Energy in Demand News, November 30, 2025

There is a fascinating news item from New York., reported in a Financial Times newsletter this week. “New York City’s top finance official has urged three of the city’s biggest pension funds to drop BlackRock as a manager of more than $42bn, as the metropolis looks to use its weight in markets to tackle climate change.” The report goes on that it is more than BlackRock. “Brad Lander, the city comptroller, on Wednesday said BlackRock and two other asset managers, Fidelity and PanAgora, had failed “to address climate risk with the seriousness we expect.” Now to get more asset managers to take climate risk more seriously.

Finally one airline CEO is showing some sense when it comes to pricing. The international online service of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation, Swissinfo.ch, writes that according to an interview with Swiss International Airlines (SWISS) CEO Jens Fehlinger, flight tickets of CHF100 ($124) are no longer realistic in the future. Sustainable fuel is more expensive than conventional fuel and more of it will have to be refuelled in future. Now will we see other airlines taking the same approach?

Airlines remain in the news, and not always in a positive way, for the climate. The Financial Times reports that Middle Eastern airports are on a major expansion drive. “The region’s hubs in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Turkey and Saudi Arabia are on an expansion drive that will see them add hundreds of millions of passengers in the coming decade — the equivalent of at least three Heathrows.” It goes on: “Part of the Gulf’s growth has been fuelled by the region’s airlines offering plush cabins, such as private suites, and services such as on-demand dining.” It appears there are no “sufficiency” policies in the region yet.

The Financial Times reports that the “US Export-Import Bank will invest $100bn to achieve President Trump’s plan for global energy dominance. . . . Ex-Im’s increased focus on supporting LNG exports and energy security represents a shift of emphasis for the bank, which had been expanding support for renewable energy under former president Joe Biden.” John Jovanovic, who was appointed as chair of the Export-Import Bank in September floats deals in Egypt, Pakistan and Europe as the agency backs away from renewables under Donald Trump. This is definitely not the much needed “climate finance.”

Mark your calendar. The eceee bi-annual summer study will be held next June 1-6, in Center Parcs Lac d’Ailette, in Haute-de-France, about an hour north-east of Paris. Just like in 2024, the 2026 Summer Study will continue to cover the broad range of topics from energy consumption and behaviour, over policy & evaluation, to local energy planning, transportation, buildings, appliance and product policy, and industry. The abstract submission deadline is December 17th. eceee will accept both peer-reviewed papers and extended abstracts. Details are available here.

There are two upcoming industrial energy efficiency events not to miss:

• The next eceee Zero Carbon Industry 3–5 February 2026 in Rome offers three days of discussions on industrial decarbonisation, competitiveness and industrial renewal. Information is available here.
• The Industrial Energy Transition Conference, part of World Sustainable Energy Days (WSED) in Wels, Austria on February 26, 2026, presents up-to-date information on policies and funding programmes, especially on the Clean Industrial Deal, the European roadmap for competitiveness and decarbonisation.

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.
• 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.

Maya Angelou (1928-2014), an American memoirist, essayist, poet, and civil rights activist, gives us some good advice this week: “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.”

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

• Beyond the Paris promise: The consequences of missing 1.5°C
• New EEA briefing calling for improved monitoring of air pollution from transport in Europe
• Understanding primary versus useful energy in the clean-energy transition
• New report by the Coalition for Energy Savings
• Less energy, lower costs, fewer risks: energy futures co-created with government and the public show the UK’s fastest route to net zero
• Blog by Jane Marsh – A grid under pressure: Europe’s next climate battle Is staying cool
• Fossil fuel-producing nations are derailing world climate targets, report says
• Bahamas turns to microgrids to cut costs, boost resilience, and meet climate goals
• New report from IRENA: Global landscape of energy transition finance 2025
• John Kerry: No leader can ‘bend the laws of physics’ as US withdraws from climate leadership

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

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