Accelerating the Energy Transition Panel

The energy sector is considered one of the most carbon-intensive ones, with 70% of global GHG emissions coming straight from fossil fuel combustion for heat and power. The energy transition is in the heart of climate change mitigation efforts all around the world, with the international community working with one accord towards solving the energy puzzle.

To transition to a clean energy system, there is a key challenge to be overcome; the energy trilemma. That is, energy sustainability, energy security and energy equity, - meaning both accessibility and affordability for all. The energy trilemma entails complex interconnected links between the governments and regulators, public and private actors, niche technologies, national resources and many more.

For the energy transition to happen, niche clean technologies need to penetrate the incumbent electricity regime and become the norm, in place of ingrained, old-fashioned fossil fuel-based systems. How will this happen? In what stage of the transition are we?

These will be some of the principal questions that our speakers in the Accelerating the Energy Transition Panel during the 8th Sustainable Innovation Forum in Bonn will be challenged to answer.

Some crucial questions that will be discussed, but not the only, are:

• Why partnerships between the Government, energy and technology companies are considered key to the energy transition?
• When does the governmental support begin and where does it end? How many subsidies are sufficient?
• With renewable energies dominating the transition discourse, what about nuclear energy and Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technologies?
• Financing clean energy: what do businesses need to gain access to financial tools?
• Corporate renewable energy procurement. Is there more than Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) and on spot renewable energy installations?

For the panel, we chose to bring together representatives from all three key sectors. The panellists represent governmental, industry and technology sectors, exchanging views and best practice:

• Panel Moderator: Nik Gowing, International Broadcaster, United Kingdom
• Pekka Lundmark, President and CEO, Fortum Corporation
• Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister of Scotland and leader of the Scottish National Party
• Jakob Askou Bøss, Senior Vice President of Corporate Strategy & Stakeholder Relations, DONG Energy Group
• Vidar Helgesen, Minister, Ministry of Climate & Environment, Norway
• Armin Schnettler, Head of Research in Energy and Electronics (CT REE), Siemens AG

The Sustainable Innovation Forum, taking place alongside COP23, 13-14 November in Bonn. The event is the largest public to private sector event during COP23, in partnership with the UN Environment.

This year’s Sustainable Innovation Forum welcomes thought leaders in green energy as sponsor of the event including Fortum, Ørsted, Siemens, Eton and Hydrogen Council.

Siemens is a global technology powerhouse that has stood for engineering excellence, innovation, quality, reliability and internationality for more than 165 years. With products and solution from its Environmental Portfolio, Siemens helped its customers to reduce their carbon emissions by 521 million metric tons in fiscal 2016.

Fortum constitutes a leading clean-energy company that provides its customers with electricity, heating and cooling as well as smart solutions to improve resource efficiency.

DONG Energy, which recently rebranded into Ørsted, is an energy company exclusively committed to renewable energy and a leader in offshore wind.

Eaton with over 95,000 employees Eaton is dedicated to helping their customers find new ways to manage electrical, hydraulic and mechanical power more efficiently, safely and sustainably.

The Hydrogen Council is a global CEO-level initiative to voice a united vision and long-term ambition for hydrogen to foster the energy transition.

To learn more about the event and how to register, click here.