57’ package?

In this episode, Policy Dispatch host Sam Morgan is joined by FORESIGHT’s podcast producer Anna Gumbau to discuss the latest developments in the EU’s climate policy agenda. Because, even if the energy price crisis continues to take center stage in the Brussels debates, the bloc’s climate agenda continues to advance.

Enjoy the dispatch!

If you have any thoughts or questions about anything that has been discussed in this week’s episode, you can reach us at our Twitter accounts:
Sam Morgan
Anna Gumbau
@Policy Dispatch
FORESIGHT Climate & Energy

Show notes:
Agreement on ESR
Agreement on LULUCF
CAN Europe and Fern’s statement on LULUCF
FORESIGHT Policy Section

The present and the future of solar

**From FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, Watt Matters is a podcast all about the energy transition and the shift to a decarbonised economy**

For the best possible audio experience, listen to Watt Matters in the FORESIGHT app. If you want to know if your company/organisation is subscribed to FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, or if you would like a reminder of your login details, send an email to info@foresightdk.com.

Global solar capacity continues to rise and solar PV is becoming ever more popular among homeowners as costs fall. As its role in the energy transition becomes more prominent, new technologies and business models developing. Our guest this week is Alexandra Sombsthay, vice president for external relations at renewable energy developer Akuo Energy. In this episode, we discuss new, innovative possibilities and solutions for solar energy, including agrivoltaics and progress in storage technologies.

Prior to joining Akuo, Alexandra previously worked at the European Commission in the directorate-general for energy. Alexandra was posted between 2006-07 at the EU delegation in Beijing, where she initiated the Euro-China Clean Energy Centre. She has previously worked as an adviser on European affairs for the Belgian Minister for Environment and Energy.

Enjoy the show!

If you have any thoughts or questions about anything that has been discussed in this week’s episode, you can reach us at our Twitter accounts:
Alexandra Sombsthay
Michaela Holl
Jan Rosenow
David Weston
Anna Gumbau
@WattMattersPod
FORESIGHT Climate & Energy

Illustration: Masha Krasnova-Shabaeva. Art director: Trine Natskår.

Show notes:
World Energy Outlook 2022 – Analysis – IEA
SolarPower Europe extremely concerned by Commission proposals on Electricity Market measures
The world is missing its lofty climate targets. Time for some realism | The Economist
Updates from COP27 in Egypt | Clean Energy Council

Carbon dioxide removals

From FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, Policy Dispatch is a podcast all about the policies that underpin the global energy transition.

For the best possible audio experience, listen to Policy Dispatch in the FORESIGHT app. This requires a subscription to FORESIGHT Climate & Energy. If you would like to know if your company/organisation is subscribed to FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, or if you would like a reminder of your login details, send an email to info@foresightdk.com.

Carbon dioxide removals (CDR) are, in essence, the opposite of carbon emissions: their goal is to remove CO2 from the atmosphere, ideally permanently. The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) sees an increasing role of removals in reaching net zero and limiting global warming.

However, the concept of CDR is often misunderstood and confused with other storage and usage methods. To discuss this, we sat with Mark Preston Aragonès, a policy manager for carbon accounting at NGO Bellona Europa.

Together with Mark, we will find out what CDR is and isn’t, as the European Commission expects to put forward a proposal on the certification of carbon removals that should bring more integrity and accountability to the system.

Enjoy the dispatch!

If you have any thoughts or questions about anything that has been discussed in this week’s episode, you can reach us at our Twitter accounts:
Mark Preston
Sam Morgan
Anna Gumbau
@Policy Dispatch
FORESIGHT Climate & Energy

Art director: Trine Natskår.

Show notes:
FORESIGHT Policy Section

The heating policy paradox

From FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, Watt Matters is a podcast all about the energy transition and the shift to a decarbonised economy

For the best possible audio experience, listen to Watt Matters in the FORESIGHT app. If you want to know if your company/organisation is subscribed to FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, or if you would like a reminder of your login details, send an email to info@foresightdk.com.

Heating is becoming an increasingly pivotal issue in the energy transition, especially as we enter a winter where many of us are thinking twice about when to put the heating on in our homes. However, sustainable heating solutions seem absent in the EU’s response to the energy crisis.

