Sam Morgan

Articles by Sam Morgan. Visit Sam’s bio. Follow @SamJamesMorgan or on LinkedIn

29 min
02/December/2022

Affordable energy for all

 In this episode, we discuss with Next Energy Consumer CEO Marine Cornelis how to put citizens and our most vulnerable consumers at the heart of the energy transition
42 min
18/November/2022

‘Fit for 57’?

 The EU says it is upgrading its emissions reduction by 2030 to 57%, instead of the 55% that underpins its 'Fit for 55' policy package. This will require additional work and a greater understanding of the regulations
16 min
15/November/2022

Red to green: Where to cut the tape

 Clean energy technology is becoming more efficient and powerful, while more money than ever is seemingly flowing into renewables. But administrative barriers thrown up by red tape and permitting bottlenecks threaten to put a damper on the energy transition
38 min
04/November/2022

Carbon dioxide removals

 In this episode, we dispel the myths around carbon dioxide removals, an often-misunderstood piece of the climate policy jigsaw
39 min
20/October/2022

Cleaning up aviation

 Aviation has connected people and cities from around the Earth, but it has also made our planet warmer. In this episode, we will find out which carrots and sticks are needed to decarbonise air transport
28 min
07/October/2022

Europe’s crisis policy outlook

 This week, Policy Dispatch chats with Agora Energiewende expert and FORESIGHT's own Michaela Holl about the EU's response to the ongoing energy crisis
31 min
23/September/2022

Africa’s climate transition

 This week, Policy Dispatch takes a look into Africa’s energy transition, the main hurdles that the continent’s 54 nations are facing, and its untapped renewable potential with Saliem Fakir, Executive Director at the African Climate Foundation
16 min
22/September/2022

Bioenergy under renewed scrutiny amid energy crisis

 Burning wood for energy is a divisive matter. Critics say that it is an unacceptably polluting energy source, while proponents insist it is a vital part of the transition away from fossil fuels. Upcoming policy changes and unpredictable geopolitics make a complex issue thornier still
28 min
09/September/2022

Decarbonising our buildings

 In this first episode of Policy Dispatch, we take a deep dive into buildings and the need to accelerate their decarbonisation, with Member of the European Parliament Ciarán Cuffe
1 min
05/September/2022

Introducing: Policy Dispatch

 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
10 min
14/June/2022

EU presses ahead with policy renovation

 Two of the European Union’s (EU) main energy laws are in the process of being updated. Despite the fundamental role they play in decarbonisation efforts, the rules have so far failed to live up to climate expectations. This is set to change
14 min
09/June/2022

A matter of principle: the EU’s forgotten mantra

 The European Union’s “Energy Efficiency First Principle” was designed to maximise the potential of energy sources and increase investor appetite but it has struggled to jump from principle to practice. But new rules and a shift in geopolitics look set to propel the efficiency maxim to top billing
11 min
27/May/2022

A new way to count greenhouse gas emissions

 Regulators normally only keep tabs on the climate-bashing emissions produced within a country’s territory—discounting or even completely ignoring the carbon emitted during the manufacturing and shipping of imported goods. Sweden is bucking that trend with an ambitious new policy
12 min
18/February/2022

Fiscal reform may make or break EU green hearts

 A review of the European Union’s fiscal rules in 2022 could open the door for massive public investments into the energy transition. A political fight over the direction of that amendment will dictate just how ambitious Europe can afford to be with its green policies
12 min
16/December/2021

Cross-border cables hold a crucial role in the energy transition

 An interconnected transmission grid in Europe would result in lower prices and greater levels of clean energy. But several nations are falling behind on export capacity leading to some member states looking beyond the Union’s borders
12 min
16/November/2021

The neighbourhood approach to decarbonisation

 Thousands of buildings across Europe will need to be renovated on an unprecedented scale if climate and greenhouse gas reduction targets are to be met. Lawmakers’ minds are turning to how best to undertake the Herculean task
13 min
12/October/2021

Cities warmed by heated market for power contracts

 Once regarded as a high risk gamble, buying green electricity directly from generators under a mutually agreed power purchase agreement (PPA) has become big business in the commercial and industrial sector. City authorities eager to cut their electricity bills and buy renewable are looking to get into the market. The new demand is set to drive big growth in renewables
11 min.
14/May/2021

Battle lines drawn over CCS access to European funding

 The European Union is deciding which technologies and projects should have access to crucial funding. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology has its issues but some lawmakers and industries believe emission reduction targets cannot be met without it
9 min.
23/April/2021

A climate council should marry policies with ambition

 European Union climate policies need to become more ambitious as the bloc looks to hit its net-zero emissions goal for 2050. But a gap between what is agreed on paper and deployed in the real world means a risk of having to do more than one energy transition. Lawmakers are setting up an EU-wide advisory board to bridge that void
10 min.
05/March/2021

Metrics that inflate the cost of the energy transition are under attack

 Put garbage into an economic model and garbage comes out. By using a discount rate that inflates the cost of the energy transition, the EU’s executive body is undermining the bloc’s new and more ambitious carbon reduction goal. Behind the scenes, however, method may lie in the madness. Officials working on legislative updates are suspected of holding a negotiating trump card up their sleeves