Switched On

On today’s bonus episode of the podcast, Dana is joined by BloombergNEF metals analyst Yuchen Huo, to discuss the things to watch in industrial metals markets in 2024.

Together they talk about what a continued slump in China’s property sector could mean for steel demand, how the expansion of electricity grids will drive the need for copper, and the impact of the ongoing surge in solar power capacity on aluminum.

Complementary BNEF research on the trends driving the transition to a lower-carbon economy can be found at BNEF on the Bloomberg Terminal, on bnef.com or on the BNEF mobile app.

Links to research notes from this episode:

Industrial Metals Monthly: Things to Watch in 2024 - https://www.bnef.com/insights/33089/view

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With an energy mix dominated by aging and increasingly unreliable coal power plants, South Africans have been putting up with rolling blackouts all the way back to 2007. The government’s latest energy strategy lays out a path to reduce these electricity shortages by replacing coal-fired generation. But rather than renewables being the natural successor, the focus is instead on gas.

On today’s show, Dana is joined by BloombergNEF’s Head of Regional Energy Transitions, Emma Champion. Together they discuss why South Africa is still looking to fossil fuels for its power supply, why the new energy blueprint has rolled back utility-scale solar targets as smaller rooftop installations boom, and the attractiveness of the country as a renewable energy investment opportunity versus other markets in the region.

Complementary BNEF research on the trends driving the transition to a lower-carbon economy can be found at BNEF on the Bloomberg Terminal, on bnef.com or on the BNEF mobile app.

Links to research notes from this episode:

South Africa Favors Gas Over Solar as Successor to Coal - https://www.bnef.com/insights/33121

Climatescope 2023 - https://www.bnef.com/insights/32751

South Africa Power Transition Outlook - https://www.bnef.com/insights/32751

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The start of each year sees BloombergNEF look at what could play out across the energy transition over the next 12 months. During January, Switched On will interview the brains behind the ‘Things to Watch’ series, starting with what to expect from the electric vehicle market.

On today’s episode, Dana sits down with Colin McKerracher, BNEF’s Head of Advanced Transport. Together, they discuss the race between Tesla and BYD to claim the global EV sales crown, the new opportunities presented by emerging markets, and whether 2024 could be the year that oil demand sees a real dent from the shift to electric drivetrains.

Complementary BNEF research on the trends driving the transition to a lower-carbon economy can be found at BNEF on the Bloomberg Terminal, on bnef.com or on the BNEF mobile app.

Links to research notes from this episode:

EVs and Clean Transport: 10 Things to Watch in 2024 - https://www.bnef.com/insights/33099

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Extreme weather events like fires and floods are causing companies to take a closer look at the physical risks posed by climate change, and how they could impact their income and balance sheets.

Despite the financial threat posed, awareness of physical risk is currently low and exposure to potential losses and damage is still underreported in financial disclosures. As demand for transparency grows among investors and policymakers, what is the actual scale of the threat from physical climate risk, and what can be done to improve reporting and data collection?

On today’s show, Dana sits down with Danya Liu, an analyst from BloombergNEF’s climate risk team. Together, they discuss the different forms physical risk can take and which weather events leave the largest financial impact, why the financial services industry is especially vulnerable to climate-driven catastrophes, and how insurers could help improve awareness of physical risk and data reporting.

Complementary BNEF research on the trends driving the transition to a lower-carbon economy can be found at BNEF on the Bloomberg Terminal, on bnef.com or on the BNEF mobile app.

Links to research notes from this episode:

Beyond Fire and Floods: Firms Gauge Costs of Physical Risk - https://www.bnef.com/insights/32983

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

BNEF Pioneers is BloombergNEF’s annual climate-tech competition identifying game-changing innovations with the potential to accelerate global decarbonization and halt climate change. Last year, awards were given in three categories: accelerating the deployment of hydrogen, building a net-zero food production system, and sustainable metals and materials for an electrified future.

