The IEA and the European Patents Office have, for the first time, reported on patents filed worldwide to get a measure of the innovations weâre seeing in the hydrogen sector, summarised here by Ian Shine. Overall, Europe and Japan are leading. Although the U.S. is a close third, with 20% of the total, their filings have declined compared to the previous decade. The fastest growth is in China (15.2%) and South Korea (12.2%). There has been a … [Read more...]
Industrial Policy: Chinaâs always had it, the U.S. has rediscovered it, the EU now needs it too
Chinaâs performance â both in and outside the energy sector â has always been driven by wide-reaching industrial policy. In the last few decades it has consistently delivered results. Meanwhile, the U.S. has kept shifting up the gears of its pro-U.S. interventionist industrial policy since Donald Trump: though socially right wing, he was a protectionist president whose ambition was to boost domestic industries. Today, president Bidenâs âInflation … [Read more...]
Franceâs recovery plan: will support for emissions-high sectors compromise a new Green economy?
The French recovery plan, formally presented today, combines emergency rescue measures, economic stimulus and longer-term investments. A substantial âŹ32bn out of the âŹ100bn budgeted is earmarked for the green economy. But SĂ©bastien Treyer at IDDRI asks whether rescue measures for traditionally emissions-high sectors - tourism, aviation, automotive, buildings, agri-food â will collide with climate targets. He references studies that should be used … [Read more...]
The European Battery Alliance is moving up a gear
Europe needs batteries, primarily for clean mobility and grid stabilisation. But EU lithium-ion cell manufacturing is less than 3% of the global share, and mainly for high-end niche markets, not the automotive sector. If Europe doesnât act fast, catching up with Asia will become impossible, writes Carole Mathieu of the IFRIâs Centre for Energy, reflecting the views of the European Battery Alliance (EBA). Itâs a strategic imperative, given the … [Read more...]