District heating & cooling (DHC) networks are one of the most efficient solutions to lower emissions from our buildings. But its decarbonisation potential is still untapped, as most of the heat in these networks is still produced with fossil fuels. In this episode, we look into the policy incentives needed to decarbonise our heating systems and how the EU can make the most of the potential of DHC.

This week’s guest is Aurélie Beauvais, Managing Director at Brussels-based association Euroheat & Power. She previously held the position of Deputy CEO and Policy Director of SolarPower Europe from 2017 to 2021. She also headed the European Affairs department of the French Union of Electricity from 2012 to 2017.

Enjoy the show!

If you have any thoughts or questions about anything that has been discussed in this week’s episode, you can reach us at our Twitter accounts:
Aurélie Beauvais
Michaela Holl
Jan Rosenow
David Weston
Anna Gumbau
@WattMattersPod
FORESIGHT Climate & Energy

Illustration: Masha Krasnova-Shabaeva. Art director: Trine Natskår.

Show notes:
Comment | Why solar farms can benefit wildlife – Keele University
Biodiversity measures to fast-track renewables deployment – FORESIGHT
Michael Liebrich on Twitter
Commission work programme
Scotland generates record amount of renewable electricity – BBC News
A 10-Point Plan to accelerate the EU heat transition

Cleaning up aviation

From FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, Policy Dispatch is a podcast all about the policies that underpin the global energy transition.

For the best possible audio experience, listen to Policy Dispatch in the FORESIGHT app. This requires a subscription to FORESIGHT Climate & Energy. If you would like to know if your company/organisation is subscribed to FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, or if you would like a reminder of your login details, send an email to info@foresightdk.com.

Aviation has shortened distances across continents and connected people and cities all around the globe. However, it has also made our planet warmer. With a carbon footprint comparable to that of several countries – as well as a significant non-CO2 environmental impact – cleaning up aviation will be crucial to achieving our climate goals.

In this episode, we dive deep into the outlook for ‘green’ aviation after the COVID-19 pandemic: which sticks and carrots are needed to decarbonise air transport, and why international organisations have been so slow in taking action? How can we incentive airlines to switch to sustainable alternatives to kerosene?

To answer these questions, we sat with Jo Dardenne, Aviation Director at NGO Transport & Environment (T&E). Jo joined T&E in 2019 and manages their sustainable aviation campaigns which aim to address the impact of one of the transport sector’s fastest growing greenhouse gas emitters. Her focus includes aviation taxation, the EU emissions trading system, and sustainable fuels.

Enjoy the dispatch!

Disclaimer – This episode was recorded on 7 October – just a few hours before the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) formally adopted a net zero by 2050 objective for global aviation.

If you have any thoughts or questions about anything that has been discussed in this week’s episode, you can reach us at our Twitter accounts:
Jo Dardenne
Sam Morgan
Anna Gumbau
@Policy Dispatch
FORESIGHT Climate & Energy

Art director: Trine Natskår.

Show notes:
FORESIGHT Policy Section

From range anxiety to charging confidence

From FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, Watt Matters is a podcast all about the energy transition and the shift to a decarbonised economy

For the best possible audio experience, listen to Watt Matters in the FORESIGHT app. If you want to know if your company/organisation is subscribed to FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, or if you would like a reminder of your login details, send an email to info@foresightdk.com.

The electrification of the transport sector is one of the most dynamic areas in the global energy transition, as sales of electric vehicles (EVs) globally continue to rise. According to the International Energy Agency, EV sales doubled in 2021 compared with 2020, to a new record of 6.6 million EVs on the road. Nearly 10% of global care sales in 2021 were electric, four times the market share in 2019.

However, the deployment of EV charging infrastructure has not been able to keep up with the boom in EV sales. There is still an overall sense of range anxiety among prospective customers over how far one can drive their car before needing to find a charging spot or risk being stranded. In turn, governments across the globe are enacting policies to speed up EV deployment, but will the scale-up happen fast enough to reach our climate objectives?

In this episode, we speak with Marc Coltelli, EY Americas eMobility Energy Leader, and Felipe Smolka, Partner and EY Americas Automotive eMobility Leader, on the challenges to accelerate the uptake of EVs and its charging infrastructure and how we can move from range anxiety to charging confidence.

Enjoy the show!

