Policy Editor Sam Morgan

Policy Editor Sam Morgan has reported on energy and climate policy for more than five years, focusing in particular on EU affairs in Brussels. A graduate of Columbia University’s Energy Journalism Initiative, Sam has experience of print, online and audiovisual work, producing weekly video news updates for the past two years. In 2021, he was named among the top 20 social media ‘EU influencers’ for his reporting.

       

Ready, steady, grids

In Wednesday’s edition of The Jolt, Sam looks at whether a new European plan to improve electricity grids is up to scratch, plus the United States goes underground to find clean power

Methane in the membrane

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas but regulators have only really started to treat it seriously quite recently. Flavia Sollazzo joins Policy Dispatch to explain why this is a very good development

The Jolt: Ireland’s climate finance call

In Monday’s edition of The Jolt, Irish climate minister Eamon Ryan reveals his wishlist for the COP28 summit, plus Germany scraps its energy bills support scheme

The Jolt: Taking a chainsaw to climate action

For Friday’s edition of The Jolt, Sam looks at how right-wing politicians being elected around the world risk taking a chainsaw to green policies, plus Brazil plans a new “huge” rainforest protection fund

The Jolt: Mind the gap

In Wednesday’s edition of The Jolt, Sam looks into a new UN report on global emissions and our lack of progress in reducing them, plus the United States offers up $2 billion to help poorer communities go green

The Jolt: A taste of e-fuel

In Friday’s edition of The Jolt, Sam looks at power-to-X technologies and provides a sneak peek of the upcoming FORESIGHT magazine

The Jolt: You brake it, you buy it

In Monday’s edition of The Jolt, Sam looks at why Germany’s efforts to go green have been dealt a blow by its own court, plus we breach the 2℃ warming target for the first time

Moldova’s crisis-driven transition

Moldova’s energy policies and the politics that drive them have been completely upended by Russia’s invasion of neighbouring Ukraine. State-secretary Carolina Novac explains why Moldova has the potential to quickly go green

The Jolt: We are living in a raw material world

In Wednesday’s edition of The Jolt, Sam looks at how the global race for raw materials is heating up (and getting more complex), plus the United States pumps yet more money into climate projects

The Jolt: Tesla’s Chinese fortunes hang in EU balance

In Monday’s edition of The Jolt, Sam looks at why Tesla desperately wants to be part of an EU probe into Chinese electric car subsidies, plus the UK plans to roll out its own carbon border tax

The Jolt: All about the base

In Friday’s edition of The Jolt, Sam has a look at baseload power and provides a sneak peek of FORESIGHT’s latest deep dive, plus Germany tries to help its industrial sector to pay its giant energy bills

The Jolt: Indonesia asks the $20 billion question

In Wednesday’s edition of The Jolt, Sam looks at how Indonesia wants to go green and needs the help of wealthy nations to pull it off, plus Portugal’s prime minister quits following a probe into energy contracts.

The Jolt: Carbon markets are ready to takeoff

In Monday’s edition of The Jolt, the new series from FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, Sam looks at the state of carbon markets around the world, plus talks on a new climate fund continue to turn sour

The Jolt: Time to bring net-zero forward?

In Friday’s edition of The Jolt, the new series from FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, Sam looks at whether the European Union could bring forward its 2050 net-zero date, plus wind energy stays stuck in the doldrums

Brazilian redemption

Brazil is one of the world’s largest countries and most prolific emitters of planet-warming gases. Does a new government mean that it is changing course and embracing a greener future? The situation is extremely complex

The Jolt: Norway feeling blue about the EU

In Wednesday’s edition of The Jolt, the new series from FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, Sam looks at how Norway’s insistence on being in complete control of its energy rules might cause problems for Europe’s energy transition, as the US looks to strengthen its grids

The Jolt: Spain’s plane vs. train pain

In Monday’s edition of The Jolt, the new series from FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, Sam looks at how a Spanish plan to ban certain short haul flights might affect the aviation and rail sectors, while China breaks yet another clean energy record

The Jolt: Risky connections

In Friday’s edition of The Jolt, the new series from FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, Sam looks at how the future of international energy connections is under threat from the ruthless world of geopolitics, and a climate sceptic takes top US role

The Jolt: Don’t call it a comeback

In Wednesday’s edition of The Jolt, the new series from FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, Sam looks at how a new action plan published by the European Union aims to revitalise the stagnant wind power sector, meanwhile Nigeria gets a mini-grid boost

The Jolt: Damage control

In Monday’s edition of The Jolt, the new series from FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, Sam looks at why crucial talks about setting up a new climate fund for developing countries collapsed this weekend

How green is my valley?

