Young Energy Leaders - SES 2017 Recap by Energy Voices

The US pulling out of the Paris Agreement was a major event in the global energy and climate communities. This month on Energy Voices we explore how youth, climate activists and the global sustainability community are responding, re-trenching and re-focusing on the Paris Agreement despite losing the worlds second largest emitter as a co-signer.

We often think that environmentalists and climate activists are on the same team. While that is usually the case, there are situations where the two camps diverge greatly. This month we look at the issues of pipelines and nuclear power through both the environmental lens and the climate lens to see the differences of opinions between these two camps.

This month's show focused on the emerging world of distributed generation. We take a look at the new financing models that are emerging to support energy projects that break the conventional norms of power production in North America. Trish Nixon, Director of Investments from Copower shares their model of making bundles of small energy projects accessible to the everyday investor. Janice Tran of Generate Capital shares their view on the energy investment landscape and which jurisdictions are moving to support distributed generation in North America.

Young energy entrepreneurs are the focus of this month's show. We kick off with Jorge Luis Hinojosa, Co-founder of Rennueva, a styrofoam recylcing startup in Mexico City. We then host Apoorv Sinha from Carbon Upcycling Technologies to describe his unique carbon capture and utilization technology. We end by hearing from Kakembo Brian, a dynamic young entrepreneur in Uganda working to improve health and reduce emissions through his unique waste to energy project.

We're joined this month by Grant Arnold, President and CEO of BluEarth Renewables. BluEarth is an Alberta based renewable energy developer with over $1.4 billion in renewable energy projects already built or under construction. Grant discusses their portfolio approach to renewable energy development and his vision for the future of large scale renewable energy in Canada and globally. We're also joined by Ryan Dick, President of the U of A Student Energy chapter to discuss their work and the upcoming Alberta Student Energy Summit.

We continue our recurring series on "A system in transition" with a look at the changing global landscape of energy and climate action. Kali Taylor walks us through the change in tone in the UN process from ideas to action and Santiago Espinosa shares his experiences at COP 22 and describes the upcoming International Student Energy Summit

Our second segment in our “Systems in Transition” series tackles the How of how we transition our systems. The feature interview is with Chad Park, the Chief Innovation Officer of the Natural Step Canada and Director of the Energy Futures Lab. Chad and his team have gathered a group of 40 “Fellows” that are working through a multi-year process to drive transformational change in Alberta’s energy system. Chad focuses on the theory of systems change to highlight the mechanisms through which we actually change the systems we are apart of. Our second interview is with Chris Nelder, an iconic figure in the sustainability industry, the Electricity Manager for REI and host of “The Transition Show” podcast series. Chris talks us through the transformational changes that have already happen in our energy system and the transition we’re living through today.

With the ever-growing concerns for climate change, action is in dire need. However, sometimes political legislation and rules may prevent people to act in the right and just ways for the environment and the future of energy to be as positive and prosperous as possible. This month’s Energy Voices focuses on people who have made a stance against political topics and have triumphed with their successes.

Our first guest on this month’s Energy Voices is one individual who has turned this notion on its head and acted out for the good of the environment, community and the future. Jane Kleeb founder of Bold Nebraska is one of the main individuals who has been recognized as one of the main successful rejecters of the Keystone XL pipeline. She is a living embodiment of someone who has shaped some major environmental and energy discussions in our time. She was also a reporter for MTV, a frequent guest on FOX and MSNBC. Jane Kleeb is a truly fascinating activist.

Nathan Cullen is a very successful Canadian federal politician who is currently sitting his fifth term of parliament. Nathan sees himself as more of a community organizer and activist primarily as his past career was vastly steeped with working in and with non-profits. Nathan talks about tangible ways in which people who are not active political supports can influence politics and how to get in contact with the right people. Nathan also is a key player in changing the NPD’s democratic reform critic to a more evolved and just voting system for parliament, this is fundamental to tackle real issues that shape the life's of Canadians.

Edward Cameron the policy director for We Mean Business and managing director of Business for Social Responsibility is a dynamic climate change specialist. We Mean Business is a coalition of organizations working with thousands of the world’s most influential businesses and investors. These businesses recognize that the transition to a low-carbon economy is the only way to secure sustainable economic growth and prosperity for all. Edward Cameron talks about how We Mean Business has engaged companies around the world in changing the conversation on climate change from a regulatory obligation to a thing that is of benefit to companies and hence creates more buy-in and engagement on making a positive difference.

Episode 25 - Energy Voices - Energy Transitions by Energy Voices