Energy transitions

Speaking at Chatham House, Dr Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency, said Strait of Hormuz closures and rising summer demand could push oil markets into a ‘red zone’.

Anna and Bhargabi speak with Robin Mills (Qamar Energy), Jessica Obeid (New Energy Consult) and Neil Quilliam about how the countries around the Gulf are approaching – and may be impacted by – the energy transition.

Anna and Elizabeth speak to Jocelyn Blériot (Ellen MacArthur Foundation) and Dr Patrick Schröder about what needs to happen, nationally and internationally, to accelerate the transition to a circular economy.

Norway is a leader in electrification. Following that example will reduce exposure to energy crises – unlike trying to turn back the clock on North Sea oil and gas.

The current crisis shows that Europe must transition to renewables to reduce its dependency on volatile fossil fuels. This week’s AccelerateEU plan rightly reaffirms that goal.

Anna and Bhargabi are joined by Professor Paul Stevens to discuss how oil and gas have shaped the politics, economies and geopolitical influence of the countries in the region.

Higher energy prices and the US decision to ease sanctions on Russian oil have given Moscow a windfall that could help to sustain its war in Ukraine.

As the Iran war pushes energy costs to the front of everyone’s mind, Bronwen Maddox and Sir Dieter Helm discuss what the UK government should do.

Anna and Bhargabi are joined by three experts to explore the links between climate change, energy and geopolitics.

The war unleashed on Iran by Israel and the US will have profound implications for Middle East economies – mainly negative for both producers and consumers.

Anna speaks to James Kynge and Lauri Myllyvirta (CREA) about what the plan reveals about China’s climate and clean tech ambitions, as well as it’s broader geopolitical goals.

Even if the disruption to oil and gas from the Iran war subsides, the Trump administration’s energy policy will likely lead to a long-term increase in energy prices.

Even a long war would have limited consequences for global GDP. But some emerging economies are vulnerable to persistent high energy prices. 

Rare earth elements are essential for the green transition but the accelerating geopolitical race to reduce dependence on China carries great environmental risks.

At first glance, the Trump administration’s energy dominance policy appears to have been a success. But shifting energy market dynamics has proven difficult.

Anna speaks to Dr Isaac Kardon (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace) and Meredith Schwartz (Centre for Strategic and International Studies) about how the race to source critical raw materials from the ocean floor is impacting geopolitics.

The Trump administration’s reversal of the endangerment finding is a brutal assault on global efforts to confront climate change – and an act of economic and strategic self-sabotage.

Anna speaks to three experts about the implications of the EU’s CBAM for countries in the Global South: What are their main concerns, and what could be done to mitigate negative impacts?

Robust long-term oil demand is needed to justify significant investment, but is called into question by the growing popularity of electric vehicles.

Patrick Schröder and Muyiwa Oyinlola visit a project using solar-powered ‘mini-grids’ to bring electricity to rural communities with local know-how and Chinese technology.

New data suggests that China’s clean tech ‘charm offensive’ is working to win over emerging economies.

Relying on imports of US LNG carries economic and environmental risk. In the long term, Greece should invest in its considerable clean energy infrastructure.

Anna and Bhargabi speak to Dan Ioschpe, Climate High-Level Champion for COP30, about how the COPs are moving from ‘negotiation’ to ‘implementation’.

The UK should coordinate with European partners and local communities to prioritize environmental safeguards while pursuing its strategic supply chain goals.

China’s new climate plan announced at the UN General Assembly has a disappointing headline target – but Beijing is likely to over-deliver, and it’s in its interest to place low-carbon development at the centre of its push for a new international order.

The team are joined by Ben Backwell, CEO of the Global Wind Energy Council, to discuss the challenges facing the renewable energy industry in the US.

The Trump administration has withdrawn the US from major climate commitments and slashed funding for green technologies. But US companies know they must stay invested in the global energy transition, argues Helen Clarkson.

Unpacking the key issues at the COP30 climate change conference in Belém, Brazil.

Republicans overcame challenging internal dynamics to pass a bill that could swell the national debt and impede energy progress.

Failing to align with the EU on a key climate policy tool will be costly for UK industry and stifle investment in the energy sector.

