About this Discussion

The COVID-19 pandemic is a global health crisis that has major implications for world economies, energy use and CO2 emissions. According to the IEA’s World Energy Outlook 2020 report, the immediate effects of the pandemic on the energy system shows expected falls in 2020 of 5% in global energy demand, 7% in energy-related CO2 emissions and 18% in energy investment. Oil consumption is anticipated to decline by 8% and coal use by 7%. However, as with previous crises, the rebound in emissions may be larger than the decline, unless the wave of investments to restart economies is dedicated to cleaner and more resilient energy infrastructure.
Decarbonizing energy use in time to avert catastrophic climate change requires increased international cooperation. Recovery measures following COVID-19 pandemic could include flexible power grids, efficiency solutions, electric vehicle charging, energy storage, interconnected hydropower, green hydrogen and other technology investments consistent with long-term energy and climate sustainability.

In line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), there is a global movement to address these challenges by substantially increasing investment in renewable energy technologies and implementation, doubling the rate of improvement to energy efficiency, and changing user behaviours, with the aim to achieve absolute decoupling between energy consumption and economic growth.

Energy

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"Climate risk is investment risk."

Activist hedge fund firm, Engine No. 1, claimed three board seats at ExxonMobil following their campaign pushing the company to shift focus away from fossil fuels. Their move was supported by the “Big Three” institutional investment firms BlackRock, Vanguard, and State Street after successfully making the business case that climate risk is financial risk. The majority of the votes came from the pension funds, asset managers, and big institutional investors because they saw the business risk in the ExxonMobil's strategy.

Is this a turning point for the oil and gas companies?

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https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/engine-no-1s-victory-wake-up-call-for-exxonmobil-and-oth...
SADC Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency(SACREEE), International Renewable Energy Agency(IRENA), Energy and Environment Partnership Trust Fund(EEP Africa)

The SADC Renewable Energy Entrepreneurship Support Facility (SADC RE ESF) is supported by SACREEE and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and aims to support renewable energy market development in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region through capacity building of… Read More

Created a Post in Energy

Join us on June 30th for a Green Learning Network event focused on the energy transition.

Event Description: We urgently have to scale up both the workforce and awareness needed for a clean energy transition. This requires bold efforts in education and workforce training to produce a new generation of energy professionals, reskill the current workforce and create informed consumers.

This interactive event, sponsored by the Green Learning Network, the International Renewable Energy Agency, REN21 and UNEP’s Youth and Education Alliance, brings together panelists at the forefront of renewable energy education and training to share innovative approaches to skill building and is useful for anyone interested in building a more sustainable future.

We will explore both challenges and solutions in areas such as adapting curricula to meet emerging knowledge and skills requirements; the role of educators across all levels and disciplines in helping students understand the opportunities and massive growth in clean energy careers; and systemic reform needs. The session will include discussion of resources, successful examples, solutions and sharing mechanisms during this interactive session.

Registration link: https://lnkd.in/dEVXT6m

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https://lnkd.in/dEVXT6m
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Created a Post in Energy

A growing number of countries in Latin America and the Caribbean are gearing up to produce clean hydrogen, driven by their abundant renewable energy resources, the need to decarbonize their economies, and the huge potential for hydrogen exports. Just how far along is the region’s nascent hydrogen sector?

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https://ecpamericas.org/newsletters/a-new-energy-sector-emerges-in-the-region/
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Created a Post in Climate Change, Energy

People depend on water in so many ways. Rivers provide people with drinking water, irrigation for crops, habitat for fisheries, recreation opportunities like swimming and boating, and so many important cultural benefits. They also can provide a tremendous amount of energy through hydropower.

Hydropower dams can play an important role in helping developing economies transition to a cleaner energy system that also meets the needs of their people. But the environmental externalities — the side effects — of dams can be catastrophic.

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https://naturalcapitalproject.stanford.edu/news/green-economies-can-flow-strategic-hydropower

The IEA's recent "Net Zero by 2050" report designated Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) as one of seven pillars needed to achieve mid-century climate neutrality and limit global heating. Can CCS really be used as the technological fix to mitigate climate change while many oil and gas industries are using the technology to produce more fossil fuels?

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https://www.dw.com/en/carbon-capture-climate-solution-or-prolonging-humanitys-fossil-fuel-dependency...

Interesting article in the Guardian that highlights the delicate politics that can make or break real progress on achieving net zero emissions by 2050

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https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jun/11/g7-leaders-face-make-or-break-moment-in-climate-crisis
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Created a Post in Energy

The Biden administration set a goal of reducing the cost of producing clean hydrogen, a fuel that could reduce dependence on others that emit greenhouse gases that cause climate change.

The Department of Energy (DOE) set a goal for hydrogen made with clean power, such as renewables and nuclear energy plants, by 80% to $1 per kilogram in a decade.

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https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/us-seeks-less-costly-clean-hydrogen-climate-fight-2021-...
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Created a Post in Climate Change, Energy

The Biden administration on Tuesday suspended oil drilling leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

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https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/01/climate/biden-drilling-arctic-national-wildlife-refuge.html