Bain’s annual survey of 600-plus executives in oil and gas, utilities, chemicals, mining, and agribusiness, taken during COP28 and the weeks after is cause for concern. From that corporate perspective, the energy transition looks slower as it becomes even more difficult to ensure adequate investment returns, and progress diverges across a fragmenting world. About 62% of executives expect the world to reach net-zero emissions by 2060 or later, up from 54% in last year’s Bain’s survey. Oil and gas executives were the most likely to share this view. Bain & Company provide this analysis: “This year’s survey found that energy and natural resource (ENR) companies haven’t dampened ambitions for their transition-oriented growth businesses. However, customers’ willingness to pay is a growing issue, as is the ability to generate adequate return on investment in energy transition– oriented projects. As a result, companies are focusing on projects with a viable ROI path.” So, how do we get this changed?
The 5-year term of the UK Centre for Research into Energy Demand Solutions has come to an end. CREDS worked with researchers, businesses and policy makers to support the transition to a zero-carbon society and over the years they had an impressive impact. The final outputs are available here. CREDS has drawn together the main findings to provide an evidence base for colleagues outside academia. This synthesis of CREDS key research findings is now available online at CREDS Research Findings. The final blog by Nick Eyre is here. A successor group, the Energy Demand Research Centre based at the University of Sussex, will now investigate how domestic, industrial and transport energy demands can be reduced across the UK. With funding from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the new national EDRC will be led by the Universities of Sussex and Newcastle, involving 10 other UK universities.
In upcoming weeks there are two events not to miss. In May there is Australia’s 2024 Energy Efficiency National Conference. In June, eceee holds its bi-annual summer study. Check out details on the two events here. For the recent World Sustainable Energy Days, here is a good review of the event.
In planning travel over the upcoming weeks, here is some useful news to help you along:
- The inews website provides Europe’s most exciting new rail routes for 2024.
- For the best hikes in Europe in 2024, there are many good suggestions on the 57 hours website. For those who want to combine hiking with food and wine, check out the Hedonistic Hiking website.
- 5 stunning spring cycling destinations in Europe are recommended on the Get Your Guide website.
- There is always the option of virtual tourism at the Xplore Nature Channel that EiD first promoted back in September. There are now 129 videos. Find out more about the channel here.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg (1933-2020), the American lawyer and jurist who became Supreme Court justice provides some valuable words of wisdom: “Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.”
EiD welcomes your views about this week’s selection of posts on the zero-carbon energy transition:
- New EEA assessment that Europe is unprepared for rapidly growing climate risk
- Rats leaving a sinking ship: how the European Energy Charter helped energy efficiency
- New research into actions on climate change found a significant difference between women and men in their attitudes and behaviours
- Blog by Jane Marsh: What You Need to Know About the World’s First Sustainable Gas Pipeline
- Recent analysis shows fuel poverty in England is around 2.5 times higher than what the government’s statistics show
- 98% of Europeans live in areas with unhealthy levels of PM2.5
- The role of healthcare professionals as climate change educators
- How social sciences can help address climate change
Please send your comments on any of the posts. Please follow us on X at @EnergyDemand and @rodjanssen. Please recommend EiD to your friends and colleagues.
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Energy in Demand - Sustainable Energy - Rod Janssen 