Switched On

Today’s episode features an interview from BNEF’s recent Summit in New York City, where Ethan Zindler, Head of Americas for BNEF, spoke with Mark Carney, UN Special Envoy for Climate Action and Finance and Chair of the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ). As emphasis on sustainable finance grows and reporting frameworks refine, he highlights the importance of corporate disclosure. Mark also shares his perspective on the role of renewable energy in the energy transition, and how it presents an opportunity for greater energy security. 

To find out about BNEF’s Summits and to listen to more interviews, go to about.bnef.com/summit/. 

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Looking to better understand the newly proposed rules on climate-related disclosures from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), or where nuclear and gas belong on the EU Taxonomy for Sustainable Activities, or perhaps what the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) is doing? You’ve come to the right place and today’s episode goes through all of this and more with Maia Godemer and Mallory Rutigliano, who write about sustainable finance for BloombergNEF (BNEF).

Complimentary BNEF research includes the 1H 2022 Sustainable Finance Market Outlook, Including Gas and Nuclear Will Burn Holes in EU Taxonomy, and U.S. Finally Moves on Climate Reporting With SEC Proposal. BNEF clients can access this analysis on BNEF on the Bloomberg Terminal, on bnef.com or BNEF Mobile. This episode of Switched On is hosted by Dana Perkins. 

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From flight shaming to solar ‘buycotts,’ political consumers are making their voices heard on climate by using their wallet. In today’s episode we speak with Hugh Bromley, who writes about consumer issues across the global energy, transport, and sustainability sectors for BloombergNEF (BNEF). We discuss case studies from around the world, where political consumers are driving decarbonization through actions like buying electric vehicles or eating vegan diets.  

Today’s episode is based on a report titled, Boycotts, Buycotts, Lifestyle Choices and Discursive Acts. BNEF clients can access this analysis at BNEF on the Bloomberg Terminal, on bnef.com or BNEF Mobile.

Switched On is hosted by Dana Perkins. This episode was produced by Eva Marina Gonzalez Isla.

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By the end of the decade, energy demand could grow by 80% across the five countries containing the majority of European data centers. Instead of placing strain on the grid, data centers have the potential to serve as a source of flexible demand. In today’s episode, Michael Kenefick and Sarrah Raza from BNEF discuss the future of the grid and how data centers might interact.

Today’s episode is based on a report titled, Data Centers and Decarboninziation: Unlocking Flexibility in Europe’s Data Centers. This was done in partnership with Eaton and Stakraft.

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They are also one of the largest sources of industrial emissions. In today’s episode we talk about how companies are looking to reduce these emissions and some of the emissions reducing technologies that are being developed. We also discuss how high oil prices might this impact the petrochemicals supply chain. We are joined by Ilhan Savut who writes about sustainable materials for BNEF and Sisi Tang who an oil and chemicals analyst. Today’s episode is based on two separate BNEF research reports titled, Decarbonizing Petrochemicals: Corporate Strategies and Decarbonizing Petrochemicals: Technologies and Costs. 

BNEF clients can access this analysis at BNEF on the Bloomberg Terminal, on bnef.com or BNEF Mobile.

Switched on is hosted by Dana Perkins. 

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What companies are buying voluntary carbon offsets? How much do offsets cost? Are they truly providing an additional carbon benefit? These are just some of the hotly discussed topics in the carbon offset space. This week, Switched On speaks with BNEF’s Head of Sustainability Research, Kyle Harrison, about the outlook for voluntary carbon offsets. He addresses some of the issues being discussed right now and what this might tell us about the future for offsets. This episode is based on the BNEF research note titled, Long-Term Carbon Offsets Outlook 2022. BNEF clients can access this analysis at BNEF on the Bloomberg Terminal, on bnef.com or BNEF Mobile.

Switched On is hosted by Dana Perkins. This episode was produced by Eva Marina Gonzalez Isla.

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What must be true today, in order to achieve a net-zero future? That is one of the questions considered by the BloombergNEF Energy Economics team when building forward-looking energy transition scenarios out to 2050. This week, Switched On speaks with BNEF’s Chief Economist, Seb Henbest. He talks about our Energy Transition Scenario, as well as what we might learn from the three net zero scenarios that were added in the last release of BNEF’s flagship New Energy Outlook report. Recorded in late-2021. 

This episode is based on BNEF’s New Energy Outlook report series. BNEF clients can access this analysis at BNEF on the Bloomberg Terminal, on bnef.com or BNEF Mobile.

Switched On is hosted by Dana Perkins. 

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Recent volatility and high prices in natural gas commodities markets have created a knock-on effect for utilities and consumers. This week, Switched On speaks with BloombergNEF's global head of LNG analysis, Fauziah Marzuki, about the once regional but now global natural gas market. She discusses the future of natural gas including when and under what conditions natural gas prices and trade flows might stabilize.

This episode is based on a report titled Four Ways to Think About the Future of Natural Gas. BNEF clients can access this analysis at BNEF on the Bloomberg Terminal, on bnef.com or BNEF Mobile.

Switched On is hosted by Dana Perkins.

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In June of this year, the California Public Utilities Commission put out a decision requiring an additional 11,500MW of clean energy capacity to be procured by entities supplying the California grid by 2026. But also stipulated 1,000MW of this has to come from zero-emitting, renewable resources that have at least an 80% capacity factor, or, geothermal. In part 1 of this series we talked about the new technologies enabling geothermal development. In part 2, we'll talk about the business case -- how this regulation has set off a wave of activity in the sector, from incumbent geothermal developers, and those planning to utilize new geothermal generation technologies. Today on the show, we’ve got Paul Thomsen, Vice President of Business Development at Ormat Technologies. He’ll tell us about what’s going on in California and how Ormat and others are responding to this demand.

BNEF users can hear this interview and more, on BNEF on the Bloomberg Terminal, bnef.com or BNEF Mobile.

Switched On is hosted this week by Mark Taylor.

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Geothermal is a small industry, with just about 14 gigawatts of capacity online globally. But where it matters, it matters a lot. In pockets around the world, geothermal can be not just the cleanest form of power, but also the cheapest. Still, geothermal development is hard -- drilling wells involves similar risks to oil and gas projects, but offers returns more in line with utilities. That risk profile has stunted the growth of geothermal. There are several companies working hard on technologies to de-risk geothermal development and squeeze additional value out of the hot water coming out of the wells. In some cases, they are throwing out the concept of conventional geothermal and starting afresh. Today, Switched On speaks with Hidda Thorsteinsson, managing director for research and innovation at Reykjavik Energy.

BNEF users can hear this interview and more, on BNEF on the Bloomberg Terminal, bnef.com or BNEF Mobile.

Switched On is hosted this week by Mark Taylor.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.