If you have any thoughts or questions about anything that has been discussed in this week’s episode, you can reach us at our Twitter accounts:
Marc Coltelli
Felipe Smolka
Michaela Holl
Jan Rosenow
David Weston
Anna Gumbau
@WattMattersPod
FORESIGHT Climate & Energy

Illustration: Masha Krasnova-Shabaeva. Art director: Trine Natskår.

Show notes:
Movement: how to take back our streets and transform our lives by Thalia Verkade
Have we already passed peak fossil fuels?
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1578170980283076608
Sixt agrees to purchase around 100,000 e-vehicles from China’s BYD | Reuters

Europe’s crisis policy outlook

From FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, Policy Dispatch is a podcast all about the policies that underpin the global energy transition.

For the best possible audio experience, listen to Policy Dispatch in the FORESIGHT app. This requires a subscription to FORESIGHT Climate & Energy. If you would like to know if your company/organisation is subscribed to FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, or if you would like a reminder of your login details, send an email to info@foresightdk.com.

Sky-high energy prices have threatened to bankrupt households and businesses alike, prompting governments and the European Union to dig into their pockets and design new energy and economic policies meant to quell the crisis.

There is a lot of uncharted territory to cover. Governments have never had to replace energy supplies at such short notice and so comprehensively before. The EU has never had to build policies that skim off the huge revenue profits made by energy companies. Sacred cows like electricity market rules are suddenly on the chopping block. It is an exciting time to track these developments.

Business as usual also continues to some extent for legislators and policymakers. How has the current situation affected work on issues like long-term renewables deployment and energy savings targets? Is the crisis proving to be a disruptive or galvanising influence on policies that aim to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent?

Policy Dispatch caught up with FORESIGHT-regular Michaela Holl from Agora Energiewende to discuss all of this and more. Once you’ve listened to this episode, be sure to check out the latest edition of Watt Matters, which goes into even more detail about how all these measures are going to affect energy utilities.

Enjoy the dispatch!

If you have any thoughts or questions about anything that has been discussed in this week’s episode, you can reach us at our Twitter accounts:
Michaela Holl
Sam Morgan
Anna Gumbau
@Policy Dispatch
FORESIGHT Climate & Energy

Art director: Trine Natskår.

Show notes:
FORESIGHT Policy Section

A toolbox for the EU’s energy crisis

From FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, Watt Matters is a podcast all about the energy transition and the shift to a decarbonised economy

For the best possible audio experience, listen to Watt Matters in the FORESIGHT app. This requires a subscription to FORESIGHT Climate & Energy. If you want to know if your company/organisation is subscribed to FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, or if you would like a reminder of your login details, send an email to info@foresightdk.com.

In response to the energy price crisis, EU national governments have been grappling with finding the proper measures to reduce their energy demand and alleviate consumers and industry from high prices without harming the energy companies’ ability to continue investing.

However, a European problem requires a European response. For this reason, the European Commission has proposed several measures, such as ‘solidarity contributions’ from fossil fuel companies or caps on utility revenues. In turn, Brussels is now to propose a widespread reform of the EU’s electricity market.

In this episode of Watt Matters, we make sense of the short and long-term measures that Brussels is looking into, and the effect on energy utilities, with Marion Labatut, deputy director for European Affairs and Head of the Brussels office at French energy company EDF. Are these short-term taxes on energy companies effective? And what should an electricity market fit for the future look like?

Labatut draws from twelve years of professional experience in energy and climate policy for government entities, a trade association and the private sector. She previously served as Policy Director at Eurelectric, the Brussels-based European power sector trade body, where she occupied several managerial and expert roles over six years.

Enjoy the show!

If you have any thoughts or questions about anything that has been discussed in this week’s episode, you can reach us at our Twitter accounts:
Marion Labatut
Michaela Holl
Jan Rosenow
David Weston
Anna Gumbau
@WattMattersPod
FORESIGHT Climate & Energy

Illustration: Masha Krasnova-Shabaeva. Art director: Trine Natskår.

Show notes:
Macron Inaugurates France’s First Offshore Wind Farm
Fracking won’t work in UK says founder of fracking company Cuadrilla | Fracking | The Guardian

Africa’s climate transition

From FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, Policy Dispatch is a podcast all about the policies that underpin the global energy transition.

For the best possible audio experience, listen to Policy Dispatch in the FORESIGHT app. This requires a subscription to FORESIGHT Climate & Energy. If you would like to know if your company/organisation is subscribed to FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, or if you would like a reminder of your login details, send an email to info@foresightdk.com.

