Columbia Energy Exchange

The podcast discusses the importance of private capital in driving the clean energy transition globally, focusing on the challenges in deploying capital in emerging economies. They explore the role of private sector coalitions in advancing energy transition amidst anti-ESG backlash and higher cost of capital. The conversation touches on the pace of technological innovation, the role of private capital in meeting global climate commitments, and the critical need for affordable capital to fund clean energy projects.

A collaboration between Environmental Defense Fund and Google has led to the development of MethaneSAT, a satellite that can pinpoint methane emissions from oil and gas infrastructure using AI technology. The podcast discusses the implications of this new technology and its potential for detecting other greenhouse gases. The episode explores the challenges and advancements in satellite technology for monitoring methane emissions, as well as the upcoming launch of MethaneSAT with philanthropic funding. It also highlights the importance of AI and collaboration in enhancing methane detection and emission mitigation efforts.

Brazil is in a strategic position when it comes to energy and climate issues. It holds the presidency of the G20 nations this year and the UN climate talks – or COP30 – in 2025. This comes as the nation sees a significant reduction in deforestation in the Amazon rainforest under President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and new commitments to pursue low-carbon technologies, such as hydrogen, and establish a regulated carbon market. At the same time, Brazil, the biggest producer of oil in Latin America, is planning to ramp up its output. So, how is the energy transition unfolding in Brazil? And how can the country balance environmental protection and energy security?  This week host Bill Loveless talks with Thiago Barral about how Brazil plans to build up clean energy technologies, and how geopolitics shapes that strategy. Thiago is the national secretary of planning and energy transition of the Ministry of Mines and Energy for Brazil. Before his role as secretary, Thiago was the president of the Energy Research Company, a Brazilian institution responsible for energy planning studies and official state energy statistics. He joined the Energy Research Company in 2007, and also served as director of energy economics and environmental studies.

The podcast discusses the challenges faced by countries in the global south in balancing economic development and climate adaptation. It explores the World Bank's evolving approach to integrating climate change into its development programs and the creation of a loss and damage fund for vulnerable countries. The challenges and solutions to transitioning to renewable energy are also discussed, along with the future vision and goals of the World Bank's climate change efforts.

For more than three decades, the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has prepared comprehensive scientific assessments about the drivers and risks of climate change. The assessments, released every five to seven years, also explain how mitigation and adaptation could reduce those risks.  To confront the growing urgency of the climate crisis, governments around the world turn to the IPCC for guidance on emissions reductions strategies. That said, the organization makes clear that its research is not meant to be prescriptive.  So, how do its findings support climate policy and action around the world? And what role does science play in shaping global climate negotiations?  This week host Bill Loveless talks with IPCC’s Jim Skea about how the organization’s research contributes to public policy.  Jim is the chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Before his election as chair in July 2023, he was the co-chair of Working Group III of the IPCC, which focuses on climate change mitigation. Jim also served as the chair of Scotland’s Just Transition Commission from 2018 to 2023 and was a founding member of the United Kingdom’s Committee on Climate Change.

Within days of taking office, President Joe Biden signed an executive order to create the Justice40 Initiative. The policy aims to allocate 40% of the benefits of federal clean energy and climate investments to frontline communities.  For the energy sector, it’s helping to shine a growing light on  “energy justice.” Historically, the current energy system has negatively impacted disadvantaged communities the most – communities that often lack access to affordable energy, are excluded from potential benefits of a clean energy economy, and suffer the greatest harms from climate change. The Energy Opportunity Lab at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs is working to address these challenges, among many others.  So, what progress has been made in ensuring energy justice for frontline communities? And with the energy transition continuing to accelerate in size and scale, how do we make sure disadvantaged communities aren’t left behind? This week host Jason Bordoff talks with Shalanda Baker about the historical inequities of energy systems, and the Biden administration’s agenda on energy equity and climate justice. Shalanda is the director of the Office of Energy Justice and Equity in the U.S. Department of Energy, and the secretarial advisor on equity. She also serves as chief diversity officer for the agency. Prior to her Senate confirmation in 2022, Shalanda served as the nation’s first-ever deputy director for energy justice. Before joining the Biden administration, she co-founded and co-directed the Initiative for Energy Justice, which provides technical law and policy support to communities on the front lines of climate change.

Around the world, new policies like the Inflation Reduction Act or the European Union's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism aim to accelerate the pace of decarbonization. But these same policies have also fueled trade tensions and raised concerns about protectionism.  A successful clean energy transition means much more trade in clean energy technologies and products, according to the International Energy Agency. A rules-based global trading system, governed by the World Trade Organization, underpins much of that trade. But increasingly the WTO has faced challenges and calls for reform, particularly around issues of sustainability and climate change.  So what reforms are needed to align the global trade framework with climate goals and policies around the world? And how can the World Trade Organization support both economic progress and sustainable development?  This week host Jason Bordoff talks with Dan Esty about how climate policy and trade policy intersect. Dan is the Hillhouse Professor at Yale University and director of the Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy. He just finished public service leave working at the World Trade Organization and is co-leading the Remaking Global Trade for a Sustainable Future Project. Dan has written numerous books on environmental responsibility and economic progress, including Green to Gold and Greening the GATT. He previously served in a number of leadership roles at the Environmental Protection Agency, and as the Commissioner of Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection from 2011 to 2014.

The Department of the Interior is a key player in the energy transition in the U.S.. The federal government owns about 28% of the 2.3 billion acres of land in the country. The Department is responsible for permitting oil and gas drilling, renewable development, and mining on its vast land holdings.  At the same time, the DOI is tasked with protecting America’s national parks and wilderness holdings for future generations. As the urgency of the climate crisis grows, the agency is at the heart of the difficult trade-offs between conservation and energy development that will define the energy transition.  What does an environmentally and socially responsible approach to the energy transition look like? And how does the federal government weigh the impacts and benefits of energy development on public lands? This week host Jason Bordoff talks with Tommy Beaudreau about the DOI’s effort to protect public lands and support the development of a domestic clean energy economy. Tommy is the co-chair of WilmerHale’s energy, environment, and natural resources practice, and a distinguished visiting fellow at Columbia’s Center on Global Energy Policy. He recently served as deputy secretary of the Department of Interior from 2021-2023. Tommy served in senior leadership roles in the Department for nearly a decade across two administrations, including as the first director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management in 2011.

2024 brings uncertainty in energy and climate policy discussions in Washington due to the presidential elections. The Biden administration plans to continue implementing the Inflation Reduction Act, while Republicans in Congress could hinder progress. Supreme Court's ruling on agencies' ability to enact regulations could significantly impact government agencies. Journalists Jennifer Dlouhy and Justin Worland discuss key energy policy issues, including the impact of elections, economic challenges for industries, and regulatory work by agencies. They also highlight the importance of the EPA, Supreme Court case, and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in energy decisions. Furthermore, they emphasize the need for more reporters covering energy and climate issues and the importance of local journalists in connecting climate news to communities.

This podcast discusses the Biden Administration's green industrial policy and its impact on trade tensions, the energy transition, and economic inequality. It explores the potential macroeconomic impacts of transitioning to a clean energy system and the challenges of global supply chains. The podcast also delves into the cost of legislation, the implementation of uncapped tax credits, and the importance of implementing new ideas in the Biden administration's economic policy.