
Cleaning Up: Leadership in an Age of Climate Change
306 episodes — Page 4 of 7
Ep 145The Bridgetown Initiator - Ep145: Prof Avinash Persaud
Professor Avinash Persaud is special envoy to the Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley and emeritus professor at Gresham College in the UK. He, along with PM Mottley, helped design the Bridgetown Initiative in 2022 which laid out a path for reforming and ramping up the mobiliisation of climate finance to the developing world. The initiative has gathered vast international support and he’s heading to COP28 in Dubai to work on advancing the climate development agenda.His career spreads across finance, academia and public policy, including positions as a former senior executive of J.P. Morgan, UBS, State Street, chairman of the CARICOM Commission on the Economy, chairman of the regulatory sub-committee of the UN Commission on Financial Reform and chairman of the Warwick Commission on International Financial Reform, Visiting Scholar at the IMF and a former Governor of the London School of Economics. Related EpisodesEpisode 2 with Rachel Kyte: https://www.cleaningup.live/episode-2-rachel-kyte/ LinksRead an initial press release of the Bridgetown Initiative: https://pmo.gov.bb/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/The-2022-Bridgetown-Initiative.pdfRead a summary of the Bridgetown Initiative’s key demands: https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/what-is-bridgetown-initiative-asking-paris-financial-summit-2023-06-20/Review PM Mottley’s speech to COP27, outlining the need for the Bridgetown Initiatve: https://latinarepublic.com/2022/11/08/mia-mottley-prime-minister-of-barbados-speaks-at-the-opening-of-cop27/Explore the COP28 website: https://www.cop28.comRead this report on the difficult path ahead to a new loss-and-damage fund agreement at COP28: https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/sustainable-finance-reporting/impasse-broken-climate-fund-before-cop28-tough-road-ahead-2023-11-06
Ep 144Iron-Air Man - Ep144: Mateo Jaramillo
Mateo Jaramillo is Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Form Energy, a company developing, commercializing, and manufacturing breakthrough low-cost, multi-day energy storage solutions that will enable the electric system to be 100% renewably powered. Mr. Jaramillo was formerly Vice President of Products and Programs for Tesla’s stationary storage business, an effort he started. In that role, he was responsible for Tesla Energy’s product line and business model definition, as well as global policy and business development. Mr. Jaramillo joined Tesla in 2009 as the Director of Powertrain Business Development, serving as commercial lead and primary negotiator on over $100M in new development and $500M in production contracts signed for electric powertrain sales. Prior to Tesla, Mr. Jaramillo was Chief Operating Officer and part of the founding team at Gaia Power Technologies, a pioneering distributed energy storage firm. Mr. Jaramillo serves on the Board of Directors for the American Clean Power Association, the leading federation of renewable energy companies expediting the advancement of clean energy as the dominant power source in America. He earned his AB in economics from Harvard and a Masters in Theology from Yale Divinity School. Links Forbes write-up of Form: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alanohnsman/2023/08/09/iron-and-rust-could-be-the-secret-to-storing-clean-power-for-days/ PBS write-up of Form: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/article/iron-air-battery-renewable-grid/ Balkan Green Energy News’ critical analysis of iron-oxide battery technology: https://balkangreenenergynews.com/iron-air-batteries-are-10-times-as-cheap-as-lithium-and-will-be-produced-from-2024/ Assessment of SDES and LDES and current technologies: https://www.globalxetfs.com/short-and-long-duration-energy-storage-essential-to-the-clean-energy-transition/ Related Episodes Episode 122 with Sir Chris-Llewellyn-Smith: https://www.cleaningup.live/ep122-sir-chris-llewellyn-smith-solving-for-storage/
Ep 143Is Shipping the Easiest "Hard-to-Abate" Sector? - Ep143: Johannah Christensen
This week, Bryony’s guest is Johannah Christensen, CEO of the Global Maritime Forum. The GMF is an international not-for-profit organization, committed to shaping the future of global seaborne trade to increase sustainable long-term economic development and human wellbeing. To do so, it facilitates a wide variety of initiatives and convenes key stakeholders at the Annual Summit. Bryony met Johannah when she was working on shipping for the Environmental Defense Fund. Before becoming CEO in 2021, she was Managing Director, Head of Projects and Programmes, also at GMF. She was also previously a Programme Manager at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Johannah has a BSc in Business Administration and Modern Languages from Aarhus University and and MSc in