🌍 Green Shift Podcast | Green Fuels with Clarence Woo

In this episode of Green Shift, David Austin and Dr. Victor Nian sit down with Clarence Woo, Managing Director of the Global Centre for Green Fuels, to explore the critical role of biofuels and green fuels in Asia’s energy transition.

We unpack key questions:

What counts as a green fuel?

Why is ethanol such an important piece of the puzzle?

How do concepts like carbon intensity, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), and drop-in fuels fit into the future of transport?

What policies and technologies are shaping Southeast Asia’s green energy journey?

From fraudulent feedstocks to food-vs-fuel debates, Clarence provides a deep dive into the opportunities and challenges of making fuels sustainable, affordable, and scalable.

🔑 Highlights:

00:00 – Intro: What are green fuels?

05:00 – Clarence Woo on founding the Global Centre for Green Fuels

08:30 – Why ethanol matters for Asia’s transport sector

14:00 – Food vs. fuel: myths and realities

20:00 – Sustainability criteria for biofuels

25:00 – Effective policies in Asia

30:00 – SAF & maritime biofuels

35:00 – Governance and the ecosystem approach

36:30 – Final thoughts: what most people don’t know about ethanol

🎙️ About Green Shift

Green Shift is a podcast about Asia’s path to a sustainable economy. Hosted by David Austin and Dr. Victor Nian, it brings you stories, insights, and conversations with leaders driving the transition to net zero.

🔔 Subscribe for more conversations on sustainability, climate, and the future of energy.

#GreenShift #Podcast #GreenFuels #Biofuels #EnergyTransition #Sustainability #Ethanol #SAF

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Steel is everywhere — from buildings and cars to wind turbines and solar panels — but it’s also one of the world’s biggest carbon emitters. So how do we decarbonize an industry that makes up 7–11% of global emissions?

In this episode of Green Shift, host David Austin is joined by co-hosts Dr. Victor Nian (CSER) and Jordan Kronen, along with special guest Hasliza Omar, PhD candidate in energy security at the University of New South Wales. Together, they dive into:

🔹 What green steel really means — and how it’s made

🔹 The role of hydrogen (green, gray, pink… the whole rainbow!)

🔹 Why nuclear could be a game-changer for industrial heat

🔹 The geopolitics of high-grade iron ore and hydrogen supply

🔹 Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanisms (CBAM) and what they mean for Asia

🔹 The opportunities — and pitfalls — for Southeast Asia in building a green steel ecosystem

Hasliza also shares her vision of a “green corridor” future where nations cooperate across resources, technology, and finance to power a low-carbon world.

🎧 Whether you’re interested in climate tech, industrial policy, or the geopolitics of energy, this episode connects the dots on one of the hardest — and most important — sectors to decarbonize.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro – The hydrogen rainbow

03:00 How steel is made: traditional vs. green steel

06:00 Green hydrogen explained

09:00 Nuclear’s role in industrial decarbonization

18:00 Why steel is crucial to climate goals

20:00 Geopolitics of high-grade iron ore

23:00 Australia’s hydrogen dilemma

24:00 CBAM and green steel trade

27:00 Asia’s unique challenges and opportunities

35:00 Policy advice for Southeast Asia

39:00 Utopian vs. realistic futures

42:00 Closing thoughts

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In this episode of Green Shift, we sit down with Dr. Mary Ann Franco, Senior Consultant and Regional Coordinator for Southeast Asia at Aquatera and a global network expert at the Centre for Strategic Energy and Resources (CSER). Dr. Franco shares her insights from years of research and fieldwork on how off-grid and island communities in Southeast Asia adopt renewable energy.

We explore the misconceptions about “easy” renewable adoption, the social and cultural dimensions that often determine whether projects succeed or fail, and the importance of building not just hardware and software, but what she calls “orgware”—the community structures that keep projects running in the long term.

From karaoke nights powered by diesel gensets to the role of women as household energy managers, this conversation uncovers the human side of energy transition and why community-led approaches are critical for lasting impact.

