Energy transitions 2021

Join industry experts and international policymakers to explore the emergence of the net-zero consensus driving a carbon-neutral future.

Conference
18 March 2021 TO 19 March 2021 — 1:00PM TO 5:00PM
Online

Achieving a carbon-neutral future

The 2021 Energy Transitions LIVE conference will explore the emergence of a net-zero consensus, exploring its drivers and how to capitalize on this momentum to successfully achieve the energy transition.

The LIVE series brings together international audiences and enables participants to engage in high-level panel discussions and connect with peers from across the globe. With a focus on interactivity, key features in the virtual environment include 1:1 networking, polling, Q&A with speakers and live analysis of results.


Why attend?

  • Explore the future of new technologies including negative-emissions technology, electrification and green hydrogen.

  • Gain insight into the world of low-carbon investment and the geopolitical implications of the shift to renewable energy.

  • Understand the driving factors behind a net-zero consensus.

#CHEnergy

Agenda

Thursday 18 March (GMT – timings subject to change)

Towards a net-zero consensus

Exploring the shifting narrative on the green energy transition and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. 


  • Which countries or regions are leading the way in moving towards a zero-carbon future?

  • How do political developments influence the public’s perception of governmental action on the energy transition? 

  • How can policy mechanisms support and guide disruptive change?

  • What do businesses want from policy-makers and vice versa?

  • How has investment in energy infrastructure changed and can recovery packages be targeted towards a green recovery while supporting jobs? 

  • What is the role for negative emission technologies over the next 30 years and is the energy transition becoming overly reliant on unproven carbon dioxide removal mechanisms and CCS? 

  • Is green hydrogen a game changer? 

  • Has the fossil fuel industry now accepted net-zero and what does this mean for oil, gas and coal industries?

  • What are the implications for global emissions and meeting the goals of the 2-degree pathway? 

1230–1330

Keynote Address

Richard Lancaster, CEO, CLP Holdings Limited 

1330–1400

Networking break

1400–1500

Geopolitical implications of the shift to renewables

This session will discuss the speed of the transition to renewables and changing patterns of demand across industries in both developed and developing economies, and the impact of this shift on geopolitics.


  • What are the barriers to unlocking greater deployment of renewables? Are governments doing enough, or have they taken their foot off the pedal?

  • How has energy demand changed due to COVID-19? Is there a switch away from oil and will climate change ultimately require a conversation about long-term demand reduction?

  • The geopolitics of oil and its impact on international relations has been thoroughly studied – but how will a shift to renewables and lower demand for oil impact this status quo?

  • Does the United Kingdom’s recent commitment to wind energy demonstrate that renewables have reached a tipping point in adoption? Will the opportunities presented by COVID-19 to ‘build back greener’ push more governments to invest in renewable energy?

  • Will the producers of low-carbon energy be the superpowers of tomorrow? In the short-medium term will the manufacturers of low-carbon technology dominate?

1500–1600

Networking break

1600–1630

Keynote Address

Francesco La Camera, Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)

1630-1700

Changing energy vectors: electrification and green hydrogen

Exploring the shifting of energy vectors towards electrification and green hydrogen, discussing their implications for disruption and assessing the current policy support behind this shift. 


  • Do green hydrogen and electrification complement each other or compete for the same markets? 

  • Is electrification constrained to domestic heating and vehicles and is hydrogen poised to disrupt heavy industry, aviation and shipping?

  • Is a virtuous circle being created between electric vehicles and stationary storage? 

  • What current technologies can facilitate low-carbon industrial decarbonization and where is there potential for improvement particularly for high-temperature heat processes? 

  • Will improved technology drive a decline in cost enough to compete with incumbent rivals?

  • How can policymakers and utility companies support a shift to electrification and green hydrogen? 

  • What is the impact of electric vehicles on the power sector and how has the coronavirus crisis impacted the sale and distribution of electric vehicles?

1700–1800

End of day one

1800

Friday 19 March (GMT – timings subject to change)

Keynote speech

Will Gardiner, CEO, Drax Group

1300–1330

Carbon capture technologies: the way forward?

This session will discuss the future of carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) as well as negative-emissions technologies, including and bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), and their ability to enable a net-zero future.


  • Is the prospect of their future deployment creating increased reliance, and hence risk?
  • Should we categorize these technologies as unproven, or should they be considered untested or unscaled?
  • What are the most significant obstacles to large-scale deployment of these technologies, and what would be their impact in balancing carbon budgets?
  • How should these technologies be evaluated and measured? And to what extent will these technologies create opportunities for cross-sectoral sustainable investment?
  • What is the impact of public opinion on the deployment of negative-emissions technologies? Can, and should, this be addressed? How?
  • What is the future of these technologies, and will they be a key component of reaching a net-zero future?
1330–1430

Keynote Address

Frans Timmermans, Executive Vice-President, European Green Deal, European Commission

1430–1500

Keynote Address

Bjorn Ullbro, Vice President Africa & Europe, Wärtsilä Energy

1500–1530

Low-carbon investment

Examining the risks and opportunities associated with low-carbon investment and how these contribute to achieving Paris compliant deployment levels.


  • How has economic uncertainty created by the COVID-19 crisis impacted investment priorities? 

  • Is there a trade-off for major energy companies in balancing commercial competitiveness and swiftly transitioning their business models?

  • Do renewable investments now derive greater returns, relative to oil and gas? 

  • What are the barriers to greater investment in proven low-cost renewables, such as solar and wind? 

  • How will changing views of society on climate change affect the way in which businesses operate? 

  • Are investors actively promoting the energy transition, and what has been the impact of this? 

1530–1630

Networking break

1630–1700

The role of politics and consumers in driving the transition

Considering the impact of public perception of the energy transition in driving momentum including political trends, public pressure and consumer choices.


  • Have developed countries seen a shift in public pressure on political systems to speed up the transition? 

  • To what extent have youth-driven movements impacted the momentum of the energy transition? What role has social media played in increasing public pressure?

  • What is the impact of consumers’ increased consideration of sustainability on organizational efforts to decarbonize?

  • How is the conversation being shaped in the developing world? 

  • How can we account for gender and socio-economic considerations to ensure that the transition is equitable?

1700–1800

End of day two

1800

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