Economics and Business Administration from Copenhagen Business School. Links The Global Maritime Forum’s Website: https://www.globalmaritimeforum.org Professor Jim Hansen’s recent paper on aerosol pollution and climate: https://academic.oup.com/oocc/article/3/1/kgad008/7335889?login=false An article from Oxford’s Smith School on CFDs for shipping: https://www.smithschool.ox.ac.uk/news/contracts-difference-can-aid-shipping-industry-decarbonisation-research Michael’s most recent version of his famous “Hydrogen Ladder”: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/hydrogen-ladder-version-50-michael-liebreich/ The IMO’s new strategy on reducing greenhouse gas emissions in shipping: https://wwwcdn.imo.org/localresources/en/OurWork/Environment/Documents/annex/MEPC%2080/Annex%2015.pdf The announcement of the next IMO summit in Tokyo: https://www.globalmaritimeforum.org/press/global-maritime-forum-announces-tokyo-as-2024-annual-summit-host
Ep 142Metals Refining - From Mining to Brining: Ep142 - Alex Grant
This week, Michael is back in the host seat to talk to Alex Grant all about the groundbreaking work going on at Magrathea Metals. Alex is co-founder and CEO at Magrathea, developing a new generation of electrolytic technology for making magnesium metal. He was a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree in Energy for 2021, and former Lithium Partner at Minviro where he built environmental impact models of lithium-ion battery supply chain mineral and metal conversion processes including the first embodied carbon model for Tesla's batteries. Alex co-founded Lilac Solutions, a lithium extraction technology company. Alex has an M.S. from Northwestern University in Chemical Engineering and a B.Eng. from McGill University in Chemical Engineering & Philosophy. He is based in beautiful San Francisco, California. Links: Explore Magrathea’s website: https://magratheametals.com/ Read about Magrathea’s $10mil seed round: https://www.lightmetalage.com/news/industry-news/magnesium/magrathea-raises-10m-for-new-generation-electrolytic-technology-to-make-magnesium/ Read a deep-dive into Magneisum’s characteristics, production techniques and recent developments: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213956721001316 Read Alex’s white paper - Magnesium as the Metal of Dematerialization: https://www.lightmetalage.com/news/industry-news/magnesium/magnesium-as-the-metal-of-dematerialization/
Ep 141Lifting the Curtain on Climate Change Denial - Ep141: Prof Naomi Oreskes
This week, Michael has invited his good friend Baroness Bryony Worthington to guest-host Cleaning Up! Bryony was the lead author of the UK’s ground-breaking 2008 Climate Change Act, and is now on sabbatical from her role in the House of Lords, where she has been scrutinising legislation. She’s now over in California. See the shownotes below for a link to her appearance on Cleaning Up (episode 25!) Bryony is interviewing Naomi Oreskes, Henry Charles Lea Professor of the History of Science and Affiliated Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Harvard University. A world-renowned earth scientist, historian and public speaker, she is the author of the best-selling book, Merchants of Doubt (2010) and a leading voice on the role of science in society, the reality of anthropogenic climate change, and the role of disinformation in blocking climate action. Her new book, with Erik Conway, is The Big Myth: How American Business Taught Us to Loathe Government and Love the Free Market, published by Bloomsbury Press. Links: Read Naomi and Erik’s 2010 book Merchants of Doubt How a Handful of Scientists Obscured the Truth on Issues from Tobacco Smoke to Global Warming here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Merchants-Doubt-Handful-Scientists-Obscured/dp/1408824833Read Naomi’s 2013 book Plate Tectonics: An Insider's History Of The Modern Theory Of The Earth here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Plate-Tectonics-Insiders-History-Frontiers/dp/0813341329Read Naomi and Erik’s 2014 book The Collapse of Western Civilization: A View From the Future here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Collapse-Western-Civilization-View-Future/dp/023116954X Read Naomi’s 2019 book Why Trust Science? here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Trust-Science-University-Center-Values/dp/069117900X Read Naomi and Erik’s brand new book The Big Myth: How American Business Taught Us to Loathe Government and Love the Free Market here: https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/big-myth-9781635573572/ Read Naomi’s 2004 paper The Scientific Consensus on Climate Change here: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1103618 Read the DeSmog article on heat pump disinformation here: https://www.desmog.com/2023/07/20/revealed-media-blitz-against-heat-pumps-funded-by-gas-lobby-group/ Related Episodes:Check out Bryony’s appearance on Cleaning Up here: https://www.cleaningup.live/episode-25-bryony-worthington/ Guest Bio Naomi Oreskes is Henry Charles Lea Professor of the History of Science and Affiliated Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Harvard University. A world-renowned earth scientist, historian and public speaker, she is the author of the best-selling book, Merchants of Doubt (2010) and a leading voice on the role of science in society, the reality of anthropogenic climate change, and the role of disinformation in blocking climate action. Oreskes is author or co-author of 9 books, and over 150 articles, essays and opinion pieces, including Merchants of Doubt (Bloomsbury, 2010), The Collapse of Western Civilization (Columbia University Press, 2014), Discerning Experts (University Chicago Press, 2019), Why Trust Science? (Princeton University Press, 2019), and Science on a Mission: American Oceanography from the Cold War to Climate Change, (University of Chicago Press, 2021). Merchants of Doubt, co-authored with Erik Conway, was the subject of a documentary film of the same name produced by participant Media and distributed by SONY Pictures Classics, and has been translated into nine languages. A new edition of Merchants of Doubt, with an introduction by Al Gore, was published in 2020. Her new book, with Erik Conway, is The Big Myth: How American Business Taught Us to Loathe Government and Love the Free Market, published by Bloomsbury Press
Ep 140Power of Data, Data of Power - Ep140: Quentin Draper Scrimshire
This week, Michael’s guest is Quentin Draper-Scrimshire, co-founder and CEO of Modo Energy. Modo, founded in 2019, are accelerating the energy transition by enabling companies to make better, data-backed decisions hyper-focused on energy storage. Modo is used by 75% of participants in the GB market, with over 3000 subscribers. Quentin was formerly Head of Energy Storage at KiWi Power Ltd. Links: You can read the National Grid’s explainer on battery storage here: https://www.nationalgrid.com/stories/energy-explained/what-is-battery-storage Watch Michael's appearance on Modo: The Podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGg8VOrr7Oc The Modo Website: https://modoenergy.com Read a write-up of Modo's recent fundraising round: https://www.current-news.co.uk/modo-energy-secures-3-2m-to-expand-asset-success-platform/ Explore Modo's research, including technology explainers: https://modoenergy.com/research Related Episodes: Watch Episode 32 with Greg Jackson here: https://www.cleaningup.live/episode-32-greg-jackson/ Watch Episode 104 with Yanis Varoufakis here: https://www.cleaningup.live/ep104-yanis-varoufakis-power-markets-power-markets/ Guest Bio Quentin Draper-Scrimshire is co-founder and CEO of Modo Energy which enables companies to make better, data-backed decisions hyper-focused on energy storage. Prior to co-founding Modo, he was Head of Energy Storage at KiWi Power and, before that, enjoyed a long stint at Centrica where he worked as engineer across a range of energy systems, including oil and gas, wind, and energy storage. Quentin holds a Master’s degree in Engineering from the University of Manchester.
Ep 139The Dane who Harnessed the Wind - Ep139: Henrik Stiesdal
This week, Michael’s guest is Henrik Stiesdal, former CTO of Siemens Gamesa and a pioneer of wind turbine technology. Nicknamed "The Godfather of Wind", this Danish inventor is behind many of the sector's most important innovations. He is responsible for over 175 inventions and is named in over 1,000 patents. Today, he runs Stiesdal, a startup which innovates in floating offshore turbine foundations, thermal power storage and hydrogen. Links: Henrik was profiled in The New York Times in May: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/03/business/energy-environment/denmark-wind-power-stiesdal.html Henrik featured in Offshore Engineer in 2022: https://www.oedigital.com/news/497276-cto-in-focus-henrik-stiesdal-wind-power-pioneer Discover more about Henrik’s company, Stiesdal: https://www.stiesdal.com/about/ Purchase The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Boy-Who-Harnessed-Wind/dp/0007316194 Related Episodes: Watch Episode 130 with Paddy Padmanathan here: https://www.cleaningup.live/ep130-paddy-padmanathan-the-usain-bolt-of-solar-power/ Watch Episode 128 with Prof. Bent Flyvbjerg here: https://www.cleaningup.live/ep128-prof-bent-flyvbjerg-how-big-things-should-get-done/ Guest Bio Henrik Stiesdal is Founder, Chief Technical Officer and Board Member at Stiesdal, who are committed to developing and commercializing technologies with high impact on climate change mitigation. Henrik is a wind power pioneer: having built his first test turbine in 1976, Henrik sold the license to commercial design to Vestas in 1979, kick-starting today’s wind industry. Henrik was Technical Manager of Bonus Energy from 1988, then CTO of Siemens Wind Power from 2004-2014. Henrik installed the world’s first offshore wind farm in 1991, and holds more than 1000 patents.