Show Notes

🎙️ Guest: Dr. Mary Ann Franco, Senior Consultant & Regional Coordinator (Southeast Asia) at Aquatera, and CSER Global Expert

🌱 Topics Covered:

What daily life really looks like in off-grid island communities

Why renewable energy projects often fail without social buy-in

The role of women and inclusion in sustainable energy adoption

How to move from “donation projects” to durable community energy solutions

The concept of orgware—and why it’s the missing piece in many energy projects

🔗 Here are the links to the projects Dr. Franco mentioned:

Rural Energy Hub: https://www.braeruralenergyhub.com/

https://communityenergy.scot/projects/rural-energy-hubs/

https://www.aquatera.co.uk/news/brae-rural-energy-hub-secures-significant-funding-boosting-its-community-impact

Ayrton POWERE Project: https://www.ukri.org/news/projects-funded-to-propel-low-carbon-energy-transition/

EC10 Wave-Powered Microgrid in Thailand: https://www.offshore-energy.biz/innovate-uk-grants-1-9-million-for-wave-energy-project-in-thailand/

#RenewableEnergy #EnergyTransition #SoutheastAsia #Sustainability #GreenShiftPodcast

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In this episode of Green Shift, we welcome Paul Murphy—nuclear energy veteran and founder of Murphy Energy & Infrastructure Consulting—for a candid conversation about the future of energy.

Paul breaks down the total system cost of different energy sources, explains why baseload power matters, and challenges common assumptions about renewables and nuclear. With co-hosts Dr. Victor Nian and Jordan Kronen, this episode goes beyond the headlines to tackle the real math behind the energy transition.

🔋 Topics we cover:

What "total system cost" really means

Why LCOE alone can mislead

The case for nuclear in Asia

Grid realities and backup power

Debunking common critiques of nuclear

Listen if you're curious about:

How to balance clean energy, cost, and reliability

What hyperscalers are signaling about future power needs

Whether renewables can truly stand alone

📌 Green Shift is a podcast that makes sense of sustainability—especially from an Asian perspective.

🧠 Hosted by:

Jordan Kronen (guest host)

Dr. Victor Nian (CSER)

🎙️ Guest: Paul Murphy

Subscribe for future episodes and follow us for deeper dives.

Read the policy brief on the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) here: https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/ca134fed-3c95-42d1-bf19-decdd72df6d1/downloads/66be7022-ba09-45d0-b2b6-339a0ddd8ba6/CSER_PB6_SG-MY%20Nuclear%20Energy%20Cooperation_Web.pdf?ver=1752843377572

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Singapore says it will reach net zero by 2050—but how will it get there?

In this episode of Green Shift, host David Austin sits down with climate policy expert Melissa Low to unpack Singapore’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), its emissions trajectory, and the risks of relying too heavily on carbon offsets or carbon capture.

We discuss:

• What NDCs are and why they matter under the Paris Agreement
• Singapore’s peak emissions goal and 2035 reduction target
• Why the word “contribution” (not “commitment”) matters
• The difference between good and bad carbon credits
• Why carbon capture is a major stretch in Singapore’s context
• How international collaboration could support national goals

🎙️ Guest:

Melissa Low, Research Fellow, National University of Singapore (NUS)

Subscribe to Green Shift for more stories from Asia’s frontlines of climate transformation.

#GreenShift #ClimatePolicy #Singapore #NetZero #Sustainability #MelissaLow

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🇪🇸 Spain’s Sustainability Push in ASEAN: Renewables, Biofuels & the Spain-Singapore Business Summit 🇸🇬

In this special episode of Green Shift, host David Austin is joined by co-hosts Dr. Victor Nian and Jordan Kronen to explore Spain’s growing role in Southeast Asia’s energy transition. Featuring Antonio García Rebollar and Daniel Yáñez  from the Economic and Commercial Office of the Embassy of Spain in Singapore, the discussion covers:

⚡ Spain’s leadership in renewable energy and how it's supporting ASEAN’s clean energy goals

🌿 The growing role of Spanish companies in solar, wind, hydrogen, biofuels, and nuclear power

🌏 Regional initiatives like the ASEAN Power Grid and the digital-green maritime corridor

🤝 What to expect at the upcoming Spain-Singapore Business Summit on July 16, 2025

Find out how Spain is building long-term, values-driven partnerships across the region and why ASEAN’s path to net zero could be powered in part by Spanish innovation.