On today’s show, Dana is joined by guest host Benjamin Kafri, BNEF’s Head of Client Relations and Innovation, to explore the third of these categories. Together, they interview representatives from Jetti, Nth-Cycle and Li-Cycle, the three Pioneers Award winners dedicated to cleaning up the world’s metals and materials supply chains.

Complementary BNEF research on the trends driving the transition to a lower-carbon economy can be found at BNEF on the Bloomberg Terminal, on bnef.com or on the BNEF mobile app.

BloombergNEF's 2024 Pioneers Award page - https://about.bnef.com/bnefpioneers/

BloombergNEF's 2023 Pioneers Award winners - https://www.bnef.com/insights/31219

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Pesticides are considered an indispensable part of modern agriculture, but with links to environmental damage and soil pollution, their use comes at a cost. Could cutting-edge technologies that harness artificial intelligence help clean up farming’s chemical footprint?

On today’s show, Dana sits down with Alexander Liddington from BloombergNEF’s sustainable agriculture team. Together, they discuss the positive environmental impact and cost savings that ‘green-on-green’ detection could have for farmers, as advanced cameras and AI are deployed to identify the weeds hiding among crops. They also explore the limitations of drones for precision pest control and whether pesticide manufacturers are embracing the technological revolution.

Complimentary BNEF research on the trends driving the transition to a lower-carbon economy can be found at BNEF on the Bloomberg Terminal, on bnef.com or on the BNEF mobile app.

Links to research notes from this episode:

Precision Pesticide Delivery: Booming, to Spray the Least - https://www.bnef.com/insights/32161

AGCO and Trimble Link Up to Develop Anti-Weed Weaponry - https://www.bnef.com/shorts/s2eenwdwlu6801

Bayer Enters Collision Path With Farm Equipment Makers - https://www.bnef.com/shorts/s4gjmbt1um0w01

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The final agreement signed at the COP28 climate summit marked a significant step forward, addressing for the first time the need to transition away from fossil fuels. Among its signatories were oil-and gas-rich nations in the Middle East, many of whom currently center their economies around the export of fossil fuels. But what are these countries’ clean energy plans, and do they have alternative business models to offset the potential losses from a greener future?

On today’s show, Dana sits down with Philip Geurts, an analyst from BloombergNEF’s oil team, to talk about the Middle East. Together, they discuss OPEC+ and the significant output cuts from some of its members, the debate over when and if peak oil demand will be reached, and whether hydrogen offers the region a realistic path away from fossil-fuel production.

Complimentary BNEF research on the trends driving the transition to a lower-carbon economy can be found at BNEF on the Bloomberg Terminal, on bnef.com or on the BNEF mobile app.

Links to research notes from this episode:

Fossil Fuels Are Raking in Investments in Emerging Markets - https://www.bnef.com/shorts/s53df5dwx2ps00?context=eyJjb250ZW50VHlwZSI6InNob3J0IiwicmVnaW9uIjpbXSwic2VjdG9yIjpbIjJkNjM3YWE4NDExYjNiMjUiLCIyZDYzN2FhODQxMWI0YjA5Il0sImF1dGhvciI6W119

Hydrogen Hard-Pressed to Become Pillar of Big Oil’s Future - https://www.bnef.com/insights/32349/view

$290 Billion Oil Cash Edge Allows Late Mideast Transition - https://www.bnef.com/insights/32111

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As power grids evolve to accommodate new clean energy sources and smart technology, they are becoming more vulnerable to cyberattackers looking to exploit weaknesses in these increasingly connected systems. But what form do these attacks take, and what can be done to prevent them in the first place?

On today’s show, Dana sits down with Amanda Ahl from BloombergNEF’s grids and utilities team. Together they discuss what form a cyberattack on the grid can take and the scale of damage it can cause, the marketplace for cybersecurity and costs involved in securing networks, and how utilities can future-proof their infrastructure against new artificial intelligence and quantum computing threats.

Complimentary BNEF research on the trends driving the transition to a lower-carbon economy can be found at BNEF on the Bloomberg Terminal, on bnef.com or on the BNEF mobile app.

Links to research notes from this episode:

Guarding the Grid: Utilities Fortify Cyber Defenses - https://www.bnef.com/insights/32631

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With a quarter of offshore wind project deals having been canceled in the US this year, the Biden administration’s target of having 30 gigawatts of installed capacity by 2030 is looking even further out of reach. But why are developers coming under so much pressure and are these strains also being felt onshore?

On today’s show, Dana sits down with Chelsea Jean-Michel and Atin Jain from BloombergNEF’s wind team. Together, they discuss the impact of inflation and interest rate hikes on US offshore wind projects, why some developers are allowed to re-bid on contracts they’ve canceled, and also why Texas is a bright spot for the rollout of onshore turbines.

Complimentary BNEF research on the trends driving the transition to a lower-carbon economy can be found at BNEF on the Bloomberg Terminal, on bnef.com or on the BNEF mobile app.

Links to research notes from this episode:

Global Wind Market Outlook 2H 2023 - https://www.bnef.com/insights/32859?context=eyJxIjoib25zaG9yZSIsImNvbnRlbnRUeXBlIjoiaW5zaWdodCIsInJlZ2lvbiI6W10sInNlY3RvciI6WyIyZDYzN2FhODQxMTJiOTg4Il0sImF1dGhvciI6W10sImluc2lnaHQtdHlwZSI6W119

Offshore Wind Market Outlook 2H 2023: Ramp-Up Delayed - https://www.bnef.com/insights/32797

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The US has historically lagged behind mainland China and Europe for electric vehicle ownership, but is this about to change? If you believe GM and Ford, who cite falling demand for the delaying of their near-term EV sales targets, the logical answer would be no. But here at BloombergNEF, we’ve been crunching the numbers and what they show is not only are US sales of battery-electric cars rising, they are poised to cross the 1 million mark this year.

On today’s show, Corey Cantor from BNEF’s EV team returns to talk with Dana. Together they discuss how the Inflation Reduction Act has supercharged the US market, whether red or blue states have the highest EV uptake, and whether Rivian can cross the ‘EV valley of death’ to scale from a startup to mass production.

Complimentary BNEF research on the trends driving the transition to a lower-carbon economy can be found at BNEF on the Bloomberg Terminal, on bnef.com or on the BNEF mobile app.

Links to research notes from this episode:

Rivian’s Path Through ‘EV Valley of Death’ Looking Clearer - https://www.bnef.com/insights/32741

US Annual EV Sales Close In on 1 Million All-Electric Cars - https://www.bnef.com/shorts/s3va1ydwx2ps01?context=eyJjb250ZW50VHlwZSI6InNob3J0IiwicmVnaW9uIjpbXSwic2VjdG9yIjpbXSwiYXV0aG9yIjpbIjQwNjI3Il19

US EVs Hit 1 Million Annual Sales - With Time to Spare - https://www.bnef.com/shorts/s20elht0g1kw01?context=eyJjb250ZW50VHlwZSI6InNob3J0IiwicmVnaW9uIjpbXSwic2VjdG9yIjpbXSwiYXV0aG9yIjpbIjQwNjI3Il19

EV Sales Speed Past the 10% Tipping Point in 10 US States - https://www.bnef.com/shorts/s1p7zydwx2ps01?context=eyJjb250ZW50VHlwZSI6InNob3J0IiwicmVnaW9uIjpbXSwic2VjdG9yIjpbXSwiYXV0aG9yIjpbIjQwNjI3Il19

Biden States Faster to Adopt EVs But It’s Not All Politics - https://www.bnef.com/shorts/s1nv4tt0g1kw01?context=eyJjb250ZW50VHlwZSI6InNob3J0IiwicmVnaW9uIjpbXSwic2VjdG9yIjpbXSwiYXV0aG9yIjpbIjQwNjI3Il19

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