As the United Nations’ COP 27 in Egypt approaches, Africa’s energy and climate transition is in the spotlight.

The African continent has an opportunity to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels. Its main hurdle, however, is the need for cheap resources and access to financing to achieve its decarbonisation, and the need to incentivise participation from local companies and investors in its energy markets.

The untapped potential is vast: solar and wind investments aren’t happening at the scale needed, but its onshore wind power in Africa could match the region’s electricity demand 250 times over. Moreover, COP27 is expected to bring new commitments from African nations to phase out coal and just transition partnerships with developed countries.

We are discussing these topics with Saliem Fakir, Executive Director of the African Climate Foundation. Prior to establishing the ACF, Saliem served as the Head of the Policy & Futures Unit of WWF South Africa for 11 years. Saliem has worked as a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Public Administration and Planning and an Associate Director for the Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Energy at Stellenbosch University.

Enjoy the show!

If you have any thoughts or questions about anything that has been discussed in this week’s episode, you can reach us at our Twitter accounts:
Saliem Fakir + AfricaEuropeFdn
Sam Morgan
Anna Gumbau
@Policy Dispatch
FORESIGHT Climate & Energy

Art director: Trine Natskår.

Show notes:
FORESIGHT Policy Section

An attractive profession

From FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, Watt Matters is a podcast all about the energy transition and the shift to a decarbonised economy

For the best possible audio experience, listen to Watt Matters in the FORESIGHT app. This requires a subscription to FORESIGHT Climate & Energy. If you would like to know if your company/organisation is subscribed to FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, or if you would like a reminder of your login details, send an email to info@foresightdk.com.

The risk of a widening skills gap in the energy transition is one of the most underestimated challenges for the global energy transition. But as Europe moves to install more solar panels, heat pumps, and EV charging points, electrical contractors will be in increasing demand.

The lack of skilled workers and electrical installers is starting to be felt in Europe: in Germany, 60% of electrical contractors have vacancies. While in the UK, electrical contractors will need 15,000 new apprentices, in addition to regular market intake, to cover its needs over the next five years. There are several reasons why this is happening, from the perception that these are low-level positions to the lack of women in this sector.

In this episode, we speak with Julie Beaufils, Secretary General at the European Electrical Contractors’ Association EuropeOn, on why addressing this skills gap matters and how EU policies can bridge that. Julie is in charge of the Skills4Climate campaign, raising awareness of the shortages in skilled professionals, an issue that will considerably weigh on Europe’s ability to deliver the energy transition.

Enjoy the show!

If you have any thoughts or questions about anything that has been discussed in this week’s episode, you can reach us at our Twitter accounts:
Julie Beaufils
Michaela Holl
Jan Rosenow
David Weston
Anna Gumbau
@WattMattersPod
FORESIGHT Climate & Energy

Illustration: Masha Krasnova-Shabaeva. Art director: Trine Natskår.

Show notes:

Decarbonising our buildings

From FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, Policy Dispatch is a podcast all about the policies that underpin the global energy transition.

For the best possible audio experience, listen to Policy Dispatch in the FORESIGHT app. This requires a subscription to FORESIGHT Climate & Energy. If you would like to know if your company/organisation is subscribed to FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, or if you would like a reminder of your login details, send an email to info@foresightdk.com.

Buildings are a crucial piece in the jigsaw of the energy transition, one that is often overlooked. The EU’s building stock is responsible for as much as 40% of the bloc’s energy consumption, and for 36% of its greenhouse gas emissions.

The EU is updating its rules on energy performance of buildings at a critical time, since Russia’s war on Ukraine is putting EU’s gas supply at risk. In the first episode of Policy Dispatch, FORESIGHT Climate & Energy’s new podcast, we take a deep dive into these questions with MEP Ciarán Cuffe, the EU lawmaker responsible for the revision of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD).

We will look into the need for Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS), possibly “the most important part” of this revision according to Cuffe, as well as how he is ensuring that the review of the EPBD aligns with other key EU legislation currently under revision.

Enjoy the show!

If you have any thoughts or questions about anything that has been discussed in this week’s episode, you can reach us at our Twitter accounts:
Ciarán Cuffe
Sam Morgan
Anna Gumbau
@Policy Dispatch
FORESIGHT Climate & Energy

Art director: Trine Natskår.