Ep 138Inside the World's Biggest Investor - Ep138: Carine Smith Ihenacho
This week, Michael’s guest is Carine Smith Ihenacho, Chief Governance and Compliance Officer at Norges Bank Investment Group. NBIM operate the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund, created to ensure responsible and long-term management of revenue from Norway’s vast oil and gas resources. The fund is the largest single owner in the world’s stock markets, and since her appointment in 2020, Carine has been outspoken in calling for robust emissions targets and climate risk reporting among its portfolio companies. Links and Related EpisodesRead Michael's write-up of the episode, arguing NBIM's investment strategy locks the world into its current climate trajectory: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/mliebreich_climate-climatechange-netzero-activity-7111416212349227008-BDrC?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktopRead NBIM’s 2025 Climate Action Plan: 2025 Climate action plan | Norges Bank Investment Management (nbim.no)Explore NBIM's Annual Report 2022: https://www.nbim.no/en/publications/reports/2022/annual-report-2022/You can read NBIM's investment mandate for the Government Pension Fund Global here: https://www.regjeringen.no/contentassets/9d68c55c272c41e99f0bf45d24397d8c/2023.02.27_gfpg_management_mandate.pdf Read the statement made by NBIM's CEO Nicolai Tangen at the hearing of the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs of the Storting (Norwegian parliament) in April 2023: https://www.norges-bank.no/en/news-events/news-publications/Speeches/2023/2023-04-18-tangen/The Guardian: World’s biggest investment fund warns directors to tackle climate crisis or face sack: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/feb/03/worlds-biggest-investment-fund-warns-directors-to-tackle-climate-crisis-or-face-sackFT: Norway’s $1.4tn oil fund to step up ESG proposals to US companies: https://www.ft.com/content/62e3c629-44cf-43f7-9682-a056f9b5c634Watch Former Norwegian PM Jens Stoltenberg on “Avoiding the Oil Curse”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8f6geiVdwpk Guest BioCarine was appointed Chief Governance and Compliance Officer at Norges Bank Investment Management in 2020. She joined the company in August 2017 as Global Head of Ownership Strategies and was promoted to Chief Corporate Governance Officer in January 2018. Carine is responsible for ownership and responsible investment activities, control and operational risk, compliance and legal services.Prior to joining Norges Bank Investment Management, Carine was Vice President Legal and Chief Compliance Officer in Statoil ASA. She has more than 20 years’ experience as a lawyer, working in both financials and the oil and gas industry, as well as in law firms. She also has extensive board experience.Carine holds a law degree from the University of Oslo, a Master of Law from Harvard Law School and a Master of Economics from the Norwegian School of Economics (NHH).
Ep 137Bags of Sustainability - Ep137: Anya Hindmarch
Cleaning Up is back for its 10th season, and to start proceedings in style, Michael's first guest is Anya Hindmarch. Anya is one of Britain’s most celebrated fashion designers and a leading voice in the industry on sustainability. Anya started her business in London in 1987 and now has 16 stores worldwide, as well as her own retail village in Pont Street, Chelsea. With the launch of her I’m Not a Plastic Bag totes in 2007, she helped kick-start a country-wide debate around single-use plastics, and this year Anya is collaborating with leading supermarkets again to prevent plastics pollution in style. In 2017 Anya was awarded a CBE, and in 2019 she became a Greenpeace Ambassador. Links and Related EpisodesRead about the impact of the original ‘I’m Not a Plastic Bag’ campaign: https://www.anyahindmarch.com/pages/im-not-a-plastic-bagYou can read Anya Hindmarch’s pledges to sustainability and more here: https://www.anyahindmarch.com/pages/our-commitmentsThe Industry: Anya Hindmarch brings circular shopping bags back with Tesco and Morrison’s: https://www.theindustry.fashion/anya-hindmarch-brings-circular-shopping-bags-back-with-tesco-and-morrisons/Politico: Fashion’s sustainability reckoning: https://www.politico.eu/article/fashion-sustainability-reckoning-industry-textile-regulation-evironment-human-rights/ Guest BioAnya Hindmarch founded her business in London in 1987 and it has since grown into a global brand. Today, it is as known for its luxury, organisation-obsessed accessories as it is for its ground-breaking work in sustainability and its playful experiential retail concepts. I Am A Plastic Bag was launched in 2020 to tackle post-consumer waste, with each bag crafted from 32 half-litre recycled plastic bottles. 2007’s I’m A Plastic Bag ignited the debate around the use of plastic bags and contributed to the decision to charge for plastic bags in the UK. In 2021, Anya launched The Universal Bag, a unique collaboration with supermarkets to rethink the reusable shopping bag.Anya is an Emeritus trustee of both the Royal Academy of Arts and the Design Museum. In 2017, Anya was awarded a CBE in recognition for her contribution to the British fashion industry. In 2021, Anya published her first book, If In Doubt Wash Your Hair.
Ep 136From Moore's Law to Moo's Law - Ep136: Jim Mellon
This week's guest on Cleaning Up is entrepreneur, author and philanthropist Jim Mellon. Jim is Executive Director at Agronomics, one of the world’s leading investors in cellular agriculture, or lab-grown meat. Bypassing traditional agricultural methods with precision fermentation could have huge implications for CO2 emissions and the climate, and in 2020 Jim wrote Moo’s Law as a guide for fellow investors into what he calls the "new agrarian revolution."Jim and Michael discuss the latest developments in cellular agriculture - from pet food to leather goods and restaurant-grade sushi - and how far we are from finding lab-grown products on our supermarket shelves. Links and Related EpisodesWatch Episode 110 with Lord Adair Turner: https://www.cleaningup.live/ep110-adair-turner-lord-of-the-net-zero-transition/Discover Agronomics and their portfolio companies here: https://agronomics.im/Read more about Moo’s Law here: https://mooslawbook.com/Discover Jim’s children’s book, Juno’s Ark, here: https://junosark.com/Jim spoke to Bloomberg’s In The City podcast in April about Britain’s economic health: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-04-06/podcast-burnbrae-s-jim-mellon-sees-a-bright-future-for-britain-and-the-city?in_source=embedded-checkout-banner#xj4y7vzkg Guest BioJim worked in Asia and the United States at two fund management companies, GT and Thornton, before establishing his own business in 1991. This business continues today, but Jim no longer works as a fund manager and is instead focused on biotech, clean food and property, with other business interests managed by his family office, the Burnbrae Group. Jim has a special interest in health resilience and longevity science, and is the co-founder of Juvenescence, a company investing in the development of therapies for ageing and the diseases of ageing. Jim also co-founded Agronomics Limited in 2011, an investment company focused on opportunities within the nascent industry of environmentally-friendly and cruelty-free modern foods.Jim holds a degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from Oriel College, Oxford, where he is an honorary fellow and supports the Mellon Scholarship in Ageing and Cell Senescence.
Ep 135The Climate Venture Adventure - Ep135: Kim Zou
This week on Cleaning Up, Michael welcomes Kim Zou, CEO and co-founder of CTVC (Climate Tech VC). Launched in 2020, CTVC is a leading climate innovation resource and newsletter with 50,000 weekly readers, providing data-driven insights and analysis into the latest deals and developments in climate tech. CTVC launched their H1 2023 climate funding update at the end of June, reporting a 40% drop in venture funding. Michael wanted to hear from Zoe whether this was a moment of crisis or correction, and to compare notes on building a market intelligence platform, having jumped through so many of the same hoops building New Energy Finance. Make sure you like, subscribe, and share Cleaning Up. We're growing fast on LinkedIn, and we'd love for you tell your professional network about us: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cleaning-up-with-michael-liebreich/ You can find everything you need to keep up with Cleaning Up here: https://linktr.ee/mlcleaningup Links and Related EpisodesAll of the episodes mentioned by Michael at the end of the show can be found in our “Women Leaders of the Net-Zero Transition” playlist on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLe8ZTD7dMaaBJwVk9CfU-CZLeX42M7flC You can subscribe to CTVC here: https://www.ctvc.co/ Read CTVC’s H1 2023 climate tech funding update: https://www.ctvc.co/climate-tech-h1-2023-venture-funding/#:~:text=Highlights,35%25%20from%20H2'22. CTVC’s Climate Capital Stack is here: https://www.ctvc.co/the-climate-capital-stack/ In May CTCV announced their new climate intelligence platform: https://www.ctvc.co/ctvc-platform-fundraise/ Kim and co-founder Sophie Purdom spoke to Techonomy in September 2022: https://techonomy.com/video/the-state-of-climate-tech-venture-capital/ Guest Bio Kim has spent the last three years building Climate Tech VC, a leading source on climate and innovation with 50,000 weekly readers among climate investors, operators and market leaders. CTVC generates data-driven insights on the climate tech market which have been featured in channels including Bloomberg, Reuters, Financial Times, and TechCrunch. From 2020-2022, Kim was an Investor at Energy Impact Partners, a $2.5B AUM venture capital firm, and from 2018 – 2020, an Investment Banking Analyst at JP Morgan. From 2017 – 2019, Kim was Managing Partner at A-Level Capital. Kim holds a bachelor’s degree from John Hopkins University in Economics, Environmental Science and Applied Mathematics.
