Road to COP: How can banks stop planetary frying? 5 Oct 2021 In the first instance, financial institutions can reduce travel budgets and replace radiators in office buildings and branches. The real leverage comes in how they manage customer assets and deploy balance sheets, UBS Chief Executive Ralph Hamers says in a chat with Rob Cox.
Cox: How Greta can transition from blah blah blah 4 Oct 2021 The young Swedish climate activist grabbed headlines in Milan at the runup to COP26 last week, castigating “so-called leaders” for talking much and acting too little. She’s got a point. But generational resentment won’t halt global warming. She’d be better off going nuclear.
Road to COP: Italy’s ecological transition chief 28 Sep 2021 Prime Minister Mario Draghi picked Roberto Cingolani, a trained physicist, from the private sector to lead the country’s mega-ministry combining environment and energy. As Milan hosts the warmup to the COP26, Cingolani discusses Italy’s role in the global decarbonization fight.
Breakdown: Beware Aussie net-zero greenwashing 27 Sep 2021 Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s government may soon unveil a long-overdue carbon-reduction plan. Early signals play loose with statistics and flag a “gas-fired” pandemic recovery. Absent a detailed path to slash emissions across the economy, it could just be a giant PR stunt.
Guest view: Offsets reach moment of maturity 24 Sep 2021 There’s no guarantee the world will keep global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. As such, emissions cuts to tackle areas that can’t or won’t decarbonise will become key. Paris Agreement overseer Christiana Figueres argues that offsets deserve a chance to overcome their flaws.
Road to COP: Denmark’s green giant 21 Sep 2021 Orsted is one of the most highly valued players in the global energy transition. Chief Executive Mads Nipper’s main job is to ensure things stay that way as demand for its wind power intensifies. Ahead of Glasgow’s critical COP26 conference in November, he chatted to George Hay.
UK power market deficiencies flash red at bad time 20 Sep 2021 Britain may spend hundreds of millions of pounds propping up its energy sector. Soaring prices are a global problem, but the UK has a more liberal market and fewer alternative power sources. It’s a poor look as Boris Johnson prepares to lecture others on cutting carbon emissions.
South Africa is litmus test for climate solidarity 15 Sep 2021 Despite its relatively small size, the Rainbow Nation’s economy is a big CO2 emitter. Yet Pretoria can ill afford a switch from coal due to soaring public debt. A $10 bln aid plan could be the answer, if lenders can close their eyes to the financial and political risks.
Road to COP: Hydrogen comes faster than you think 14 Sep 2021 At this fall’s United Nations climate summit, world leaders will seek to take concrete steps to fight global warming. Green hydrogen could help, but it’s still too expensive. Snam CEO Marco Alvera tells Lisa Jucca why the hydrogen energy revolution is likely to surprise us all.
High gas prices demand creative climate thinking 13 Sep 2021 The rising cost of the fossil fuel in Europe risks bigger energy bills for households. Public ire would make it harder to secure a decent deal at November’s global climate summit. Politicians can avoid that by taking steps to shield the poorest from the costs of decarbonisation.
Dixon: Afghan crisis is climate risk, opportunity 19 Aug 2021 The Western alliance may be so damaged it can’t provide climate leadership. Global decarbonisation plans would fail to build momentum, storing up massive financial pain. But there’s a chance the West will regroup – and devise a Pax Planeta to replace the failed Pax Americana.
UN climate warning is a gauntlet for green finance 9 Aug 2021 Carbon emissions from human activity are “unequivocally” to blame for global warming, a new report says. Financial markets are belatedly coming up with solutions, like a Prudential-inspired plan to close coal plants. All their creativity is needed to tackle the planet’s crisis.
Coal bad bank fund dangles complex climate kudos 5 Aug 2021 The ADB and the UK’s Prudential could buy Asian power plants fuelled by the pollutant, close them early and foster green energy. Bragging rights from cutting carbon should bag the needed cash. But investors will have to accept the risks and the iffy optics of profiting from coal.
Cox: Saudi may have a super-green future after all 5 Aug 2021 At a recent G20 summit, the kingdom didn’t just align with U.S. and European climate crusaders. Its delegates even tried to break an impasse with India on coal. It’s a sign of how confident Saudi has become in its ability to manage, and profit from, the energy transition.