David and Helen talk to Jason Bordoff, Dean of the Columbia Climate School and former Special Assistant to Barack Obama, about climate, COP26 and the enormous challenges of the energy transition. How can we balance the need for energy security with the need to wean the world off its dependency on fossil fuels? Why is China still so reliant on coal? Who will pay for the energy needs of the developing world? Plus, just how scared are the oil companies of public opinion? You can read more of Jason’s work here.
Talking Points:
Energy transition will require a lot of capital investment.
There is a clash between climate ambition and energy reality.
During a lockdown that shut down half of the global economy, carbon emissions only fell 6%.
In many parts of the world, energy use will actually need to increase in the coming decades.
Some people, like John Kerry, hoped that the U.S. and China might find a point of consensus on climate.
If we always see high oil prices as a political problem that we can’t afford, then how will we get to the point at which we allow high prices to reduce demand?
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Further Learning: