Professor Jim Skea, Co-Chair of IPCC Working Group III, spoke at the Energy Summit at the Honourable Artillery Company in London on 28 November 2017. The Energy Summit, an annual conference run by The Economist, brings together business leaders, policymakers and independent experts to discuss the big topics shaping the energy industry.
Jim Skea took part in a panel discussion with Steve Hamburg, Chief Scientist at the US Environment Defense Fund, to discuss international efforts to reduce the rise in global temperatures to “well below” 2°C. The session, moderated by The Economist’s Jan Piotrowski, focussed in particular on the impact of the US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement on global responses to climate change. Jim Skea talked about the current IPCC cycle, in particular the upcoming Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C and the Special Report on Climate Change and Land.
Other panels discussed topics such as the future of oil and shale gas, the potential of renewable deployment and associated challenges, the impact of the Paris Agreement on the direction of energy policy globally, the potential of electric vehicles and the importance of smart grids and demand-side measures.
Some of the questions addressed throughout the day included:
• How are pollution and climate change transforming the outlook for energy?
• Can renewables prosper without subsidies?
• What would be the impact of cost-competitive batteries on the energy grid?
• What would a more distributed and multi-directional energy grid mean for businesses, consumers and policymakers?
• How is the energy industry faring in the battle for technology talent and what industries are attractive to young graduates?
The full programme and list of speakers can be found here.
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