Show notes:

FORESIGHT Policy Section

Introducing: Policy Dispatch

From FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, Policy Dispatch is a podcast all about the policies that underpin the global energy transition.

For the best possible audio experience, listen to Policy Dispatch in the FORESIGHT app. This requires a subscription to FORESIGHT Climate & Energy. If you would like to know if your company/organisation is subscribed to FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, or if you would like a reminder of your login details, send an email to info@foresightdk.com.

Listen to the trailer for the new podcast Policy Dispatch from FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, delving into the key policy and regulation that underpins the global energy transition.

From FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, Policy Dispatch is a podcast all about the policies that underpin the energy transition. This is what will make or break the global decarbonisation effort. Through biweekly, short-but-sweet episodes, the Policy Dispatch will aim to explain what governments in the globe’s key markets are doing to boost clean energy and create sustainable ecosystems.

Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

Enjoy the show!

If you have any thoughts or questions about anything that has been discussed in this week’s episode, you can reach us at our Twitter accounts:
Sam Morgan
@Policy Dispatch

Art director: Trine Natskår.

Show notes:

FORESIGHT Policy Section

A strategy for carbon capture technologies

This episode was recorded on July 20th, so the opinions of the co-hosts and guest reflect their opinions at the time of recording.

From FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, Watt Matters is a podcast all about the energy transition and the shift to a decarbonised economy

For the best possible audio experience, listen to Watt Matters in the FORESIGHT app. This requires a subscription to FORESIGHT Climate & Energy. If you would like to know if your company/organisation is subscribed to FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, or if you would like a reminder of your login details, send an email to info@foresightdk.com.

The role of carbon capture and storage (CCS) is perhaps one of the most divisive topics in the global energy transition. Economic and financial constraints are often cited as the main reasons why these technologies have never scaled up, as the cost of carbon globally has not yet reached the price needed to make them profitable. Moreover, CCS also needs to gain greater public acceptance in many regions and sectors in society.

However, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) acknowledges the need to capture and remove carbon from the atmosphere and calls for a unified CCS strategy at European level have increased. But is carbon capture a proven and well-established technology and what is needed for its scale-up?

This week, we discuss carbon capture technologies with Lee Beck, senior director for Europe at the Clean Air Task Force, a US-based non-profit organisation. Lee leads the task force’s cross-functional, cross-regional, and cross-programmatic growth and climate policy impact in Europe.

Enjoy the show!

If you have any thoughts or questions about anything that has been discussed in this week’s episode, you can reach us at our Twitter accounts:
Lee Beck
Michaela Holl
Jan Rosenow
David Weston
Anna Gumbau
@WattMattersPod
FORESIGHT Climate & Energy

Illustration: Masha Krasnova-Shabaeva. Art director: Trine Natskår.

Show notes:

From forecast to reality

From FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, Watt Matters is a podcast all about the energy transition and the shift to a decarbonised economy

For the best possible audio experience, listen to Watt Matters in the FORESIGHT app. This requires a subscription to FORESIGHT Climate & Energy. If you would like to know if your company/organisation is subscribed to FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, or if you would like a reminder of your login details, send an email to info@foresightdk.com.

Environmental think-tank Ember found that 70-80% of the power system in Europe—including the EU27, Norway, Switzerland, the UK, and the Western Balkan countries—could be supplied by wind and solar generation, while relegating fossil fuels to under 5% of its total consumption.

Ditching fossil fuels could save Europe as much as €1 trillion by 2035. This would bring numerous benefits for public health and the citizens’ pockets, as well as put the continent on track to achieve its environmental objectives.

In this episode, we discuss with Ember’s senior energy and climate data analyst Chris Rosslowe how to make the transition to a clean power sector in Europe happen. Chris specialises in clean energy systems and in his role at Ember uses future energy scenarios to provide insights and key data to track and guide the transition from fossil to clean. He previously held roles in the UK Civil Service analysing energy and environmental policy and holds a PhD in astrophysics.

Illustration: Masha Krasnova-Shabaeva. Art director: Trine Natskår.

Show notes:

The need for climate finance Jedi

From FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, Watt Matters is a podcast all about the energy transition and the shift to a decarbonised economy

For the best possible audio experience, listen to Watt Matters in the FORESIGHT app. This requires a subscription to FORESIGHT Climate & Energy. If you would like to know if your company/organisation is subscribed to FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, or if you would like a reminder of your login details, send an email to info@foresightdk.com.