Ep 134Zaporizhzhia: Nuclear on the Front Lines - Ep134: Chris Gadomski
This week’s guest on Cleaning Up is Chris Gadomski, Lead Nuclear Analyst at BloombergNEF and adjunct assistant professor at NYU’s Centre for Global Affairs. Chris joined Michael to discuss the unfolding situation at Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which sits on the frontline of the Russian aggression against Ukraine and whose safety is a matter of mounting international concern.Make sure you like, subscribe, and share Cleaning Up. We're growing fast on LinkedIn, and we'd love for you tell your professional network about us: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cleaning-up-with-michael-liebreich/You can find everything you need to keep up with Cleaning Up here: https://linktr.ee/mlcleaningup Links and Related EpisodesWatch Episode 119 with Aneeqa Khan here: https://www.cleaningup.live/ep-119-dr-aneeqa-khan-fusion-energy-the-materials-challenge/Watch Episode 133 with Fatih Birol here: https://www.cleaningup.live/ep133-fatih-birol-the-worlds-preeminent-energy-economist/#:~:text=Fatih%20has%20been%20in%2Dpost,efficiency%20and%20net%2Dzero%20pathways.Read the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) July 7th update on the situation at Zaporizhzhia: https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/pressreleases/update-172-iaea-director-general-statement-on-situation-in-ukraineThe IAEA’s rolling updates on nuclear safety and security in Ukraine can be found here:https://www.iaea.org/nuclear-safety-and-security-in-ukraineThe New York Times on the evidence that Russia sabotaged Kakhovka Dam: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/06/16/world/europe/ukraine-kakhovka-dam-collapse.htmlPolitico on Ukraine’s warnings of nuclear disaster at Zaporizhzhia: https://www.politico.eu/article/ukraine-warn-disaster-russia-zaporizhzhia-nuclear-power-plant/ Guest BioChris was appointed to lead New Energy Finance’s nuclear analysis team in 2008, which provides global analysis on critical topics from within the nuclear industry. Chris spent most of the previous three decades at SMIdirect as a business development and marketing consultant. There he advised a wide range of clients from the Government of Egypt to IBM on strategic planning, business development, corporate communications and policy initiatives. Chris is a faculty member of the Centre for Global Affairs at New York University where he teaches courses on Energy Policy, Energy and the Environment, and the Economics and Finance of Energy. Chris holds a BA from College of the Holy Cross, an MS from NYU’s Polytechnic School of Engineering and an MBA from Baruch College. Chris is a member of the United States Energy Association and the American Nuclear Society.
Ep 133The World's Preeminent Energy Economist - Ep133: Fatih Birol
This week’s guest is Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency and one of the world’s foremost energy economists. Fatih has been in-post since 2015, and is a returning guest to Cleaning Up, having appeared on Episode 28, all the way back in January 2021. Under Fatih’s leadership, the IEA has expanded its mandate to become a leading voice on clean energy technologies, energy efficiency and net-zero pathways.Few people have as clear a view on the entire energy sector as Fatih, so Michael headed to Paris and IEA HQ to hear insights on surging EV sales, the urgent need for grid modernization and expansion, and a reality-check on hydrogen's role on the path to net-zero. Make sure you like, subscribe, and share Cleaning Up. We're growing fast on LinkedIn, and we'd love for you tell your professional network about us: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cleaning-up-with-michael-liebreich/You can find everything you need to keep up with Cleaning Up here: https://linktr.ee/mlcleaningup Links and Related EpisodesWatch Fatih’s first appearance on Episode 28 of Cleaning Up here: https://www.cleaningup.live/episode-28-dr-fatih-birol/Watch Episode 131 with Tzeporah Berman here: https://www.cleaningup.live/ep131-tzeporah-berman-canadas-controversial-queen-of-green/Read Fatih’s latest thought leadership here:“COP28 is a moment of truth for the oil and gas industry’s efforts on climate”: https://www.iea.org/commentaries/cop28-is-a-moment-of-truth-for-the-oil-and-gas-industry-s-efforts-on-climate“Where things stand in the global energy crisis one year on”: https://www.iea.org/commentaries/where-things-stand-in-the-global-energy-crisis-one-year-onFatih’s official bio is available here: https://www.iea.org/contributors/dr-fatih-birolRead the IEA’s flagship 2021 report, Net Zero by 2050: https://www.iea.org/reports/net-zero-by-2050In the news:Time: Exclusive: IEA Head Fatih Birol Wants The Fossil Fuel Industry To Set Climate Targets: https://time.com/6284159/iea-fatih-birol-oil-gas-emission-targets/Euractiv: IEA chief calls for ‘serious self-criticism’ among EU’s nuclear opponents: https://www.euractiv.com/section/energy-environment/news/iea-chief-calls-for-serious-self-criticism-among-eus-nuclear-opponents/ Guest BioDr Fatih Birol has served as Executive Director of the IEA since 2015, taking up his current position after rising through the ranks of the IEA over two decades, from junior analyst to Chief Economist. He has been named in TIME's annual list of the world's 100 most influential people and by Forbes as one of the most influential people in the world of energy. He chairs the World Economic Forum’s (Davos) Energy Advisory Board. As Chief Economist at the IEA, he oversaw the World Energy Outlook series, the authoritative source for energy analysis and projections and flagship publication of the IEA. Fatih holds a BSc in Power Engineering from the Technical University of Istanbul, and an MSc and Ph.D. in Energy Economics from the Technical University of Vienna. Fatih is the recipient of numerous state decorations, including the French Legion of Honour and the Japanese Emperor’s Order of the Rising Sun.
Ep 132Sustainable Street Fighter - Ep132: Jon Burke
Make sure you like, subscribe, and share Cleaning Up. We're growing fast on LinkedIn, and we'd love for you tell your professional network about us: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cleaning-up-with-michael-liebreich/You can find everything you need to keep up with Cleaning Up here: https://linktr.ee/mlcleaningupLinks and Related Episodes Watch Episode 104 with Yanis Varoufakis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLbm8fg08hcYou can read Michael's piece The Secret of Eternal Growth from 2018 here: https://ifreetrade.org/?/article/the_secret_of_eternal_growth_the_physics_behind_pro_growth_environmentalismJon wrote about the reality of 40C heatwaves coming to UK cities in 2022: https://www.bigissue.com/opinion/heatwaves-are-now-reality-we-must-transform-our-cities-green-infrastructure/Jon called to nationalise the UK’s energy system in Big Issue in 2021: https://www.bigissue.com/opinion/power-for-the-people-its-time-to-renationalise-the-uk-energy-system/You can read Jon's piece on Sadiq Khan in Architects' Journal here: https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/opinion/londons-mayor-talks-the-talk-on-climate-pity-he-doesnt-walk-the-walkMichael cites the book Into the Cool: Energy Flow, Thermodynamics, and Life. Read more about it here: https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/I/bo3533936.htmlJon cites the work of Carly Ziter at Concordia University: https://www.carlyziter.com/Guest BioJon Burke is Climate Change and Decarbonisation Lead at Gloucester City Council. From 2014 to 2020, Jon was Councillor for the London Borough of Hackney, where he was Cabinet Member for Energy, Sustainability, Transport and Public Realm. In the role, he oversaw the largest urban tree planting campaign in the UK, the roll-out of low-traffic neighbourhoods, and established the borough’s first publicly-owned energy company in a century. From 2012-2016, he was Senior Policy Advisory to the London Assembly’s Labour Group.Jon holds a degree in Civil Engineering from Liverpool John Moores University and an MA in Political Economy from the University of Manchester. He is a Chartered Environmentalist, and sits on the advisory board of Climate Emergency UK.
Ep 131Canada's Controversial Queen of Green - Ep131: Tzeporah Berman
This week's guest on Cleaning Up is Tzeporah Berman. Tzeporah has been leading environmental campaigns in her native Canada and beyond for over thirty years. Today, she is Chair of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, and International Program Director at Stand.earth, the environmental organisation that she co-founded.Tzeporah was formerly co-director of Greenpeace’s Global Climate and Energy Program, and her success campaigning against fossil development has seen her dubbed “Canada’s Queen of Green”. Make sure you like, subscribe, and share Cleaning Up. We're growing fast on LinkedIn, and we'd love for you tell your professional network about us: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cleaning-up-with-michael-liebreich/You can find everything you need to keep up with Cleaning Up here: https://linktr.ee/mlcleaningupLinks and Related Episodes Watch Episode 45 with Catherine McKenna: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEP1SGL-DcA Watch Tzeporah’s TED Talk on the “bad math” of the fossil-fuel industry: https://www.ted.com/talks/tzeporah_berman_the_bad_math_of_the_fossil_fuel_industry Find out more about Stand.earth here: https://stand.earth/ Learn about the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative: https://fossilfueltreaty.org/ Explore the Global Registry of Fossil Fuels: https://fossilfuelregistry.org/Guest Bio Tzeporah Berman is an environmental campaigner and policy advisor. She is International Program Director at Stand.earth, the environmental organization that she co-founded (as ForestEthics), and Chair of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty. At Stand.earth she works to help develop strategies for the Amazon, shipping, fashion, pipeline, LNG and old growth forests campaigns. As co-director of Greenpeace’s Global Climate and Energy program, she led the creation of the Arctic campaign and a successful “Unfriend Coal” campaign to get Facebook, Apple, and others to switch from coal to renewable energy for their data centres. Tzeporah was one of the creators and lead negotiators of the Great Bear Rainforest agreement and the Canadian Boreal Forest Initiative. Her work has contributed to the protection of over 40 million hectares of old growth forests. In 2013 Tzeporah was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the University of British Columbia, and she was the 2019 recipient of the Climate Breakthrough Project Award. Tzeporah is Adjunct Professor of Environmental Studies at York University, Canada. In 2021, she was arrested for blockading the logging of thousand-year-old trees in Fairy Creek, Vancouver Island.
