Podcast appearances and mentions of Michael Liebreich

The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI) recently released a widely publicized report titled “The Climate Paradox”, which has garnered significant positive attention from outlets such as the Guardian, the BBC, the Financial Times, Bloomberg, and much of the European press.Beginning with the statement, “Climate action has reached an impasse,” the report, authored by Lindy Fursman (who holds a PhD in Sociology from UC Berkeley), outlines several key “facts” that have been effectively debunked by experts like Michael Liebreich in his Substack and Michael Barnard in Cleantechnica.The TBI concludes with a series of recommendations, the most prominent being the call to “accelerate and scale technologies that capture carbon, alongside significant investments in engineered carbon-dioxide removal technologies, including direct air capture (DAC) solutions”. To emphasize this message, the cover of TBI's report features an image of Climeworks' plant in Iceland. Climeworks, a Swiss engineering company with 500 employees, has received $800 million in equity and subsidies from major players such as Partners Group, the GIC (Singapore's sovereign wealth fund), Baillie Gifford (an early investor in Tesla), Swiss Re, and Microsoft.However, last week, Climeworks faced a major setback when it was revealed that despite receiving substantial funding, the company had only captured 105 tonnes of CO2—not 105,000, but just 105 tonnes (less than a single flight London – New York) —despite the strong backing of tech giants like Stripe, Microsoft and Shopify.This revelation has sparked widespread concern and warranted a prompt discussion with Laurent Segalen, Gerard Reid and Michael Barnard to assess the implications. The conversation will explore the credibility of the TBI's stance on energy, the broader potential of DAC, and whether this technology is, in fact, a case of "Deception, Amateurism, and Con."Links:Michael Liebreich substack:https://mliebreich.substack.com/p/why-tony-blair-needs-to-reset-hisMichael Barnard Cleantechnicahttps://cleantechnica.com/2025/05/05/tony-blairs-new-climate-reset-report-promotes-delay-not-action/https://cleantechnica.com/2025/05/15/climeworks-dac-fiscal-collapse-the-brutal-reality-of-pulling-carbon-from-the-sky/

Can You Run A Grid Without Fossil Fuels? "Yes," says Anders Lindberg, President of Energy and Executive VP at Wärtsilä, on this week's episode of Cleaning Up. It'll just cost €65 trillion extra by 2050. Anders' team at Wärtsilä has recently published its Crossroads to Net Zero report, which argues that keeping a little bit of flexible generation on the grid will save huge amounts of money as the globe strives for net zero, while also speeding up the transition to renewables. The argument centres on what to do with the last few percent of power supply, and what forms of generation need to be built to ensure consistent electricity supply and prevent black or brown outs.Perhaps unsurprisingly for a gas engine manufacturer, Wärtsilä's report makes the case that gas should provide the last few percentage points of electricity generation. Michael Liebreich puts that claim to the test. Discover more:Wärtsilä's Crossroads to Net Zero report: https://www.wartsila.com/energy/towards-100-renewable-energy/choosing-the-optimal-pathway-for-energy-transitionCan Germany's Gas Giant Go Green? Ep206: Michael Lewis - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOD-f6uSPgcQ&A: What we do – and do not – know about the blackout in Spain and Portugal — https://www.carbonbrief.org/qa-what-we-do-and-do-not-know-about-the-blackout-in-spain-and-portugal/ENTSO-E expert panel initiates the investigation into the causes of Iberian blackout: https://www.entsoe.eu/news/2025/05/09/entso-e-expert-panel-initiates-the-investigation-into-the-causes-of-iberian-blackoutLeadership Circle: Cleaning Up is supported by the Leadership Circle, and its founding members: Actis, Alcazar Energy, Davidson Kempner, EcoPragma Capital, EDP of Portugal, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information on the Leadership Circle, please visit https://www.cleaningup.live.

In Episode 84, clean‑energy luminary Michael Liebreich joins the show to unpack why oil giants like Shell and BP appear to be throttling back on renewables just as the climate crisis intensifies. Drawing on decades in clean-tech finance and heavy-transport electrification, Liebreich argues that the pivot is less a U-turn than a short-term cash grab—and that the physics and economics of “not burning stuff” will ultimately win.Expect candid takes on capital markets, policy headwinds, and where the smartest money is flowing now, all delivered with Liebreich's trademark data-driven bluntness.

In this episode, Julius speaks with Michael Liebreich, founder of Bloomberg New Energy Finance and a leading global voice on the future of energy. Together, they explore why the story of the energy transition is far from over—and why there's real reason for optimism.

When Russia unleashed its illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, gas prices in Europe spiked by a factor of 10, driving a wave of bankruptcies and restructurings of European energy companies. Uniper was one of those. Uniper is one of Germany's largest energy companies. It is active across more than 40 countries and has 19.5 GW of power generation capacity to its name. It was one of the funders of the built-but-never-used Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline that connects Russia to Germany and, for most of its history, was heavily reliant on Russian gas. So when the gas taps from Russia were turned off, Uniper reported losses of $40 billion — the highest losses in German corporate history — and was subsequently nationalised by the German government. The company has since returned to profitability under its new CEO, Michael Lewis, our guest this week on Cleaning Up. Michael Lewis joins Michael Liebreich to discuss the company's rise from the ashes, and how it plans to reach its climate targets and overcome the dunkelflaute.Leadership Circle: Cleaning Up is supported by the Leadership Circle, and its founding members: Actis, Alcazar Energy, Davidson Kempner, EcoPragma Capital, EDP of Portugal, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information on the Leadership Circle, please visit https://www.cleaningup.live. More from Cleaning Up:Ep164 — Leonhard Birnbaum, CEO of EON: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pa-DHuPNEDgEpisode 175 — Greg Jackson, CEO of Octopus Energy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gl-cRh35Hm4Episode 190 — Lord Adair Turner: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxTngGxpeW0 

Earlier this month, the International Maritime Organization agreed its net zero framework at the 83rd meeting of its Marine Environment Protection Committee. If you're not sure what was agreed or the impact it will have on shipping, make sure you listen to our MEPC post-mortem episode of the podcast, which is available here. A lot of shipping's decarbonisation chips have been placed on e-fuels. This is where an electrolyser is used to split hydrogen from water and combine that so-called green hydrogen with nitrogen to make ammonia, or CO2 to make synthetic methane or methanol. E-fuels are by far the most expensive option, but they're also seen as the best way to decarbonise the industry in the long term, but not by everyone. So are we placing far too much stock in e-fuels? Or can they live up to their salvatory status and deliver shipping to net zero in time? Joining Declan on the podcast this week are: Michael Liebreich, Bloomber New Energy Finance founder Dr Tristan Smith, University College London associate professor in energy and transport

In 100 short days, the world has transformed. Since the reelection of President Donald Trump, US federal climate policy has largely been abandoned, with the government seeking to reopen coal-fired power plants and lower environmental standards. An escalating trade war and global tariffs has sent the rest of the world reeling and threatened the global financial system with collapse. China has come under particular fire, but the US has also targeted its closest allies and neighbours — Canada, Mexico and the EU — with tariffs. Any sense of certainty has been thrown out of the window as a more inward looking US seeks to reshape the global order. So what does all this mean for the energy transition, and plans to reach net-zero? Michael Liebreich and Baroness Bryony Worthington join forces for the opening episode of Season 15 of Cleaning Up to discuss. Leadership Circle: Cleaning Up is supported by the Leadership Circle: Actis, Alcazar Energy, Davidson Kempner, EcoPragma Capital, EDP of Portugal, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information on the Leadership Circle, please visit https://www.cleaningup.live. Discover more: Cleaning Up's Sierra Leone Documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMxJzLNc214 Cleaning Up's interview with Mark Carney: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtA5ufMzKAU Ember's Global Electricity Review: https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/global-electricity-review-2025/ Michael's AI Update on Deepseek: https://mliebreich.substack.com/p/ai-data-centre-power-and-glory-an Michael's retreat inside an old millhouse: https://lemoulindabondance.com/

Joining Iain Dale for this special edition of Cross Question to mark Earth Day are Green Party leader Adrian Ramsay, Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice, climate change lawyer Tessa Khan and clean energy businessman Michael Liebreich.

Is the government trying to copy Nigel Farage?Joining Iain Dale for this special edition of Cross Question to mark Earth Day are Green Party leader Adrian Ramsay, Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice, climate change lawyer Tessa Khan and clean energy businessman Michael Liebreich.

In Sierra Leone, a 20-minute power cut can be the difference between life and death for newborn babies. In 2013, an extraordinary doctor called Dr Niall Conroy set up a neonatal intensive care unit at the Bo Government Hospital, in Sierra Leone's second largest city, and set about training the staff to give the best possible care to the desperately vulnerable babies who were admitted. But there was one problem he couldn't solve: electricity. Babies need warmth, and that means electrically powered incubators, and they need oxygen, which means oxygen separators, and the nurses need light in order to work. However in Sierra Leone, there are power cuts almost daily. They can be a few minutes, they can be hours, or they can last days. In 2017, Michael Liebreich heard about this problem and put together a group of friends and supporters to create Project Bo. Since then, the neonatal intensive care unit has had a solar system and batteries installed, and hundreds of babies' lives have been saved due to a reliable electricity supply. Eight years on, Michael visits Project Bo for the first time to see how the system is performing, meet the medical professionals working there, and find out if there's anything else that we can do to improve it.Watch on YouTube:Find the full documentary on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMxJzLNc214Help Support Project Bo:More About Project Bo: https://www.projectbo.org/Our Campaign to Raise $100,000: https://www.gofundme.com/f/projectboOther Organisations Electrifying Healthcare:Eki Foundation ⁠⁠https://fundacioneki.org/en/Don Bosco Solar School In Bo⁠: ⁠⁠⁠https://donboscosolar.org/Powering Healthcare Hub (Sustainable Energy for All): https://www.seforall.org/programmes/powering-healthcare-hubWe Care Solar: https://wecaresolar.org/Resilient Power | Power for Health: https://www.directrelief.org/issue/resilient-powerKids Operating Room: https://www.kidsor.org/Leadership Circle:Cleaning Up is supported by the Leadership Circle, and its founding members: Actis, Alcazar Energy, Davidson Kempner, EcoPragma Capital, EDP of Portugal, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information on the Leadership Circle, please visit https://www.cleaningup.live. Credits:Presented by Michael LiebreichWritten by Oscar Boyd & Michael LiebreichFilmed, Produced & Edited by Oscar BoydGraphics by Jamie OliverLogistics: Jo Jagger & Alexandra McInerneySpecial thanks to Dr Niall Conroy, Nurse Juliana Conteh, Nurse Columbia Samuella Bull, Mohammed Kargbo, as well as to the team at Bo Government Hospital, and the mothers who spoke with us for this documentary.

How much electric power will AI need in the years ahead? How can that demand be met cheaply and sustainably? What can we learn from projections of data center power demand over the past several decades? How can AI contribute to meeting clean energy goals? Join host David Sandalow in a lively conversation with Michael Liebreich, founder of New Energy Finance, on these topics and more. AI, Energy and Climate is a special series from the DSR Network sponsored by NEDO and hosted by David Sandalow, Inaugural Fellow at Columbia University's Center on Global Energy Policy. AI for Climate Change Mitigation Roadmap -- https://www.icef.go.jp/roadmap and transitiondigital.org/ai-climate-roadmap.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How much electric power will AI need in the years ahead? How can that demand be met cheaply and sustainably? What can we learn from projections of data center power demand over the past several decades? How can AI contribute to meeting clean energy goals? Join host David Sandalow in a lively conversation with Michael Liebreich, founder of New Energy Finance, on these topics and more. AI, Energy and Climate is a special series from the DSR Network sponsored by NEDO and hosted by David Sandalow, Inaugural Fellow at Columbia University's Center on Global Energy Policy. AI for Climate Change Mitigation Roadmap -- https://www.icef.go.jp/roadmap and transitiondigital.org/ai-climate-roadmap.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How can the U.S. government bridge the gap between clean energy innovation and large-scale deployment? Will the Trump administration accelerate progress or put up roadblocks for clean tech? And how can the U.S. stay competitive with China, which already holds a commanding lead in the sector? Jigar Shah joins Cleaning Up fresh from his four-year tenure as Director of the U.S. Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office (LPO). Appointed in 2021, Shah transformed the once-obscure office into a clean-tech commercialization powerhouse, committing more than $100 billion in loans to U.S.-based companies. But with a new administration implementing sweeping cuts to the federal workforce, is all his work at risk? Or will market forces and the very real risk of blackouts keep clean energy innovation moving forward?In this conversation with Michael Liebreich, Shah shares how he turned the LPO into a driving force for clean technology deployment, and what lessons can be learned by policymakers, investors and entrepreneurs. He also offers a candid assessment of the opportunities and challenges across key sectors—from advanced nuclear to sustainable aviation fuels. Leadership Circle Cleaning Up is supported by the Leadership Circle, and its founding members: Actis, Alcazar Energy, Division Kempner, EcoPragma Capital, EDP of Portugal, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information on the Leadership Circle, please visit https://www.cleaningup.live. Links and more DoE Liftoff Reports: https://liftoff.energy.gov Episode 9 with Jigar Shah: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJhhinSeh9IEpisode 193, Mike Headroom's AI Audioblog: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwZ2iNh133A

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming our world, enabling computers to learn and solve problems in ways that can seem human. This powerful technology is already being used to benefit the environment – optimising efficiencies, predicting weather patterns, and mapping ecological impacts. However, the immense computing power required for AI comes at a cost, consuming vast amounts of energy and other critical resources.In this episode, James and Daisy talk about AI. What exactly is AI? What are its environmental impacts? And with AI now deeply embedded in our daily lives, how can we ensure it evolves responsibly to benefit all humanity? SOME RECOMMENDATIONS: Code Dependent: How AI is Changing Our Lives – This book by Madhumita Murgia explores the impact of a set of powerful, flawed, and often exploitative technologies on individuals, communities, and our wider society.Liebreich: Generative AI – The Power and the Glory (2024) – Michael Liebreich examines the transformative potential of generative AI, particularly in creative and industrial sectors.OTHER ADVOCATES, FACTS, AND RESOURCES:Mo Gawdat – The Former Chief Business Officer at Google X published Scary Smart: The Future of Artificial Intelligence and How You Can Save Our World, a roadmap detailing how humanity can ensure a symbiotic coexistence with AI when it inevitably becomes a billion times smarter than we are.Perplexity AI – A conversational search engine that uses large language models to answer queries with sourced citations. Verv is an AI-based smart home product that sits next to your electricity or smart meter and analyses your home energy data at its source.IBM (2024) – A clear overview of AI and how it works. BBC (2025) – “Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to "build baby build", as he announced plans to make it easier to construct mini nuclear power stations in England and Wales.”Goldman Sachs (2024): “On average, a ChatGPT query needs nearly 10 times as much electricity to process as a Google search.”Google (2024): “Our total GHG emissions were 14.3 million tCO2e, representing a 13% year-over-year increase and a 48% increase compared to our 2019 target base year—primarily due to increases in data center energy consumption and supply chain emissions” ITU (2023) – Approximately 67% of the world's population (5.4 billion people) is now online. In Africa, that figure is just 37%. UNCTAD (2024) – “The production of a single 2 kg computer requires the extraction of a staggering 800 kg of raw materials.”Also, we looked up data centres in Ireland… The Guardian (2024) – Ireland's growing fleet of datacentres used 21% of its electricity, an increase of a fifth on 2022. Thank you for listening! Please follow us on social media to join the conversation: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTokMusic: “Just Because Some Bad Wind Blows” by Nick Nuttall, Reptiphon Records. Available at https://nicknuttallmusic.bandcamp.com/album/just-because-some-bad-wind-blows-3Producer: Podshop StudiosHuge thanks to Siobhán Foster, a vital member of the team offering design advice, critical review and organisation that we depend upon.Stay tuned for more insightful discussions on navigating the transition away from fossil fuels to a sustainable future.

Unser heutiger Podcastgast Michael Liebreich ist Energiewende-Berater, Mitgründer von BloombergNEF und Erfinder der berühmten "Wasserstoff-Leiter". Diese "Leiter" - eine vielbeachtete graphische Darstellung von hierarchisch angeordneten Wasserstoff-Anwendungen - wurde in den letzten Jahren oft diskutiert und zitiert. Anlass genug, um mit Michael Liebreich über die deutsche Wasserstoffwirtschaft, H2-Einsatzorte und über den Transport von grünem Wasserstoff zu sprechen.

Happy New Year and welcome to Season 14 of Cleaning Up. From the future of nuclear to growing tensions between China and the USA, we're off with a bang with a conversation between hosts Michael Liebreich and Bryony Worthington. They reflect on the key trends of 2024, and looking ahead to what might be on the cards in 2025, from China's rapid electrification to political upheaval in the US. Bryony and Michael get stuck into the challenges and opportunities around the build out of nuclear power, the potential of biofuels in aviation, and what we might expect from COP30 in Brazil later this year. Leadership CircleCleaning Up is supported by the Leadership Circle, and its founding members: Actis, Alcazar Energy, EcoPragma Capital, EDP of Portugal, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information on the Leadership Circle, please visit https://www.cleaningup.live. Links and moreHow To Win The Climate Argument | Ep172: John MarshallCanada's Controversial Queen of Green - Ep131: Tzeporah Berman Is Trump's Victory A Win For China? Ep185: Professor Qi YeCan Nuclear Repower China's Coal Fleet? - Ep163: Staffan Qvist & Dr. Yaoli Zhang The Inconvenient Truth about Climate Science - Ep93: Prof. Roger Pielke Jr. Paper on Curtailment of Nuclear Power Output during Heatwaves 

Hello, I'm Michael Liebreich, and this is Cleaning Up.I hope you are having a good break over the holiday season, and getting to spend some quality time with your family. I'm in Switzerland, where it has just snowed about a meter in 24 hours.In case you're missing your regular dose of climate content, we're starting something new, which we're calling Cleaning Up Redux. During the break between seasons, we'll be republishing some gems from our back catalogue, which now covers nearly 200 episodes.To kick us off, today we'll be listening back to episode 68, from Season 4, released in December 2021. It's a conversation with Amory Lovins, whom I dubbed the Einstein of Energy Efficiency. Amory is the co-founder and former chairman and chief scientist of the Rocky Mountain Institute. He is also the author of more than 30 books and 700 papers, and now an Adjunct Lecturer in Atmosphere and Energy at Stanford University.I first became familiar with Amory's work even before I founded New Energy Finance journey, as a fierce promoter of the cause of energy efficiency by design, and equally fierce opponent of the idea of any role for nuclear power. Amory and I do not see eye to eye on everything, but we have become good friends and occasional sparring partners.Amory joined me on Cleaning from his passive house high up in the Rocky Mountains, which is so warm despite not having any active heating that, at the time of recording, he had produced 78 crops of indoor bananas – a fact of which he is rightly proud.The reason I chose this episode to kick off Cleaning Up Redux is that, in these very turbulent and politicised times, it has a refreshing back-to-basics feel. If you can save energy you save money, and that is always a good thing. If we all focused more on making clean energy cheaper for consumers and businesses, and a bit less on persuading politicians to do things that drive up energy costs, the transition might be moving a lot faster.I hope you enjoy my December 2021 conversation with Amory Lovins.Further reading: IEA Energy Efficiency 2021 report: https://www.iea.org/reports/energy-efficiency-2021 Official bio: https://rmi.org/people/amory-lovins/ How Big Is the Energy Efficiency Resource?  (a half-hour summary talk is at https://energy.stanford.edu/events/special-energy-seminar-amory-lovins-holmes-hummel) https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aad965 Recalibrating Climate Prospects https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ab55ab Can a Virus and Viral Ideas Speed the World's Journey Beyond Fossil Fuels? (with Kingsmill Bond) https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/abc3f2 SAE: Reframing Automotive Fuel Efficiency https://doi.org/10.4271/13-01-01-0004

Are we losing the argument that climate change requires action and investment? Can we balance the need for affordable energy with the costs of decarbonizing hard-to-abate sectors like steel, cement and aviation? And how can we counter the spread of misinformation and populist narratives that undermine support for clean energy? This week on Cleaning Up, Michael Liebreich welcomes back Lord Adair Turner for a deep dive into the state of the energy transition at the end of 2024. They discuss the remarkable progress in technologies like solar, batteries and electrification, but also the political and economic challenges of driving rapid decarbonisation. Turner shares his optimism that we have the technologies to reach net zero by 2070-2080, but also his concern that the pace of change may not be fast enough to avoid significant warming. They explore issues like the role of nuclear power, the need for grid investment, and the complexities of climate finance and international cooperation. This episode grapples with the tension between technological progress and political realities - and how to navigate that divide to accelerate the transition to a sustainable, zero-carbon future as we move into the new year. Leadership Circle Cleaning Up is supported by the Leadership Circle, and its founding members: Actis, Alcazar Energy, EcoPragma Capital, EDP of Portugal, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information on the Leadership Circle, please visit https://www.cleaningup.live. Links and moreAdair's book, Just CapitalThe Energy Transitions Commission: https://www.energy-transitions.orgHow China Became a Green Finance Superpower - Ep160: Dr. Ma Jun The Einstein of Energy Efficiency - Ep68: Amory LovinsThe Solar Revolution - Past, Present and Future - Ep173: Jenny Chase⁠Can Exponential Growth Save a Finite Planet? - Ep187: Azeem Azhar The UK Energy Company Creating the Utility of the Future - Ep175: Greg Jackson The Bridgetown Initiator - Ep145: Prof Avinash PersaudHow To Win The Climate Argument | Ep172: John Marshall Is It Ever OK to Promote Fossil Fuels?  TNO's Hydrogen Insights 

What was achieved at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan? Where will the promised $300 billion come from, and how will it be spent? And what reforms are needed to make the COP process more effective and impactful? This week, host Michael Liebreich sits down with James Cameron, an international climate lawyer who has been involved with the COP process since before COPs were COPs. James shares his insights into the challenges and dynamics of these high-stakes global talks, from the crucial role of small island states to the difficulties of bridging the divide between developed and developing nations. James and Michael explore the inner workings of the COP process - its successes, failures and the urgent need for reform. James provides a clear-eyed assessment of where the negotiations have fallen short, and outlines concrete ideas for how to make the COP a more effective forum for driving real-world climate action. Leadership Circle: Cleaning Up is supported by the Leadership Circle, and its founding members: Actis, Alcazar Energy, EcoPragma Capital, EDP of Portugal, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information on the Leadership Circle, please visit https://www.cleaningup.live. Links:Ya Basta: Stop the UN Climate Charade - https://www.liebreich.com/214-2/ James' previous appearance on Cleaning Up https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qn7GKiW5E4k Christiana Figueres on CU: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YSzUJ_nMV0 Catherine McKenna on CU: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEP1SGL-DcA Amber Rudd on CU: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZOokwqLaRc Laurence Tubiana on CU: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpVmECce7R8

As we race towards a future powered by AI and data centres, how will the insatiable demand for energy impact the environment? With the richest companies ploughing billions into energy generation, might there be some unexpected upsides for the climate transition? And can exponential technologies address the climate crisis on a finite planet? Cleaning Up host Michael Liebreich sits down with Azeem Azhar, founder of Exponential View, to explore the complex relationship between exponential growth, climate change, and the societal implications of transformative technologies. Michael and Azeem delve into the promises and pitfalls of a future shaped by the rapid advancements in renewable energy, battery storage, and artificial intelligence. This podcast was originally published on Cleaning Up. 

As we race towards a future powered by AI and data centres, how will the insatiable demand for energy impact the environment? With the richest companies ploughing billions into energy generation, might there be some unexpected upsides for the climate transition? And can exponential technologies address the climate crisis on a finite planet? This week on Cleaning Up, host Michael Liebreich sits down with Azeem Azhar, founder of Exponential View, to explore the complex relationship between exponential growth, climate change, and the societal implications of transformative technologies. Michael and Azeem delve into the promises and pitfalls of a future shaped by the rapid advancements in renewable energy, battery storage, and artificial intelligence.Exponential View: Listeners of Cleaning Up can receive one year of complimentary access to Exponential View Premium, visit: https://www.exponentialview.co/cleaningup. Offer valid for 7 days starting November 27, 2024. Leadership Circle:Cleaning Up is supported by the Leadership Circle, and its founding members: Actis, Alcazar Energy, EcoPragma Capital, EDP of Portugal, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information on the Leadership Circle, please visit https://www.cleaningup.live.Links:Azeem's websiteThe Solar Revolution - Past, Present and Future | Ep173: Jenny Chase Battery Recycling Is Here - But Where Are The Batteries? - Ep165: Hans Eric Melin Separating Hype from Hydrogen – Part One: The Supply Side - Audioblog 3Separating Hype from Hydrogen – Part Two: The Demand Side - Audioblog 4Inside the World's Largest AI Supercluster xAI ColossusAI's $600bn problem

How will the Trump administration's policies impact the clean energy transition in the United States? What will be Elon Musk's role in shaping climate policy? And what are the geopolitical implications of the US withdrawing from the Paris Agreement? In this special episode of Cleaning Up, hosts Michael Liebreich and Bryony Worthington reflect on the implications of the recent US election results and the potential impact on energy and climate policy. They explore the likely policy changes under a Trump administration, including potential cuts to clean technologies like offshore wind and electric vehicles, as well as the potential for increased fossil fuel production and the relaxation of environmental regulations. Bryony shares her insights from her recent trip to China, where the expectation was that Trump would win and the general sentiment was that China could do business with him. Michael examines the perceived lack of a coherent strategy in Europe to compete with the US and China in the clean energy and technology sectors.Leadership CircleCleaning Up is supported by the Leadership Circle, and its founding members: Actis, EcoPragma Capital, EDP of Portugal, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information on the Leadership Circle, please visit https://www.cleaningup.live. Links and moreHow To Win The Climate Argument | Ep172: John Marshall Could Trump 2.0 Roll Back The IRA? Ep181: Ethan Zindler 

Could we save billions by simply reducing energy waste? How can we power the vast, energy-hungry growth of AI without sacrificing climate goals? And is Europe doomed to high energy costs and deindustrialisation? This week on Cleaning Up, Michael Liebreich sits down with Jonathan Maxwell, CEO and founder of Sustainable Development Capital LLP (SDCL), for the third time on Cleaning Up. Jonathan shares his perspective on the urgent need to address energy efficiency and waste, drawing from the themes explored in his book "The Edge." Jonathan and Michael delve into SDCL's innovative approach to providing on-site energy solutions that deliver cheaper, cleaner, and more reliable power to businesses, industries, and public institutions. Jonathan explains how their focus on distributed generation and decentralised energy systems is transforming the way organisations think about and manage their energy needs. Finally, policy. Jonathan and Michael discuss the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act in the US (and the potential turmoil from recent election results), the European Union's Green Deal, how these initiatives can be further strengthened by a greater emphasis on energy efficiency and productivity, and what the West needs to catch China. Leadership Circle Cleaning Up is supported by the Leadership Circle, and its founding members: Actis, EcoPragma Capital, EDP of Portugal, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information on the Leadership Circle, please visit cleaningup.live LinksCheaper, Cleaner, More Reliable - Ep14: Jonathan Maxwell Checkpoint 2023: Energy Efficiency Investment - Ep113 Jonathan Maxwell How China Became a Green Finance Superpower - Ep160: Dr. Ma JunMetals Refining - From Mining to Brining: Ep 142 - Alex Grant 

Is the shift to electric vehicles really slowing down? Are people losing interest in EVs, or is there more to the story? How will changes in the global automotive industry impact the net-zero transition? And If no one wants EVs, why do we need tariffs? This week on Cleaning Up, host Michael Liebreich sits down with Colin McKerracher, Head of Clean Transport at BloombergNEF, to unpack the latest trends and dynamics in the electric vehicle market from cars to trucks to two wheelers. They dive deep into the regional differences, the strategies of European automakers, the impact of tariffs, as well as the latest forecasts and predictions in BloombergNEF's Electric Vehicle Outlook.Leadership Circle:Cleaning Up is supported by the Leadership Circle, and its founding members: Actis, EcoPragma Capital, EDP of Portugal, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation and Wärtsilä. For more information on the Leadership Circle, please visit cleaningup.liveLinks:BloombergNEF's Electric Vehicle Outlook: https://about.bnef.com/electric-vehicle-outlook/The Debunker-in-Chief - Ep15: Auke HoekstraThe Solar Revolution - Past, Present and Future - Ep 173: Jenny ChaseSlowdown, what Slowdown? The EV Revolution is Just Getting Started - Ep178: Dr Andy PalmerCould Trump 2.0 Roll Back The IRA? Ep181: Ethan Zindler

Ocean's absorb one third of the CO2 we are recklessly pumping into the atmosphere, as well as 90% of the heat. What would happen if that were to stop?The oceans define every aspect of our planet's physical systems, its ecosystems, human history and human culture. They also define the planet's future. Oceans represent an almost unexplored frontier in the fight against climate change, whether as a host for offshore wind farms, an enhanced carbon sink, a source for critical minerals or a route for high-voltage DC cables. But could there be unintended consequences? This week on Cleaning Up, Michael Liebreich welcomes Professor Helen Czerski, whose expertise is 25,000 miles wide and seven miles deep, to discuss the crucial role the oceans play in regulating our climate and keeping the planet habitable. Helen is a physicist and oceanographer, and associate professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at University College London. She is the author of two books: 'A Storm in a Teacup' and 'The Blue Machine', about the physics of the oceans. Leadership Circle: Cleaning Up is supported by the Leadership Circle, and its founding members: Actis, EcoPragma Capital, EDP of Portugal, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation and Wärtsilä. For more information on the Leadership Circle and how to become a member, please visit https://www.cleaningup.live Links and more: Helen's website: https://www.helenczerski.netHelen's book, Blue Machine: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/441190/blue-machine-by-czerski-helen/9781804991961Episode 107 of Cleaning Up with David Cebon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K61ZXd_F6Qo

What will it take for electric vehicles to truly dominate the transportation landscape? Can traditional automakers adapt quickly enough to the EV revolution, or will new players seize the opportunity? And how close are we to the holy grail of fully autonomous driving? This week on Cleaning Up, Michael Liebreich sits down with Dr. Andy Palmer, a pioneer in the electric vehicle industry. With over 45 years of experience in the automotive sector, Andy has witnessed the industry's transformation firsthand - from his early days as an apprentice to senior leadership roles at companies like Nissan and Aston Martin. Andy shares the fascinating story behind the development of the Nissan Leaf, the world's first mass-market EV. He delves into the challenges of bringing this groundbreaking vehicle to market and how it kickstarted his journey from "piston head" to "battery head." We also explore Andy's time at Aston Martin, where he tried to steer the iconic British brand towards an electric future. Andy provides keen insights into the rapid evolution of battery technology, the role of government policy, and the future of autonomous driving. Leadership Circle: Cleaning Up is supported by the Leadership Circle, and its founding members: Actis, EcoPragma Capital, Eurelectic, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation and Wärtsilä. For more information on the Leadership Circle and how to become a member, please visit https://www.cleaningup.live Links and more: Andy's website: https://www.drandypalmer.com Michael's writeup on AstonGate - https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/astongate-fake-emission-figures-embattled-carmaker-sock-liebreich/ The need for plurality - Andy Palmer's response to Rowan Atkinson: https://www.drandypalmer.com/post/the-need-for-plurality-in-response-to-rowan-atkinson Episode 175 with Greg Jackson of Octopus Energy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gl-cRh35Hm4

Germany is one of the most bullish countries in the world on clean/green hydrogen. The home of the Energiewende is not just one of the most committed countries in the world to reaching net zero, it is of course a highly industrialised nation with a very energy-intensive economy. As if that were not enough, it had one third of its energy supply yanked out from under it as a result of Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine. Green hydrogen has become one of the mainstays of efforts to keep the lights on as the country replaces nuclear and coal power with wind and solar, and also of efforts to replace cheap Russian gas in power generation and industry. But can green hydrogen possibly live up to expectations? This week on Cleaning Up, Michael Liebreich is joined by someone who works at the heart of Germany's hydrogen policy-making machine: Eva Schmid is Director of Hydrogen and Synthetic Energy Carriers at DENA, the German Energy Agency, a think tank that works with the German government to deliver its energy strategy. As you'll see she has a clear-eyed sense of what hydrogen can and can't be expected to do, and a focus on using it to protect the resilience of the German economy. Leadership CircleWe are delighted to announce the Cleaning Up Leadership Circle, and our founding members: Actis, EcoPragma Capital, Eurelectic, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, National Grid, Octopus Energy and Wärtsilä. For more information on the Leadership Circle and how to become a member, please visit https://www.cleaningup.live Links & more: DENA, The German Energy Agency: https://www.dena.de/en/home/ Germany's National Hydrogen Strategy, 2023: https://www.bmwk.de/Redaktion/EN/Publikationen/Energie/national-hydrogen-strategy-update.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=2 Hydrogen Import Strategy: https://www.bmwk.de/Redaktion/EN/Hydrogen/Downloads/importstrategy-hydrogen.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=1 The EU Hydrogen Strategy: https://energy.ec.europa.eu/topics/energy-systems-integration/hydrogen/key-actions-eu-hydrogen-strategy_en European Court of Auditors hydrogen report: https://www.eca.europa.eu/ECAPublications/SR-2024-11/SR-2024-11_EN.pdf EU Commissions response to Auditors report: https://www.eca.europa.eu/Lists/ECAReplies/COM-Replies-SR-2024-11/COM-Replies-SR-2024-11_EN.pdf

How does a startup become the largest provider of electricity in the UK in less than a decade? What is locational pricing and how could it encourage more renewables? And is it possible to achieve a zero-carbon electricity system by 2030? Welcome to the first episode of Season 13 of Cleaning Up, in which Michael Liebreich sits down with Greg Jackson, the founder and CEO of Octopus Energy, to uncover the incredible story behind the company's rapid growth and its transformation into a global energy powerhouse. Greg and Michael explore how Octopus Energy has gone from a small startup to the largest energy supplier in the UK, directly serving over 7 million households, and with a presence in 8 of the top 10 competitive energy markets worldwide. Greg reveals the key drivers behind Octopus Energy's success, including the innovative Kraken platform that powers their operations, the strategic acquisitions that fuelled their expansion, and the company's unwavering focus on customer-centric solutions during the recent energy crisis. The story doesn't end there. Greg shares his ambitious vision for the future, whether or not its possible to reach 1 billion Kraken licenses by 2030 and the company's groundbreaking work in areas like locational pricing, electric vehicle integration, and the electrification of home heating. Leadership CircleWe are delighted to announce the Cleaning Up Leadership Circle, and our founding members: Actis, EcoPragma Capital, Eurelectic, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, National Grid, Octopus Energy and Wärtsilä. For more information on the Leadership Circle and how to become a member, please visit https://www.cleaningup.live Links & MoreEpisode 32: Building the Billion-Customer Energy Company — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9kHNMyH7bwEpisode 154: Green Heat (and Cooling) Under our Feet — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TpHa-uU6lcMichael at the Imperial College Energy Futures Lab, and the subsequent panel discussion with Greg Jackson — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0Q9cuF8zKgOctopus Energy customers provide 108MW of grid flexibility in first ‘Saving Session' — https://octopus.energy/press/believe-it-or-watt-octopus-energy-customers-provide-108mw-of-grid-flexibility-in-first-saving-session-equivalent-of-a-gas-power-station/

In this episode, Our guest speaker Michael Liebreich, CEO of Liebreich Associates and co-founder of Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF), delves into his extensive background in the clean energy sector. He reflects on the challenges and growth of clean energy finance since he started BNEF in 2004, highlighting the shift from niche markets to mainstream adoption. Liebreich discusses the significant role of technological advancements such as big data and machine learning in transforming the industry and emphasizes the need for both traditional and green financing. Liebreich provides career advice for individuals interested in the clean tech revolution, stressing the importance of aligning skills with industry needs and the potential for growth and fulfilment in this sector. Tune in for an insightful conversation on the evolution of the clean energy market, the future of hydrogen, and strategic guidance for aspiring cleantech professionals.

Nearly every aspect of our lives depends on minerals. From mobile phones and cars to medical devices and laptops, these essential elements are everywhere. The transition from fossil fuels to clean energy hinges on critical minerals. However, their mining and processing can lead to significant environmental and social challenges.In this episode, James and Daisy explore the complex issues surrounding the supply of critical minerals. Can we bridge the gap between supply and demand? How can we navigate the escalating geopolitical tensions? Can we trust the mining companies? SOME RECOMMENDATIONS:Toxic Cost of Going Green: a 23-minute documentary from Unreported World investigating cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Material World: A Substantial Story of Our Past and Future by Ed Conway: Read this book to learn more about the six most crucial substances in human history: sand, salt, iron, copper, oil and lithium.Morgan Bazilian: As the Director of the Payne Institute and a Professor of public policy at the Colorado School of Mines, Dr. Bazilian offers compelling insights into mining and energy security.Cleaning Up: Leadership in an Age of Climate Change: Listen to this podcast by Michael Liebreich and Bryony Worthington where each week they have a conversation with a leader in clean energy, mobility, climate finance or sustainable development. They have recent episodes on topics related to critical minerals, including battery recycling. Simon Evans: Follow Simon on social media for more insights on the energy transition, including critical minerals. Simon covers climate and energy policy for Carbon Brief, a UK-based website covering the latest developments in climate science, climate policy and energy policy.OTHER ADVOCATES, FACTS, AND RESOURCES:IEA: “To hit net-zero globally by 2050, would require six times more mineral inputs in 2040 than today.”IEA: “A typical electric car requires six times the mineral inputs of a conventional car.”SUN Mobility aims to accelerate the adoption of electric mobility with their battery swapping technology. This technology enables users to purchase their electric vehicles without a fixed battery pack and subscribe to a battery swapping service that allows them to simply swap a depleted battery for a fully charged, temperature-controlled battery pack.The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE Directive) is a European Community Directive that, together with the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive became law in February 2003. The WEEE Directive set collection, recycling and recovery targets for all types of electrical goods. MIT Climate: “In 2021, over 7.5 billion tons of coal were extracted from the ground, while the IEA projects that the total amount of minerals needed for clean energy technology by 2040 will be under 30 million tons.”McKinsey: Mining is not seen as an attractive industry for young talent in Canada – 42% of respondents, aged 15 to 30, definitely would not consider working in mining, and 28% probably would not. Pollination commissioned a new independent legal opinion, which concludes that directors subject to the law of England and Wales should have regard to relevant nature-related risks.National Grid: In the UK, power provided from coal was responsible for only 1% of electricity generation in 2023, compared to 2018 when coal represented 5.1% and 2013 when 39.6% was generated by coal. Thank you for listening! Please follow us on social media to join the conversation: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTokMusic: “Just Because Some Bad Wind Blows” by Nick Nuttall, Reptiphon Records. Available at https://nicknuttallmusic.bandcamp.com/album/just-because-some-bad-wind-blows-3Producer: Podshop StudiosHuge thanks to Siobhán Foster, a vital member of the team offering design advice, critical review and organisation that we depend upon.Stay tuned for more insightful discussions on navigating the transition away from fossil fuels to a sustainable future.

In the final episode of Season 12, hosts Michael Liebreich and Bryony Worthington reflect on the key conversations and developments in the net-zero transition over the past three months, including: China's leadership in green finance and the role of air quality issues in driving climate actionThe rapid growth of the solar industry and its potential to meet global electricity demandThe progress and challenges around electric vehicles, battery recycling, and the need for a holistic approach to energy storageThe potential of thermal batteries for storing excess renewable energyThe debates around engineering solutions like direct air capture and synthetic proteinsThe politics of climate change, the UK election results, the EU's hydrogen plans, and what might happen in the USThe intersection of fashion, sustainability, and climate change We'll be back for Season 13 of Cleaning Up at the beginning of September. Thanks so much for listening, and see you then! In the meantime, please share this podcast with a friend, colleague, family, or whoever you think might enjoy it. Links and more: Listen to and watch every episode of season 12: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLe8ZTD7dMaaAHKRt7GpWNkrhhrXv2-KoR Jim Mellon of Agronomics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqFPic5iqds Jonathan Maxwell of Sustainable Development Capital: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OTbyOxYUpgLauri Myllyvirta, co-founder and lead analyst at CREA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqjvCeR9VLg

This week on Cleaning Up, Michael Liebreich sits down with mechanical engineer and YouTube creator Dr Rosemary "Rosie" Barnes to discuss the critical role of engineering in addressing climate change. Rosie shares insights from her work developing clean energy technologies and her popular channel "Engineering with Rosie," where she tackles topics like wind turbine design, the hydrogen debate, and the nuclear power discussion in Australia through the lens of engineering. Rosie and Michael dive into the engineering challenges and solutions driving the energy transition, from optimising wind turbine size to navigating the politics around nuclear power. They also explore why engineers' voices are often overlooked in the climate conversation, and Rosie offers practical advice for the next generation of women in STEM fields. Read/watch more: Rosie's YouTube Channel  Michael on Engineering with RosieAre Vertical Axis Wind Turbines Better?How Big Things (Should) Get Done - Ep128: Prof. Bent Flyvbjerg GenCost by CSIROAustralia's Nuclear Future - Centre for Independent Studies

France's governance is at stake as it holds snap elections for its National Assembly, with the far-right National Rally looking to build on its success in the European Parliament elections; the United Kingdom (UK) has its own snap general elections with Keir Starmer and his Labour Party looking to end the fourteen-year rule of the Conservatives; Iran's snap presidential elections could signal unity of regime hard-liners or glimmers of change; the European Union (EU) plans to impose provisional tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles; and Ukraine strikes more than thirty Russian oil refineries.     Mentioned on the Podcast   Amanda Chu, Kenza Bryan, and Lukanyo Mnyanda, “Global Glut Turns Solar Panels into Garden Fencing Option,” Financial Times   Ian Johnston, “French Voters Juggle Democratic Duty and Summer Getaways,” Financial Times   David Lammy, “The Case for Progressive Realism,” Foreign Affairs   Matthias Matthijs, “Pivotal Elections for France—and Europe,” CFR.org   Ray Takeyh, “Does Iran's Presidential Election Matter?,” CFR.org   Sergey Vakulenko; Michael Liebreich, Lauri Myllyvirta, and Sam Winter-Levy, “Should Ukraine Keep Attacking Russian Oil Refineries?,” Foreign Affairs   For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The World Next Week at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/france-iran-and-uk-hold-snap-elections-eu-pushback-chinese-evs-and-more  

In our 49th episode, Richard Delevan is back with a stellar lineup featuring our long-awaited interview with solar analyst Jenny Chase from Bloomberg NEF, about the second edition of Solar Power Finance without the Jargon, as well as her views on geese, grids, and scifi.And with European Parliament elections just days away, we speak to two climate tech journalists in Ireland for insights about how events might play out for industries seeking some policy certainty. John Reynolds, a freelance journalist whose work you can find in The Currency, and Paul O'Donoghue, the Ireland reporter for Renews.biz. We discuss the current state of climate issues, renewable energy developments, and the challenges and opportunities in the climate tech sector. Jenny Chase shares her journey in solar finance, her views on virtual power plants, and the potential of solar energy in Africa. John and Paul provide updates on Ireland's renewable energy landscape and the impact of European elections on climate policies.Jenny Chase's Book:* Solar Power Finance without the Jargon: The Second Edition by Jenny Chase AmazonJenny Chase's Catalysts:* China Mountain Zhang by Maureen F. McHugh Amazon* The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson Amazon* The Expanse Series by James S.A. Corey Amazon* For All Mankind on Apple TV+ Apple TV+Publications Mentioned:* The Currency* The Irish Independent* Renews.bizFollow Our Guests:Jenny Chase:Twitter: @solar_chaseLinkedIn: Jenny ChaseJohn Reynolds:LinkedIn: John ReynoldsTwitter: @johnreynldsPaul O'Donoghue:LinkedIn: Paul O'DonoghueTwitter: @paulodonoghue93Subscribe & Support:* Join our member feed at wickedproblems.earth for an ad-free experience and exclusive content.* Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter: @rdelevan, Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Support us on Patreon... Tennant, Luke and Frankie are calling all Summerupperers to come join the expanded LMSU universe and support our Patreon! Sign up today for access to coveted BoCo like our just-dropped bonus episode on the Federal Budget! Other savoury morsels include our notes on papers read, alternate paper titles and so so many custom memes. Head on over to https://www.patreon.com/LetMeSumUp.—Your intrepid hosts turn their gaze stateside for a gander at the recently published rules from the US EPA which will slash emissions and other pollutants from coal and gas generators. We reckon these are a BIG DEAL. With coal generators needing to cut emissions by 90% if they plan on operating post 2039, it's effectively CCS or die!   Our main paperThe Grattan Institute's latest offering, Keeping the Lights On, makes for a grumpy read in which no government, market body or stakeholder group escapes the ire of authors Tony Wood, Alison Reeve and Richard Yan over the state of the energy transition. This report is serving a healthy dose of realism (the coal closure era is just gonna be messy, deal with it) and a side of optimism on reforms for the post coal era! And the LMSU crew, as always, are here for it.One more thingsLuke's One More Thing is unpacking some thoughtful listener mail from friend of the pod and Super Summerupperer Dylan McConnell on the history and context of the GSOO. This valiant effort did move your intrepid hosts however – we still reckon the GSOO is in need of a serious makeover!Frankie's One More Thing is the recently published Decarbonising the US Economy by 2050: A National Blueprint for the Buildings Sector following a chat with the paper's authors from US Department of Energy and Department of Housing and Urban Development. TLDR: reform across the federation is so much harder when you have 50 states. Good thing the HURRICANE of IRA carrots is there. Mmmm, carrots.Tennant's One More Thing is a recent collab between two humongous titans whose subject could doom the world - or save it. No, it's not the highly anticipated King Kong x Godzilla cinematic spectacle, but rather a recent episode of Volts where David Roberts is joined by Michael Liebreich to talk energy transition superheroes vs supervillians.And that's all from us Summerupperers! Support our Patreon at patreon.com/LetMeSumUp, send your hot tips and suggestions for papers to us at mailbag@letmesumup.net and check out our back catalogue at letmesumup.net.

In this episode, longtime clean-energy analyst Michael Liebreich assesses five causes for pessimism about the net-zero transition, alongside five causes for optimism. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.volts.wtf/subscribe

What might a Net Zero Future look like? That's the subject up for discussion at a conference taking place today at Dublin's Royal Convention Centre. Speaking to Shane this morning was one of the speakers attending that conference Michael Liebreich, Investor, Analyst and Commentor on the net zero transition.

Bryony and Michael round up the eleventh season of Cleaning Up this week. They explore the themes running through the episodes, from theories of change to innovation, and discuss the things that surprised them, the moments they liked (or didn't) and reasons for optimism for the transition.  Links: Ep149: Material World - Ed Conway: https://www.cleaningup.live/material-world-ep149-ed-conway/ Ep150: Selling Sustainability - Solitaire Townsend: https://www.cleaningup.live/selling-sustainability-ep150-solitaire-townsend/Ep151: Redesigning Mining - Mark Cutifani: https://www.cleaningup.live/redesigning-mining-ep151-mark-cutifani/ Ep152: Can We Have a Habitable Planet? - David Wallace-Wells: https://www.cleaningup.live/can-we-have-an-habitable-planet-ep152-david-wallace-wells/ Ep153: Shedding Light on Energy's Dirty Secrets - Lauri Myllyvirta: https://www.cleaningup.live/shedding-light-on-energys-dirty-secrets-ep153-lauri-myllyvirta/ Ep154: Green Heat (And Cooling) Under Our Feet - Tamsin Lishman: https://www.cleaningup.live/green-heat-and-cooling-under-our-feet-ep154-tamsin-lishman/ Ep155: Extreme Electrochemistry - Prof. Donald Sadoway: https://www.cleaningup.live/extreme-electrochemistry-for-a-sustainable-future-ep155-prof-donald-sadoway/ Ep156: A Magnificent Woman And Her Flying Machines - Bonny Simi: https://www.cleaningup.live/a-magnificent-woman-and-her-flying-machines-ep156-bonny-simi/ A11: The Five Horsemen of the Transition: https://www.cleaningup.live/audioblog-11-net-zero-will-be-harder-than-you-think-and-easier-part-i-harder-1/ A12: The Five Superheroes of the Transition: https://www.cleaningup.live/audioblog-12-net-zero-will-be-harder-than-you-think-and-easier-part-ii-easier/Ep157: The Methane Hunters - Sebastien Biraud & Sharon Wilson: https://www.cleaningup.live/the-methane-hunters-ep157-dr-sebastien-biraud-sharon-wilson/Ep 158: Absolutely Electrifying - Saul Griffith: https://www.cleaningup.live/absolutely-electrifying-ep158-saul-griffith/

It seems everywhere you go, both inside and outside of the power industry, people are talking about hydrogen. Last October, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced an investment of $7 billion to launch seven Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs (H2Hubs) across the nation and accelerate the commercial-scale deployment of “low-cost, clean hydrogen.” Hydrogen is undoubtedly a valuable energy product that can be produced with zero or near-zero carbon emissions using renewable energy and electrolyzers. The Biden administration says it “is crucial to meeting the President's climate and energy security goals.” “Hydrogen is one of the hottest topics in the energy transition conversation right now, and that's because it really is a super versatile energy carrier. A lot of folks refer to it as ‘the Swiss Army knife of decarbonization,' including our founder, Mr. Gates,” Robin Millican, senior director of U.S. Policy and Advocacy at Breakthrough Energy, said as a guest on The POWER Podcast. Breakthrough Energy is a network of entities and initiatives founded by Bill Gates, which include investment funds, philanthropic programs, and policy efforts linked by a common commitment to scale the technologies needed to achieve a path to net-zero emissions by 2050. “If you think about the ways that you can use hydrogen, you can use it as a feedstock for industrial materials, you can combine it with CO2 to make electrofuels [also known as e-fuels], you can use it for grid balancing if you're storing it and then deploying that hydrogen when it's needed, so it can be used a lot of different ways, which is great,” Millican said. “But actually, to us, the more salient question that we should be asking ourselves is: you can use hydrogen in a lot of these different ways, but should you be using hydrogen in all of those different applications?” Millican said there's a simple framework that she uses to answer that question. “If there's a way that you can electrify a process, in almost all cases, that's going to be cheaper and more efficient from an energy conversion standpoint than using hydrogen,” she said. Millican suggested electrification is a better option than hydrogen for most building and light-duty transportation applications. While noting that hydrogen could be a suitable option for aviation e-fuels, she said biofuels might be an even better fit. However, when it comes to fertilizers and ammonia, clean hydrogen is very likely the best pathway to reducing emissions in that particular sector, she said. Breakthrough Energy isn't the first group to think about hydrogen in this way. Millican noted that Michael Liebreich's “Hydrogen Ladder” has been focusing on the best possible uses for hydrogen for years. According to Liebreich, hydrogen shouldn't routinely be used in power systems to generate power because the cycle losses—going from power to green hydrogen, storing it, moving it around, and then using it to generate electricity—are too large. However, he says, “The standout use for clean hydrogen here is for long-term storage.” Yet, Millican said there is a scenario where hydrogen could be extremely affordable at scale. She said “geologic hydrogen” is something Breakthrough Energy is very interested in. “There are companies out there that are working on identifying where hydrogen exists naturally in the subsurface, and then trying to extract that hydrogen, which could be super affordable, because again, it's abundant in some areas,” she explained. “If we're thinking about hydrogen in that scenario, we might want to use it a lot more ubiquitously.”

In case you missed it, here's our most popular episode of 2023 - our chat with the one and only Michael Barnard.Back in October, we talked about IEA's World Energy Outlook, COP28, Hydrogen hopium, CCUS, predatory delay, HVDC, electrification, LDES, Michael Liebreich, and MPs "with the STEM background of illiterate newts"Subscribe to our newsletter at news.wickedproblems.uk, and get new #climatetech conversations first with co-hosts Richard Delevan and Claire Brady.Michael Barnard is a Forbes and Cleantechnica contributor, chief strategist at The Future is Electric, and climate futurist advising global corporates and financial institutions on decarbonisation scenarios with 80-year horizons. And woe be unto you if you turn up in his LinkedIn comments without receipts. This week the IEA released its 2023 World Energy Outlook, an updated Michael Liebreich Hydrogen Ladder 5.0, and #COP28 is only a month away - making it the perfect time to check in with the most unfiltered energy and climate tech strategists around. He comprehensively out-nerds host Richard Delevan in this episode of the Wicked Problems Podcast. Michael's Catalysts: Good Strategy Bad Strategy: The Difference and Why It Matters by Richard Rummelt - a key for understanding Barnard's ruthless focus on what's real.Principles for Dealing with the Changing World Order by Ray Dalio Has China Won? The Chinese Challenge to American Primacy by Kishore Mambabani - The Eminence Grise behind Singapore's Lee Kwan Yew Co-hosts Claire Brady (LinkedIn) and Richard Delevan will be back soon with another epsiode. For ad-free listening, subscribe at news.wickedproblems.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

IEA's World Energy Outlook, COP28, Hydrogen hopium, CCUS, predatory delay, HVDC, electrification, LDES, Michael Liebreich, and MPs "with the STEM background of illiterate newts"Subscribe to our newsletter at news.wickedproblems.uk, and get new #climatetech conversations first with co-hosts Richard Delevan and Claire Brady.Michael Barnard is a Forbes and Cleantechnica contributor, chief strategist at The Future is Electric, and climate futurist advising global corporates and financial institutions on decarbonisation scenarios with 80-year horizons. And woe be unto you if you turn up in his LinkedIn comments without receipts. This week the IEA released its 2023 World Energy Outlook, an updated Michael Liebreich Hydrogen Ladder 5.0, and #COP28 is only a month away - making it the perfect time to check in with the most unfiltered energy and climate tech strategists around. He comprehensively out-nerds host Richard Delevan in this episode of the Wicked Problems Podcast. Michael's Catalysts: Good Strategy Bad Strategy: The Difference and Why It Matters by Richard Rummelt - a key for understanding Barnard's ruthless focus on what's real.Principles for Dealing with the Changing World Order by Ray Dalio Has China Won? The Chinese Challenge to American Primacy by Kishore Mambabani - The Eminence Grise behind Singapore's Lee Kwan Yew Co-hosts Claire Brady (LinkedIn) and Richard Delevan will be back soon with another epsiode. Send your feedback and ideas for guests and topics at info@wickedproblems.uk and subscribe at news.wickedproblems.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Wednesday in Denver, we had the pleasure of joining Dr. Roger Pielke Jr. (UC Boulder) and Chris Wright, CEO and Chairman of Liberty Energy for a live discussion as part of Liberty Energy's “Liberty and Energy” Presentation Series. Roger is a Professor in the Environmental Studies department at the University of Colorado Boulder and the author of “The Honest Broker” substack (linked here). Roger's work focuses on the intersection of policy and governance issues related to science, technology, environment, innovation, and sports. It was exciting to bring the Denver area community together and have a live, studio audience to discuss the current state of climate, energy and the environment broadly. To kick off the discussion, Roger walked us through a presentation with key background on the current state of science around energy and climate (slides linked here). We then dove into how the broader population might get better data and discussion around energy and climate, issues with the IPCC's summary for policy makers, how priorities in the environmental world have shifted to focusing primarily on climate, the impact of climate alarmism on children and young adults, and how Roger approaches teaching his students to appreciate the scale and complexity of energy and electricity in the world. Roger shares examples of the “scenario wars” that are taking place, his experience being investigated by Congress, and the overwhelming need for solid data on climate from a trusted, authoritative organization that allows for open discussion. We also discuss the role of oil and gas companies in the energy world of tomorrow, the math of getting to net zero 2050, the desperate need for more energy in the developing world, the glaring opportunity for America to help power the world, and conclude with some inside scoop on Roger's chances of joining the team with Coach Prime. As you will hear, Roger is a great explainer and wonderful thinker. We can't thank the Liberty team enough for allowing us to be a part of it. The world needs more “Liberty and Energy” town hall gatherings! As you will hear, Roger very positively mentions a podcast with Michael Liebreich and Jim Skea (the new head) of the IPCC. The episode is linked here. As we head into the weekend, we wish you well and hope your team wins! If you do get out for a walk or otherwise have some time, we hope very much you can tune in to this Special Edition COBT. We learned a lot!

Michael Liebreich is the host of the podcast Cleaning Up, focused on leadership in the age of climate change. Michael was previously the CEO and founder of Bloomberg New Energy Finance. He has been involved with the organization for 20 years, still serving as a senior contributor. Michael also runs an advisory firm, Liebreich and Associates, focused on clean energy and sustainable development, and he's an advisor to the UK Board of Trade. All of this is just scratching the surface of Michael's background, which also includes having been a member of the British Ski Team and a participant in the 1992 Winter Olympics.This episode explores Michael's accomplishments and how he came to focus on climate and clean energy topics, how he started New Energy Finance and the decision to sell the business to Bloomberg, as well as the legacy that he created with the business. Michael and Cody then cover a hit list of topics, including recent climate legislation in the US and the EU, the topic of green protectionism and Michael's “five horsemen” of big challenges the world faces as we try to decarbonize.This conversation merely grazes the surface of Michael's climate-related interests, including his deep focus on hydrogen. So, for more from Michael, you'll need to check out his conversations on the Cleaning Up podcast.In this episode, we cover: [01:58]: Michael's unique background [06:49]: Transitioning to journalism in the early internet era[08:48]: Michael's personal climate epiphany in the Swiss Alps[12:34]: Starting a data-driven media company to fill the clean energy information gap[18:05]: Pivoting to insight services  [18:57]: Bloomberg's acquisition of New Energy Finance (NEF)[22:21]: Running Bloomberg NEF as CEO[25:27]: Stepping away from NEF and growing his professional network[26:53]: Paid speaking engagements and transitioning to podcasting during COVID[28:10]: Michael's approach to the Cleaning Up podcast[36:31]: The struggles and advantages of being generalists[38:34]: Europe's energy situation over the winter of '22-'23 and the urgent need to address dependence on Russian energy[40:54]: The role of Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) terminals in Europe[42:58]: European response to the Inflation Reduction Act and "Green Protectionism"[48:08]: Caution around the practice of recycling and re-exporting items for credits[51:22] Michael's main concerns for clean energy deployment, including rare metals and recycling[52:38] Addressing the speed with which societies can approve and build transmission[56:43]: Limited access to capital in developing countries [01:00:41]: Resilience and intermittency issues[01:03:49]: Closing thoughts and how to follow Michael's workGet connected: Michael Liebreich Twitter / LinkedInCody SimmsMCJ Podcast / Collective*You can also reach us via email at info@mcjcollective.com, where we encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.Episode recorded on May 10, 2023

https://youtu.be/YpoNlzpcsWIToday we have a very special episode talking to Michael Liebreich from the podcast, Cleaning Up, about a wide variety of energy topics.  Everything from public policy to new tech that's coming out to help the energy transition. Check out the Cleaning Up podcast here: https://www.cleaningup.live/YouTube version of the podcast: https://www.youtube.com/stilltbdpodcastGet in touch: https://undecidedmf.com/podcast-feedbackSupport the show: https://pod.fan/still-to-be-determinedFollow us on Twitter: @stilltbdfm @byseanferrell @mattferrell or @undecidedmfUndecided with Matt Ferrell: https://www.youtube.com/undecidedmf ★ Support this podcast ★

Every Sunday, Gerard and Laurent debrief the week in the Energy Transition. On the menu:- Gerard and Laurent at EWorld Essen (Germany)- Meanwhile gigantic Solar Show in Shanghai, and the numbers are mind blowing- EVs from China are conquering the world- Tesla Y best selling car worldwide. Aston Martin. Rimac Nevara- Laurent has a great diner with Michael Liebreich and Michael Barnard

Hey Climate Confident listeners! Welcome  to this week's episode of the Climate Confident podcast, where we dive into the world of climate solutions and explore the latest developments in the fight against climate change.In this episode, I was joined by Emily Pontecorvo, a reporter for Grist, who shared her expertise on the topic of green hydrogen. We explored what green hydrogen is, how it's produced, and its potential to be a game-changer in the fight against climate change.Emily also shed light on the EU Green Hydrogen Rules, which aim to define green hydrogen and its eligibility for subsidies. We discussed the three criteria the EU has set for green hydrogen: additionality, regionality, and time matching, and the controversy surrounding the monthly time matching requirement.Emily also touched on the potential uses of hydrogen and the gas industry's push to make hydrogen the future fuel for heating homes. She explained the challenges and limitations of this idea, and why it may not make economic sense.Overall, this was a fascinating conversation that provided a lot of insights into the world of green hydrogen and its potential to make a positive impact on the environment.Here is the link to Michael Liebreich's Hydrogen Ladder that we referenced in the episode.If you want to learn more about Emily and her work, be sure to check out her reporting on grist.org and follow her on Twitter at @EmilyPont.Thanks for tuning in to this episode of the Climate Confident podcast! See you in the next one!Podcast supportersI'd like to sincerely thank this podcast's generous supporters: Lorcan Sheehan Hal Good Jerry Sweeney Christophe Kottelat And remember you too can Support the Podcast - it is really easy and hugely important as it will enable me to continue to create more excellent Climate Confident episodes like this one.ContactIf you have any comments/suggestions or questions for the podcast - get in touch via direct message on Twitter/LinkedIn. If you liked this show, please don't forget to rate and/or review it. It makes a big difference to help new people discover the show. CreditsMusic credit - Intro and Outro music for this podcast was composed, played, and produced by my daughter Luna JuniperThanks for listening, and remember, stay healthy, stay safe, stay sane!

There aren't many people in the industry who have as big views or voice as Michael Liebreich. Today's episode covers a multitude of topics, which really reflects Michael's myriad of roles in the energy industry and the wider transition to a cleaner energy future. In this bumper episode, Quentin chats to Michael Liebriech (Chairman & CEO at Liebreich Associates). During the course of the conversation, they cover topics including:Michael's journey in the energy industry and role in the energy transition. From skiing, New Energy Finance, Liebreich Associates and more.How Michael's fascination with hydrogen developed, the path that led him there, his views on the challenges, and the development of ‘The Hydrogen Ladder'.Cleaning Up - how Michael's weekly podcast came to be and the purpose and vision for it.Michael's vision for the future and the challenges faced on the clean energy transition journey. Mentioned in this episodeArticles:Economist article on scaling up low carbon technologieshttps://about.bnef.com/blog/liebreich-separating-hype-from-hydrogen-part-two-the-demand-side/Cleaning Up episodes:Ep104: Yanis Varoufakis "Power, Markets & Power Markets"Ep98: Bill McKibben "Writer, Activist & Constructive Disruptor"Other: Hydrogen Hub MapAbout our guestMichael is an acknowledged thought leader on clean energy, mobility, technology, climate, sustainability and finance. He is the founder and senior contributor to Bloomberg New Energy Finance, a member of numerous industry, governmental and multilateral advisory boards, an angel investor, a former member of the board of Transport for London, and an Advisor to the UK Board of Trade.To find out more about what he does, visit his website or follow him on LinkedIn for his latest updates.About ModoModo is the all-in-one Asset Success Platform for battery energy storage. It combines in-depth data curation and analysis, asset revenue benchmarking, and unique research reports - to ensure that owners and operators of battery energy storage can make the most out of their assets. Modo's paid plans serve more than 80% of battery storage owners and operators in Great Britain.To keep up with all of our latest updates, research, analysis, videos, podcasts, data visualizations, live events, and more, follow us on Linkedin.If you want to peek behind the curtain for a glimpse of our day-to-day life in the Modo office(s), check us out on Instagram.

In this episode, Paul dissects the hype around the hydrogen market. What's with all of the colors in the "hydrogen rainbow" and where is hydrogen likely to succeed as a clean fuel alternative to gas, oil or other fossil fuels?To help with that last question, Paul refers to Michael Liebreich's hydrogen ladder, which may be found here: https://www.liebreich.com/the-clean-hydrogen-ladder-now-updated-to-v4-1/ Follow Paul on LinkedIn.

On this episode, the EAH team discusses the role of hydrogen in the energy transition with Michael Liebreich, Chairman and CEO of Liebreich Associates. Michael is an acknowledged thought leader on clean energy, mobility, technology, climate, sustainability and finance. He is the founder and senior contributor to Bloomberg New Energy Finance, a member of numerous industry, governmental and multilateral advisory boards, an angel investor, a former member of the board of Transport for London, and an Advisor to the UK Board of Trade. Links: Liebreich Associates website: https://www.liebreich.com/ Michael's full bio: https://www.liebreich.com/bio/ The hydrogen ladder: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/clean-hydrogen-ladder-v40-michael-liebreich/

Energy prices have hit new heights. Gas and electricity bills will rocket for most people at the end of this month as the price cap is lifted and nobody filling their car could fail to notice record prices at the pumps. Energy too is at the heart of the biggest conflict in Europe for decades. Russia's war machine is paid for with oil and gas and the West's response is shaped by our reliance on that power source. What does all this mean for the environment? Can we maintain focus on carbon emissions when Russian tanks are belching their way down Ukrainian streets? Or is it an opportunity to hasten our detox from fossil fuels as we see our addiction funding war? Tom Heap discusses our energy future with James Murray of Business Green magazine, Emma Pinchbeck, Chief Executive of Energy UK and the expert on new energy finance, Michael Liebreich. Producer: Alasdair Cross