As the UK reviews its relationship with China, cooperation on climate change offers the prospect of tangible progress on an issue of mutual concern and global significance.

International cooperation can help governments manage the costs and risks of reliance on BECCS and DACCS in net zero strategies. But even where costs are minimized, this does not mean that these technologies are low-cost solutions.

There remains a huge gap between the trillions of dollars of financing needed to support climate action and the amounts of money currently being deployed. This paper proposes new approaches to mobilizing private climate investment to help close this gap.

Cutting aviation carbon emissions is vital for achieving net zero, but near-term, scalable decarbonization options are limited. This paper explores the possibility of reducing demand for flights to help keep the sector on track for net zero.

The war is making the challenges of climate change harder to overcome, both in Ukraine and worldwide.

By putting in place climate change adaptation measures, NATO has an opportunity to both strengthen operational resilience and adapt to the impacts of climate change.

The ‘net zero’ transition will require a massive reallocation of private capital from high- to low-carbon assets in coming decades. Action by central banks, financial regulators and industry coalitions will be critical to this process.

Public facilities are key to managing human displacement crises. With strained resources, sustainable upgrades to buildings can enable states to meet multiple welfare objectives.

Zambia’s recent approach to international relations has boosted the country’s prominence, but further domestic focus is needed to make this a sustainable policy shift.

The global ambition of SDG 7 to provide clean, safe and sustainable energy for all cannot be achieved if displaced people are left outside energy policy and planning in host countries.

While the war in Ukraine is having significant global impacts for energy, food and fertilizer markets, it may also aggravate wider economic and social upheaval.

Venezuela’s recovery from economic collapse and the future prosperity of its citizens depend on the reconstruction of its crisis-ridden electricity system.

The use of forest biomass for energy is growing rapidly, but existing EU and UK policies ignore its contribution to increased carbon emissions.

With climate action increasingly reliant on unproven carbon removal options, such as BECCS, there is a clear risk of policies developing without a robust scientific basis.

Ahead of COP26, the world is dangerously off track to meet the Paris Agreement goals. The risks are compounding, and without immediate action the impacts will be devastating in coming decades.

This paper examines investments in the circular economy and the need for new financial instruments to support further development.

This paper examines broad legal and institutional reform proposals for Venezuela’s oil and gas sector, and five countries it competes with in global markets.

This paper examines how regional cooperation can boost efforts to achieve sustainable development and green growth in Asia.

This paper explores the impacts of large-scale mining on forests, within this wider context of transition.

This paper focuses on the strategic direction of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) and its implementing countries.

This ethnographic study is the first of its kind to analyse energy access and resilience strategies deployed in two refugee camps in Kenya and Burkina Faso. It highlights the need for new methodological approaches to expand the evidence base for humanitarian energy interventions and policies.

Cyberattacks are increasingly challenging critical national infrastructure. This paper considers the security by design approach for civil nuclear power plants and analyses areas of risk and opportunities for the nuclear industry.

This paper highlights a number of options for managing electricity infrastructure in refugee camps and outlines the challenges, opportunities and operational implications associated with them. It takes the Kalobeyei settlement in Kenya as a case study.

Drawing on experiences from Phase II of the MEI in Burkina Faso, Kenya and Jordan, these learning briefs highlight MEI’s approach to innovation, engagement with the private-sector and host communities, and gender-sensitive energy projects. The four learning papers are intended for practitioners and policymakers working in the humanitarian sector and host-country governments.

This paper evaluates the market-based approaches adopted in the MEI projects in Kenya and Burkina Faso. It articulates how such commercial strategies can be applied to the delivery of energy in displacement settings and compares this to real world examples.

This paper explores the increase in resources and funding needed to improve the access of displaced people to modern and sustainable energy services.

In displacement settings, providing cooking solutions that reduce negative impacts on the environment and health remains a challenge for local governments, humanitarian agencies, businesses and refugees.

As humanitarian crises become more protracted and aid budgets face unprecedented scrutiny, agencies could save millions by switching from diesel and oil fuels to cleaner energy sources.

Evidence is growing that flexible electricity systems could deliver lower costs, especially given the projected falls in solar and wind power costs by 2030.

Lower-income countries that are banking on their fossil fuels lack the capacity to assess carbon risks, and may be left behind by shifts in investment and credit.