Energy in Demand News, November 2-3, 2025

Bill Gates marked his 70th birthday on October 28 “by lobbing a hand grenade into the global climate finance debate, just as governments prepare to convene for the COP30 summit in Brazil, in the words of a Financial Times newsletter this week.  Bill Gates said: “I urge everyone at COP30 to ask … is the money designated for climate being spent on the right things?” Gates wrote on his website. “I believe the answer is no”. The Microsoft tycoon criticised current approaches that seem to reflect a view that “any effort to fight climate change is as worthwhile as any other”, with less effective projects “diverting money and attention” from stronger ones. Instead, he argued, governments should pursue a much more targeted strategy.” Gates contended that countries “should target health and agriculture improvements that will reduce extreme poverty and hardship even as temperatures rise.”

Bill Gates writes on his own website: “Although climate change will have serious consequences—particularly for people in the poorest countries—it will not lead to humanity’s demise. People will be able to live and thrive in most places on Earth for the foreseeable future. Emissions projections have gone down, and with the right policies and investments, innovation will allow us to drive emissions down much further. Unfortunately, the doomsday outlook is causing much of the climate community to focus too much on near-term emissions goals, and it’s diverting resources from the most effective things we should be doing to improve life in a warming world.” Do you think we are too focussed on near-term emissions goals?

This week, Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the IEA, wrote on the Financial Times website about the importance of batteries in our societies. He argues that their role will only get bigger, especially in the energy sector, as costs come down and demand rises. He notes that the world’s battery supply chains show a worrying dependency on one single country — China. “In 2018, battery manufacturing technologies in the US and China were at a similar level, according to IEA analysis. Japan and South Korea were also competitive, while Europe was farther behind. Since then, however, the Chinese battery industry has expanded its position. . By 2024, more than six times as many batteries had been produced in China than in the US. The battery manufacturing capacity in the Shanghai area alone exceeded that of the entire European continent… New IEA analysis shows that nearly all batteries used for power grids rely on China. China’s dominance of battery supply chains also extends to the critical minerals that go into them.” Will we ever see a challenge to China’s dominance? How much does it matter?

In planning travel over the upcoming weeks, here are some useful ideas to help you along

• Country Living Magazine provides 3 European train routes set to transform travel in 2025.
• Check out the Good Night Train website for the unique way to travel through Europe while you sleep. Note, however, EiD post on latest cancellation.
• World Walks provides us with walking holidays in Europe.
• For those who want to combine hiking with food and wine in Europe and Australia, check out the Hedonistic Hiking website.
• Cycling for Softies provides us with the 15 Best Cycling Holidays in Europe 2025.
• Concerning tourism and ocean sustainability here are: Forty facts and statistics about marine travel impact.

Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-1969), US general and 34th president, gives us his view on persuasion:  “I would rather try to persuade a man to go along, because once I have persuaded him he will stick. If I scare him, he will stay just as long as he is scared, and then he is gone.”

EiD welcomes your views about this week’s selection of posts on the zero-carbon energy transition:

• ACEEE publishes International Energy Efficiency Scorecard – France comes on top
• New EEA briefing on the vital role nature-based solutions play in forest management
• New UNEP report updates the cost of adaptation finance needed in developing countries
• “Behind every transaction lies a financial system that quietly shapes not only our economy but also – less visibly – our planet”
• UN sounds alarm: too few nations cutting carbon fast enough
• The energy transition: the need for credible plans to actually reduce fossil fuel dependence
• Blog by Jane Marsh – The hidden risks in Europe’s aging energy grid: why household electricity trips are increasing
• The real reasons for the recent excitement about nuclear energy have less to do with energy security, or climate change – and far more to do with military power
• New report shows progress in sustainable aviation fuel uptake across the EU

Please send your comments on any of the posts. Please recommend EiD to your friends and colleagues.

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