Wales is a verdant land, ripe with culture, history and green energy potential. Climate minister Julie James joins the show to discuss what decarbonisation measures are already underway and why community energy projects are a massive part of the plan

The Jolt: New Zealand turns back time

In Friday’s edition of The Jolt, the new podcast from FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, Sam looks at why New Zealand’s incoming government might backtrack on climate goals and embrace oil and gas again

The Jolt: An EU COP-out

In Wednesday’s edition of The Jolt, the new series from FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, Sam looks at how the European Union might have fluffed its COP28 lines and hydrogen in heating takes another beating

The Jolt: Pylon pressure

Join Sam Morgan for Monday’s episode of The Jolt delving into why everyone's talking about grids

The Jolt: Britain falls off the rails

Join Sam Morgan for Friday’s episode of The Jolt, the new podcast from FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, giving you bite-sized coverage of the global energy transition

The Jolt: Hoekstra hooks EU climate role

Join Sam Morgan for the second episode of The Jolt, the new series from FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, giving you bite-sized coverage of the global energy transition

The Jolt: Europe’s carbon border tax goes live

Join Sam Morgan for the first episode of The Jolt, the new podcast from FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, giving you bite-sized coverage of the global energy transition

Green New Zealand

New Zealand Aotearoa might be on the opposite side of the world but has some familiar energy transition issues to deal with, while others are quite unique to the islands. Dr Christina Hood joins the show to give the Kiwi perspective

The Balkan Express

Transport in the Balkans leaves a lot to be desired. Badly connected and lacking investment, the region sorely needs a mobility policy boost. This week, one of the top officials tasked with doing just that joins the show.

Sparking the transition

The energy transition will only happen if industry is onboard. Despite what some naysayers claim, many companies have rolled their sleeves up already. This week, we hear from one of the sector’s leaders about their goals and objectives

Here comes the policy police

It has already thrown plenty of energy and climate policy curveballs at us, with many more to come by the end of the year. Kira Taylor joins Sam for this round-up of all the action we have seen so far

Charting a new energy course

A controversial international energy pact could soon be a thing of the past after the EU unveiled a plan to exit the agreement. Fabian Flues joins the show to explain what the Energy Charter Treaty is and why it is so divisive

Australia, the land of ‘however’

Australia is a fossil fuel superpower that exports its wares to the rest of the world. But it is also ripe with clean power potential that risks going to waste if the right decisions are not made soon. Ketan Joshi joins the show to explain what Australia is doing well in the energy transition and, more importantly, where it is way off track

Net-zero industry’s unseen side

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

Rebuilding the ‘infrastructure of our lives’

Europe has a leaky buildings problem. Work is underway to update the rules that govern efficiency standards, but politicisation and misinformation risk undermining their foundations. Adrian Joyce of the Renovate Europe campaign shares his concerns and also his hopes for the sector

Gases from the greenhouse

Agriculture is arguably the most complex part of the energy transition and is faced with unique challenges that extend beyond just decarbonisation. Expert journalist Gerardo Fortuna joins the show to talk manure management, pesticide problems, cow burps and much more

Zero-emission cars and stripes

The United States aims to clean up its car fleet with strict standards, and although this new mobility plan has quietly passed under the radar, it can potentially cause a huge green shift in the transport sector. Stephanie Searle joins the show to explain why

China’s carbon trading tribute act

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

What’s in store

Clean power is great, but green electrons cannot always be used immediately after they are generated. That is where storage comes into the mix. Thomas Lewis joins the Dispatch this week to explain what the sector needs to take the next big leap

India’s pollution progress

Air quality and the energy transition are closely linked: tackling one issue normally means making a dent in the other. India is a great example of that paradigm in action, but more still needs to be done, according to health expert Pallavi Pant

Beyond the tipping point

Clean energy continues to shatter predictions as the green transition gathers pace. Jarand Rystad, one of the sector’s top analysts, reveals why plus what the future might hold for the various technologies fighting for a piece of the energy market

The Green Shipping News

Shipping is a crucial cog in the global economy, but it is also a big polluter. This week we find out how one of the biggest names in the business, Maersk, is charting a course towards a cleaner, greener way of transporting cargo

How to update a carbon market

The EU's emissions trading system is the world's largest carbon market and will soon get even bigger when reformed rules come into play. This week we get an insider take on the updated ETS from one of the negotiators that helped write the new rules

Our top five podcasts from 2022

Entering the audio sphere in 2022, FORESIGHT Climate & Energy's podcasts have given our listeners a chance to hear directly from key personalities in the energy sector and discuss how to achieve a decarbonised economy in the most expedient way. Take a listen to our top episodes from 2022

Heat pumps are hot (and cool)

The energy crisis has prompted a major surge in demand for heat pumps and the technology is widely recognised as a no-regret option to decarbonise heating and cooling, but many are still to be convinced

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

‘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

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

Carbon dioxide removals

In this episode, we dispel the myths around carbon dioxide removals, an often-misunderstood piece of the climate policy jigsaw

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

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

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

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

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

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

All articles published by FORESIGHT Climate & Energy will: