Are we losing the argument that climate change requires action and investment? Can we balance the need for affordable energy with the costs of decarbonizing hard-to-abate sectors like steel, cement and aviation? And how can we counter the spread of misinformation and populist narratives that undermine support for clean energy? 

This week on Cleaning Up, Michael Liebreich welcomes back Lord Adair Turner for a deep dive into the state of the energy transition at the end of 2024. They discuss the remarkable progress in technologies like solar, batteries and electrification, but also the political and economic challenges of driving rapid decarbonisation. Turner shares his optimism that we have the technologies to reach net zero by 2070-2080, but also his concern that the pace of change may not be fast enough to avoid significant warming. They explore issues like the role of nuclear power, the need for grid investment, and the complexities of climate finance and international cooperation. 

This episode grapples with the tension between technological progress and political realities - and how to navigate that divide to accelerate the transition to a sustainable, zero-carbon future as we move into the new year. 

Leadership Circle 

Cleaning Up is supported by the Leadership Circle, and its founding members: Actis, Alcazar Energy, EcoPragma Capital, EDP of Portugal, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information on the Leadership Circle, please visit https://www.cleaningup.live. 

Links and more

• Adair's book, Just Capital
• The Energy Transitions Commission: https://www.energy-transitions.org
• How China Became a Green Finance Superpower - Ep160: Dr. Ma Jun 
• The Einstein of Energy Efficiency - Ep68: Amory Lovins
• The Solar Revolution - Past, Present and Future - Ep173: Jenny Chase
• ⁠Can Exponential Growth Save a Finite Planet? - Ep187: Azeem Azhar 
• The UK Energy Company Creating the Utility of the Future - Ep175: Greg Jackson 
• The Bridgetown Initiator - Ep145: Prof Avinash Persaud
• How To Win The Climate Argument | Ep172: John Marshall 
• Is It Ever OK to Promote Fossil Fuels?  
• TNO's Hydrogen Insights