Sara Stefanini provides a written summary of our panel discussion held on 10th February: District Heating under the "Fit for 55" package: challenges and opportunities. Under the “Fit for 55” package, the EC proposed several regulatory changes that, combined, are meant to decarbonise district heating in Europe. But are these options workable for all? The participants raise questions over the support for district heating, whether the multiple … [Read more...]
Green Taxonomy: finding the right balance [Energy Post event video]
We present our video of the online discussion from February 22, 2021 on the EU Taxonomy and how it affects investments in the energy transition, with particular reference to technologies such as gas and nuclear power. Taking part were Nancy Saich, Chief Climate Expert, European Investment Bank (EIB), Pawel Straczyński, Deputy CEO, PGE POLAND (sponsor), Ian Simm, CEO and Founder, IMPAX Asset Management, Ondřej Knotek, MEP, RENEW EUROPE … [Read more...]
Sustainability after COVID-19: Four scenarios of the world after the crisis
Foreword: The COVID-19 virus which began in China and spread around the world has wreaked havoc on economies and caused the life of millions of people to come to a standstill. With health and GDP dominating the world agenda, entrepreneurs wishing to navigate the turbulent waters of opening a new enterprise focused on sustainability will need to keep an eye on where the world is heading to. This analysis is an attempt to speculate which directions … [Read more...]
Re-designing the EU ETS to ensure a Just Transition [VIDEO]
On November 30th, 2020, we ran a live online panel discussion concerning the re-design of the EU ETS in the wake of new, higher CO2 reduction targets being agreed by the EU. The target now stands at a 55% reduction c/w 1990 levels by 2030, up from 40%. A huge jump in order to keep in line with Paris commitments. The session was moderated by Matthew James, Managing Director at Energy Post and featured interventions from Andrei Marcu (Chairman at … [Read more...]
Dutch-Spanish startup navigates coronavirus fallout while also guiding utilities into the digital age
In late summer 2015 at a research university in Belgium, an Italian graduate student new to campus attended a welcome event hosted by engineering department faculty. Sampling beer brewed by an electrical engineering student association, Simone Accornero mingled with a dozen other new classmates in his program at KU Leuven. Accornero began chatting with an engineering master’s student who had just arrived from Poland. “We hit it off,” Accornero … [Read more...]
Just Transition Fund: Poland yet to be convinced
Last month we learned of extra "Covid-19 recovery" funds to keep the Green Deal on an even keel. They included an additional €32.5bn for the Just Transition Fund (JTF). But is it enough? This is the question at the heart of our online event next week. The JTF is part of the Just Transition Mechanism (JTM) which, in turn, is the part of the Green Deal funding plan and is aimed at supporting Member States and regions "most affected by the … [Read more...]
Energy Post panel discussion – Cross-Border Capacity [VIDEO]
Whilst renewable generation continues to grow, cross-border capacity fails to keep up. On May 19, 2020, Energy Post hosted a unique panel qualified to discuss the issue and shed some light on how we got here and what the options might be going forward. The discussion was moderated by Erik Rakhou - alternate member of the ACER board of appeal and consultant at Baringa. Representing the European Commission was Florian Ermacora and for independent, … [Read more...]
UN Climate Summit seeks NDCs, LTSs with deep sectoral changes
To pile on the pressure over climate negotiations, the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres is convening a special Climate Action Summit, starting today. Nations are being pressed to accelerate their ambitions and back them up with concrete and realistic plans. The summit will be focussed on six ‘action areas’: energy transition; industry transition; infrastructure, cities and local action; nature-based solutions; resilience and adaptation; … [Read more...]
EU ETS Modernisation Fund: putting the wind in the sails of the Transition
Transforming the power system to reach climate neutrality by 2050 will cost approximately €100bn per year according to Eurelectric. In recognition of the different starting points for Member States, the European Commission has introduced the new EU ETS Modernisation Fund (MF) which could be worth as much as €25bn* to the beneficiaries between 2021 and 2030. According to Monika Morawiecka, CEO of PGE Baltica, offshore wind already makes business … [Read more...]
GDP – Gross Environmental Damage = actual wealth creation
We all know that GDP measures everything that’s been paid for, both the good and the bad. There have already been studies that try to account for the “bad” GDP that costs us in the long run and so adds less value than stated. Catherine Wolfram, at the Haas School of Business, takes a thoughtful look at Gross Environmental Damage which separates out the kind of GDP that we’re going to have to spend money cleaning up in the future. The GED concept … [Read more...]
Time for tech-neutral incentives if renewables growth won’t stop climate change?
In 2018 energy use grew 2.9% and emissions 2%. That means renewables are not keeping up with energy’s growth: it will need a four-fold increase in wind and solar’s growth to do so, says Schalk Cloete. There’s more: to cut global CO2 emissions by the 3% per year we need to meet the Paris goals wind and solar growth rates must increase by over an order of magnitude. He reviews the evidence and concludes that current technology-forcing policies – … [Read more...]
Member States must decide: cash for climate or cash for carbon?
Over 3 billion euros of EU money meant for Europe’s poorer regions could be up for grabs by the fossil fuel industry if EU Member States do not change their current position on 25 June. The funding, which is part of the 374 billion Euro ‘Cohesion Policy’ pot, was - in the European Commission’s proposal - meant to go to sustainable economic activities. Yet if EU Member States get their way, a significant portion of the funding would be made … [Read more...]
France and Britain race for carbon neutrality by 2050
Inspired by the UK’s independent Committee on Climate Change (CCC) and the progress it has enabled in that nation’s acceleration to net-zero, France set up its equivalent Haut Conseil pour le Climat. Its first report is launched tomorrow (June 25th). The CCC certainly has made a difference, as this month the UK enshrined in law its goal of net-zero by 2050. The French parliament is in discussions to do the same. Céline Guivarch and Corinne Le … [Read more...]
BP Review of 2018: record CO2, energy use as gas outstrips wind & solar
Energy use grew at 2.9% in 2018, the largest rise since 2010. It’s what happens when economies grow. But gas, oil and coal's contribution to that growth saw global CO2 emissions rise by 2% in 2018, the largest year-on-year increase in seven years. Wind and solar growth, driven by China though slowing in the US, EU, and India, achieved its second fastest rate on record - but still lagged behind gas additions. These are not the trends we need to … [Read more...]
EU to help China fulfil its global climate obligations, and in return…
Last month’s launch of the EU China Energy Cooperation Platform (ECECP) should serve as great encouragement for EU energy firms looking to participate in the developing Chinese energy system. Up until now it’s been possible but challenging as firms have not been competing on a level-playing field. But that is set to change as a whole raft of factors mean the time is ripe for meaningful cooperation between the world’s two leading energy … [Read more...]
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