Boosting clean tech is an essential part of the energy transition. But there are more issues at stake in decarbonisation than just making industry happy. Camille Maury joins the show to explain what they are
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When the United States unveiled its Inflation Reduction Act and showed off the billions of dollars in financing that it is offering for industries like renewable energy, carbon capture, clean mobility and more, the first question was: how will Europe respond? Not long after Joe Biden’s administration debuted the IRA, the European Union published its Net-Zero Industry Act, in a bid to make it easier for homegrown manufacturers and developers to compete.
Lacking the pure financial firepower of the US, the EU has instead attempted to grant extra perks like streamlined regulation, permitting reform and procurement benefits. But as the act makes it way through the labyrinth of the EU legislative machine and lawmakers decide what should and what should not be given priority, it is important to remember that there is more at stake than just turbocharging European industry. A whole host of other actors, from civil society to academia, have a vested interest in seeing a well-designed net-zero act make it into EU law at the end of the process. However, their voices are not being heard.
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Camille Maury
Sam Morgan
@Policy Dispatch
FORESIGHT Climate & Energy
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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
With the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the United States is unleashing billions of dollars to promote climate solutions and clean energy technology
The cost of the energy transition as it stands is astronomical. But the returns are even greater. The longer investment targets are missed and policy frameworks are neglected, the pathway to a decarbonised economy becomes longer and more expensive. Added support for the developing world is also needed
Amidst the climate and energy crisis, Europe’s ageing building stock provides a challenge—and an opportunity, says Julie Kjestrup of the VELUX Group
As the energy landscape changes, so too could the geopolitical spectrum. Nations that have derived power and wealth from coal, oil and gas face an adapt-or-die moment while countries with the natural resources central to decarbonisation could find themselves holding more cards
By the end of this decade, Denmark aims to be a net exporter of green energy and fuels, helping Europe meet its net zero ambitions while curbing the reliance on energy imports. It rests on a massive expansion in both renewable energy generation and electrolysers as well as hydrogen infrastructure
Demand for electric vehicle batteries in Europe is accelerating thanks to a mix of new regulations and promising business cases, which has sparked a homegrown industry that aims to take on the world. But the policies will need to be strong enough to fend off the vagaries of geopolitics
Sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) acting as drop-in substitutes for the fossil fuel kerosene are expected to play a leading role in decarbonising aviation. They are currently produced with materials like used cooking oil and animal fat waste, but new low-carbon feedstocks are needed to scale up output and ensure future flights are truly sustainable
The aviation industry is facing its own set of decarbonisation challenges. Prioritising Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) production can make a big difference but only with a cohesive global effort, says Elena Scaltritti from Topsoe
Emissions trading can help the industry go green by putting a price on carbon, a policy that is paying off in Europe in a big way. China is looking to emulate that success in its market. Refinitiv’s Yan Qin explains what the future might hold for it
It is clear that society’s greenhouse gas emissions are costing the Earth but there is still little consensus on what the real price of carbon should be
A slew of lacklustre state-run auction results could threaten Europe’s ability to meet binding climate targets. The systems that have brought gigawatt levels of clean energy generation are ailing
The major economies of China and the US have identified storage capacity as an industrial priority and are redesigning their markets to incentivise growth. The rest of the world’s economies are trying to compete but will instead need to ride the pair’s coattails to benefit
On Canada's East Coast, investment and interest in green hydrogen is increasing, fueled by government policy and the promise of an energy transition at home and abroad
As the clean energy industry forges ahead into new markets, sometimes with technologies yet to stand the test of time, conditions for obtaining insurance for renewable energy facilities have tightened significantly, particularly for the increasing number of projects built in areas susceptible to natural disasters
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
A large, mature voluntary carbon market is urgently needed. To get there, it has some growing up to do, says Charlie Langdale, from international insurance broker Howden
Governments can play an important role in affecting the financial markets to support decarbonisation, says James Shaw, Minister of Climate Change for New Zealand
Oil and gas companies are making a ton of cash by selling fossil fuels that are destroying our future. Could the industry instead be spending lavishly to make amends? It turns out things are not so simple
Decarbonising is easy when a regulator can set rules and regulations for the territory it oversees. But how do you convince other countries or regions to go green? A new hybrid trade and climate superweapon recently created by the EU aims to solve that conundrum. Get ready for the CBAM
The nuclear sector wants to cash in on the emerging demand for low-carbon energy by powering hydrogen electrolysis, but not everyone is convinced the industry’s arguments stack up
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