🔗 Register for the Summit Here

🎧 Subscribe and listen now to join the conversation on building a sustainable, inclusive, and resilient future.

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What is carbon pricing, and why is it so important for tackling climate change?

In this episode, we break down the mechanics of carbon taxes, emissions trading, and cap‑and‑trade policies — and show how putting a price on carbon can drive down emissions while supporting economic growth.

Joined by Dr Shreekant Gupta, a veteran economist specializing in climate and sustainability, we explore how carbon pricing works across different countries, why it needs to be tailored to national circumstances, and how it incentivizes innovation and cleaner energy. We also unpack the role of global frameworks like the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), the Paris Agreement, and the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).

From understanding “net zero” and the “social cost of carbon” to tackling questions of equity, international trade, and the future of climate policy in Asia, this conversation is a must‑watch for anyone interested in climate solutions, economic resilience, and global cooperation.

Topics covered:

✅ What is carbon pricing and why does it matter?

✅ Cap‑and‑trade vs. carbon taxes vs. offset markets

✅ The role of pricing in achieving net‑zero emissions

✅ EU ETS, CBAM, and global climate trade tensions

✅ Challenges and opportunities for Asia and the global South

Read the report: Carbon Tax in an Evolving Carbon Economy: Policy Design & Digital Innovations

🌍 Listen now and learn how carbon pricing can help build a cleaner, fairer, and more sustainable future.

#CarbonPricing #ClimatePolicy #EmissionsTrading #CapAndTrade #Sustainability #ClimateChange

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What happens when two experts you respect disagree?

That was the question at the heart of this episode.

Our guest, Assaad Razzouk is CEO of Gurīn Energy, a renewable energy company based in Singapore and is also known as The Angry Clean Energy Guy on his podcast of the same name.

And he is the author of Saving the Planet Without the Bullshit. What they don’t tell you about the Climate Crises, which has been a big influence on many of us.

Not too long ago Razzouk had an episode of his podcast where he really tore into nuclear energy, saying its expensive, polluting, takes a long time to build, and that it is not necessary to solve the climate crisis and any attempt to do so is just a waste of time, effort, and money that would be better spent on developing renewables.

Green Shift co-host Dr Victor Nian happens to be an expert in nuclear energy, and he’s made a compelling argument for including it as a key ingredient in the energy mix of carbon-free energy.

Hear how we hash it out it in our first episode and let us know what you think!

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Green Shift is a collaboration between Austin Media, the Centre for Strategic Energy and Resources (CSER) and Organizational Analytics.

Everyone on the team met while working with the Institute for Environment and Sustainability (IES) at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP). We're excited to carry that relationship forward post-IES. We'll be covering everything from a just energy transition to carbon credits, sustainable cooling, ASEAN regional cooperation, green taxonomy, green financing, to the water energy food nexus.

One of our early inspirations came from Singapore’s Assaad Razzouk—also known as The Angry Clean Energy Guy—who has passionately argued against nuclear power. He believes it’s expensive, polluting, slow to build, and unnecessary for solving the climate crisis. In his view, investing in nuclear is a distraction from developing renewables.

But CSER co-founder and Green Shift co-host Dr. Victor Nian is one of Southeast Asia’s leading experts on nuclear energy, hydrogen, and net-zero strategies. His work focuses on long-term energy planning, industrial development, and technology cooperation.

So I was eager to hear Victor’s take. We recorded a segment exploring Razzouk’s arguments in detail. Which you will hear on this episode. But first, I’m thrilled to share that Assaad Razzouk has agreed to be one of our first podcast guests. We'll be recording with him in early June, with an official launch soon after.

Please like and subscribe so you can hear the first "official" episode when it drops.

Warmly,

David Austin

Founder, Austin Media

Co-host, Green Shift Podcast

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