Private capital investments are crucial to close the financing ‘gap’ in the global race to net-zero emissions.

The world’s major economies and their financial institutions are taking different approaches to mobilise climate finance. The European Parliament has just endorsed the inclusion of gas and nuclear investments as “green” in the EU’s taxonomy regulation for sustainable investments. We discuss the implications of this decision for global markets and whether a taxonomy is the best approach to mobilise climate finance in the first place.

In this episode, we are joined by Marilyn Waite, head of the Climate Finance Fund, focusing on mobilising capital for climate solutions. We take a look at the EU taxonomy, but also dive into how other major economies are addressing this challenge and the need to have a ‘JEDI’ (justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion) lens into climate finance.

Marilyn has previously managed the climate and clean energy finance portfolio at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, led the energy practice at Village Capital, modelled and forecasted energy solutions to climate change as a Senior Research Fellow at Project Drawdown and managed innovation projects at French energy company AREVA (now Orano and Framatome).

Illustration: Masha Krasnova-Shabaeva. Art director: Trine Natskår.

Show notes:

The American experience

From FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, Watt Matters is a podcast all about the energy transition and the shift to a decarbonised economy

For the best possible audio experience, listen to Watt Matters in the FORESIGHT app. This requires a subscription to FORESIGHT Climate & Energy. If you would like to know if your company/organisation is subscribed to FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, or if you would like a reminder of your login details, send an email to info@foresightdk.com.

The Biden administration was meant to bring renewed momentum for climate action in the US, with ambitious plans to deploy low-carbon technologies and to embed climate policy into other policy areas.

However, one year and a half on, Washington is still struggling to pass ambitious legislation, with several key bills that have the potential to significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions stalled in Congress and the Senate. The US has a huge challenge ahead to build the massive infrastructure required to make the energy transition happen and to achieve a net-zero carbon grid.

This week, we discuss these and many other topics such as Europe’s energy crisis with Jesse Jenkins, an assistant professor at Princeton University with a joint appointment in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and Environment.

Jesse also leads the Princeton ZERO Lab – a zero-carbon energy systems research and optimisation laboratory, which conducts research to improve decision-making to accelerate rapid, affordable, and effective transitions to net-zero carbon energy systems.

Illustration: Masha Krasnova-Shabaeva. Art director: Trine Natskår.

Show notes:

- The Future of Cooling – Analysis – IEA
- Princeton Net-Zero America study: Net-Zero America
- REPEAT Project (‘real-time’ US climate policy evaluation project): http://repeatproject.org
- MIT Utility of the Future study: Utility of the Future | MIT Energy Initiative
- Macro-Energy Systems Community website: macroenergysystems.org
- The Power System Blueprint

Finding the right narrative

From FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, Watt Matters is a podcast all about the energy transition and the shift to a decarbonised economy

For the best possible audio experience, listen to Watt Matters in the FORESIGHT app. This requires a subscription to FORESIGHT Climate & Energy. If you would like to know if your company/organisation is subscribed to FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, or if you would like a reminder of your login details, send an email to info@foresightdk.com.

With the current trio of crises facing many consumers around the world—high energy prices, the fallout of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and climate change—energy efficiency is on everyone’s lips. But to actually make these changes necessary, a greater level of dialogue is required to strengthen the narrative around energy efficiency.

Recorded at the IEA’s conference on energy efficiency in Sønderborg, Denmark, our guests this week are Paula Glover, president of the Alliance to Save Energy, Melanie Slade, senior programme manager for energy efficiency in emerging economies at the International Energy Agency, and Andrea Voigt, head of global public affairs at Danfoss.

The panellists agree the key to upgrading energy efficiency with consumers is selecting the correct narrative with the arguments—and policies—that work each region.

Illustration: Masha Krasnova-Shabaeva. Art director: Trine Natskår.

Show notes:

The energy transition must bring consumers on board

From FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, Watt Matters is a podcast all about the energy transition and the shift to a decarbonised economy

For the best possible audio experience, listen to Watt Matters in the FORESIGHT app. This requires a subscription to FORESIGHT Climate & Energy. If you would like to know if your company/organisation is subscribed to FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, or if you would like a reminder of your login details, send an email to info@foresightdk.com.

The energy transition will only work if we engage consumers. The energy price crisis has made it clear that energy poverty is not a niche issue anymore, as more households are struggling to keep their homes at a comfortable temperature and use their electric appliances.

Measures to alleviate consumers from high price hikes are featuring prominently in the political agenda of several EU member states. Monique Goyens, director-general at the European consumer organisation BEUC, says that tackling energy poverty requires systemic thinking. Social measures are needed in the short term, but a massive change in energy efficiency support and the rollout of renewables are crucial.

We discuss with Monique Goyens how consumers are taking an increasingly active role in our energy systems. She has been at BEUC since 2007 and previously worked as secretary-general at the University Commission for Development.

Illustration: Masha Krasnova-Shabaeva. Art director: Trine Natskår.

Show notes:

A systems approach to the energy transition

From FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, Watt Matters is a podcast all about the energy transition and the shift to a decarbonised economy

For the best possible audio experience, listen to Watt Matters in the FORESIGHT app. This requires a subscription to FORESIGHT Climate & Energy. If you would like to know if your company/organisation is subscribed to FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, or if you would like a reminder of your login details, send an email to info@foresightdk.com.

The complex nature of our energy systems requires all sectors and actors to stop thinking in silos and develop a “whole system” approach to make the energy transition happen.

This week, we dive deep into how more governments are putting forward system-wide approaches in energy policymaking and whether policy and regulation are keeping up with the fast-paced developments in technologies that can help us build a more integrated energy system.

The team is joined by Ditlev Engel, CEO of Energy Systems at DNV, to discuss how to apply systems thinking to the energy transition. Engel was also Denmark’s Special Envoy for Climate and Energy in the lead up to UN Climate Summit in September 2019 in New York.

Illustration: Masha Krasnova-Shabaeva. Art director: Trine Natskår.

Show notes:

From efficiency to sufficiency

From FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, Watt Matters is a podcast all about the energy transition and the shift to a decarbonised economy

For the best possible audio experience, listen to Watt Matters in the FORESIGHT app. This requires a subscription to FORESIGHT Climate & Energy. If you would like to know if your company/organisation is subscribed to FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, or if you would like a reminder of your login details, send an email to info@foresightdk.com.

Lawmakers around the globe have spoken extensively about energy efficiency. However, there is an increasing interest in policy and academic circles around sufficiency: these are often labelled as demand-side measures or changes to individual habits that reduce our use of energy and natural resources.

In this episode, we look into how governments and EU policy instruments are addressing sufficiency measures and to which extent they are successful or not. While Europe has made progress in unrolling technical energy efficiency measures, there is still a clear lack of sufficiency measures needed to tackle the climate crisis.

Sufficiency efforts have often faced resistance as individual behavioural change is sometimes seen as a loss of quality of life, particularly for the most vulnerable consumers. This requires a fundamental change in the narrative, says this week’s guest Yamina Saheb. Saheb is a lead author of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) latest report, senior Energy Policy Analyst at OpenExp and lecturer at Sciences Po in Paris.

Illustration: Masha Krasnova-Shabaeva. Art director: Trine Natskår.

Show notes:

Eastern Europe and the energy transition

From FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, Watt Matters is a podcast all about the energy transition and the shift to a decarbonised economy

For the best possible audio experience, listen to Watt Matters in the FORESIGHT app. This requires a subscription to FORESIGHT Climate & Energy. If you would like to know if your company/organisation is subscribed to FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, or if you would like a reminder of your login details, send an email to info@foresightdk.com.

Much of the power across Eastern Europe is still supplied by destructive coal power plants. However, many of these markets across the region also have considerable renewables potential. Untapping this resource would unleash the energy transition for these countries but it remains complex and costly.

Until the start of 2022, natural gas was seen as a vital stepping stone for the region to begin decarbonising before shifting entirely to renewables, but the war in Ukraine has placed a spotlight on this assumption.

In this episode, we are joined by Monica Morawiecka from the Regulatory Assistance Project, who previously spent very many years at Polish utility PGE, and by Julian Popov, a fellow of the European Climate Foundation, chair of the Buildings Performance Institute Europe, a member of European Council on Foreign Relations and who previously served as Minister of Environment and Water for Bulgaria.

Illustration: Masha Krasnova-Shabaeva. Art director: Trine Natskår.

Show notes: