Chatham House Events’ Post

New! Our latest, and final, election analysis is on energy and climate change - published jointly with Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change & the Environment. Leo Mercer, Esin Serin and Anna Valero point out that reaching the next stage of net zero will be substantially harder than the achievements to date but early investment will bring opportunities. The briefing highlights that rapid growth in renewables means more than 40% of the UK’s electricity is now generated this way. But reaching net zero by 2050 will require a massive uptake of electric vehicles, heat pumps and efficiency upgrades in homes alongside an even faster scale-up of clean power. However, net zero investment will build resilience to potential future energy crises, allow innovative firms to serve growing markets for green products and services, and generate broader wellbeing benefits, such as cleaner air in UK cities. Read: https://lnkd.in/eyrSQCWm

From the article: “Now is the time for more ambition, not less. As carbon emissions continue to rise, mitigating the dire threat of climate change requires much faster decarbonization than is currently underway. But this is not the only reason to hasten the transition. Poorly implemented half measures are part of the problem; they are worsening the same geopolitical tensions and economic fragmentation that make political leaders wary of stronger climate action. Well-designed and far-reaching policies, however, could help overcome this hurdle. An accelerated transition to clean energy can reinvigorate economies, curb protectionist forces, and calm great-power tensions, ameliorating the very anxieties that today are driving calls to slow down.”

The #EnergyTransition is top of mind for many investors as governments and businesses around the world seek to slow global warming. Spurred by global shortfalls in public spending, private infrastructure investors are finding themselves uniquely positioned to deploy capital into the assets that will facilitate the transport, storage and distribution of clean energy around the world. In our recent whitepaper, we explore this opportunity for #Infrastructure investors, discussing how private capital can support the energy transition and highlighting various investment strategies. Give it a read! https://bit.ly/3YNhMvp

Trump’s second term could roll back U.S. climate progress, risking global partnerships like the U.S.-India clean energy agenda. His past focus on energy dominance threatens renewable projects and climate finance. India and other countries may need to adjust as U.S. priorities shift, but the fight against climate change remains urgent. Read more: https://bit.ly/3BaXsdV

Who are the key emerging players in Donald Trump’s energy and climate squad? Subscribe to the Climate Crunch newsletter here https://lnkd.in/gcXpmAAH as we track key energy and climate developments in the States and its implications for Canada. Here’s an early look at the cast of characters that could shape Trump’s 2.0 energy agenda:

The United States and India have been partners on #energy and #climate for 20+ years. In a new analysis for Observer Research Foundation America, Peter Jarka-Sellers explores the #energy and #climate initiatives pursued between the United States and India since the Clinton administration, and how future U.S. administrations can enhance consistency in the U.S.-India #energy and #climate relationship. https://bit.ly/45PdepV

‘The need to pay for damage to the environment due to fossil fuel combustion is a simple fact, as is the need to tackle climate change. This is not negotiable – we cannot negotiate with physics.’ Read our energy export Tony Wood's important message to Australia's political leaders, in this new analysis piece for The Australian Financial Review. #climatechange #climate #auspol

Stay ahead with the January edition of APCO's Climate Intelligence Report, featuring updates and insights on global climate policies.   This month, new key policies include: • United States: President Trump signed an executive order withdrawing the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement, raising uncertainties for industries that depend on clear climate policy frameworks. • China: A national plan to transition from fossil fuels to low-carbon hydrogen in critical sectors—such as steel, chemicals and power generation—paves the way for achieving carbon neutrality by 2060. • United Kingdom: The government’s Clean Power 2030 Action Plan includes £40 billion in annual investments to enhance renewable and nuclear energy infrastructure, aiming for energy independence by 2030.   In this edition’s Quick Takes, we explore the state of green finance, examining the impact of major banks and asset managers exiting Net Zero coalitions and the implications for the sector's future.   Download the full report, and subscribe for future editions here: https://lnkd.in/dSWc-Ztt   #climatepolicy #cleanenergy #apcoimpact #apcocir #uncommonground

The background paper I wrote on the recent history of the US 🇺🇸 -India 🇮🇳 climate and energy relationship has been published, check it out! During the last three decades, Indian governments have been ready to work with the US to advance clean energy while changes in the American president's party have determined US appetite. To increase the consistency of US-India climate collaboration, the paper presents four policy recommendations, which are particularly relevant now as the Biden administration pursues significant climate and clean energy policy collaboration with India. 1) identify areas of bipartisan agreement, like nuclear energy 2) embed and institutionalize initiatives at the working level within agencies 3) use political capital within the bilateral relationship to pursue multilateral initiatives that continue without US leadership, like the Paris Agreement under the COP process 4) foster deeper private sector clean energy ties between the countries Many thanks to my former colleagues Shayak Sengupta Jeffrey Bean Dhruva Jaishankar Natalie Boyse for all your help and work on the paper!

What happened at COP29? From the $300 billion climate finance deal, to the latest carbon markets agreement, find out more about discussions in Baku and other nature and climate stories from the past week: https://lnkd.in/ex-a_Fis