Ep 130The Usain Bolt of Solar Power - Ep130: Paddy Padmanathan
This week’s guest on Cleaning Up is Paddy Padmanathan, the person who may have done more than any other to usher in the age of low-cost renewables. As CEO of ACWA Power, Paddy was instrumental in reducing the cost of clean energy across the globe, continually breaking records for the price at which solar power could be delivered. From 2004 until his departure earlier this year, Paddy led the company from startup to energy giant, with an investment value of $62.6 billion. More recently, Paddy is co-founder of both Xlinks and new venture Zhero BV, developing renewable power and hydrogen projects. Michael and Paddy discussed what it took to deliver solar at a price previously thought impossible, the importance of pricing investment risk in the developing world correctly, and Paddy’s vision for a faster, more interconnected path to net-zero around the globe. Make sure you like, subscribe, and share Cleaning Up. We're growing fast on LinkedIn, and we'd love for you tell your professional network about us: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cleaning-up-with-michael-liebreich/You can find everything you need to keep up with Cleaning Up here: https://linktr.ee/mlcleaningup Links and Related Episodes Watch Episode 92 with Simon Morrish, CEO of Xlinks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6KIMswZkWA Watch Episode 124 with Damilola Ogunbiyi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbN1Y1C0ido Watch Episode 126 with Marco Alverà: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1JvS0ArNwQ Watch Episode 128 with Prof. Bent Flyvbjerg: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mN79-5S5d5c Read Michael’s latest piece for BloombergNEF on the electrification of heat here: https://about.bnef.com/blog/liebreich-the-next-half-trillion-dollar-market-electrification-of-heat/ Guest Bio Paddy Padmanathan is a seasoned engineering and energy expert with over 40 years of experience. As CEO of ACWA Power, he spearheaded its expansion from startup in 2004 to a leading private developer, owner and operator of power generation and desalinated water production plants. Headquartered in Saudi Arabia, the company now has a portfolio of 62 assets with an investment value of USD 62.6 billion, producing 38.9 GW of power. Prior to joining ACWA Power, Paddy was Vice President and Corporate officer at Black and Veatch, where he was responsible for developing privately financed power, water and wastewater projects in over a dozen countries. Paddy also serves on the Board of Directors of several companies involved in the power and water development sector across the globe, including Zhero BV, Xlinks, Ltd., and Desolenator BV. Paddy holds an engineering degree from the University of Manchester and a postgraduate qualification in civil engineering from the University of Lancaster.
Ep 129Cleaning Up vs Still TBD - Ep129: Matt Ferrell
This week’s guest on Cleaning Up is Matt Ferrell. Matt is host of the hugely popular Undecided YouTube channel and the podcast Still to be Determined, both of which explore the impact of smart and sustainable technologies on our daily lives.Matt and Michael discuss how they came to focus on the net-zero transition from different starting points, why hydrogen is so divisive, the joys and perils of going net-zero at home, and share their predictions for the coming years in the energy sector.Make sure you like, subscribe, and share Cleaning Up. We're growing fast on LinkedIn, and we'd love for you tell your professional network about us: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cleaning-up-with-michael-liebreich/ You can find everything you need to keep up with Cleaning Up here: https://linktr.ee/mlcleaningup Links and Related Episodes Explore Undecided on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/@UndecidedMF/videos Listen to Still To Be Determined here: https://stilltbd.fm/ During the conversation, Michael cites his piece from 2018, Two Business Cycles to Prepare for A Low-Carbon World: https://about.bnef.com/blog/liebreich-two-business-cycles-prepare-low-carbon-world/ Guest Bio Matt is UI/UX designer and Creative Director with over 15 years of management experience. Matt started Undecided with Matt Ferrell in 2018 and has since amassed over a million subscribers for his videos on EVs, solar panels, renewable energy and smart home technology, and the ways in which they are set to impact the lives of consumers. Matt was Senior Creative Director at GSN from 2015-2018, where he was creative lead on one of the world’s top skill-gaming web and mobile platforms, WorldWinner. Matt holds a BA in English – Communication and Information Design from Nazareth College and an MA in Media Arts from Emerson College.
Ep 128How Big Things (Should) Get Done - Ep128: Prof. Bent Flyvbjerg
This week’s guest on Cleaning Up is Bent Flyvbjerg. Bent is Emeritus Professor at the University of Oxford and is the most cited scholar in the world on the subject of megaprojects. Bent’s latest book, released this year, is How Big Things Get Done, on the science of successful project delivery. Michael and Bent discussed the many, substantial implications of Bent’s research for the net-zero transition, including the stark fact that solar and wind projects sit at the top of the tree when it comes to arriving on time and on budget, with nuclear languishing at the very bottom. Make sure you like, subscribe, and share Cleaning Up. We're growing fast on LinkedIn, and we'd love for you tell your professional network about us: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cleaning-up-with-michael-liebreich/ You can find everything you need to keep up with Cleaning Up here: https://linktr.ee/mlcleaningup Links and Related Episodes Bent’s latest book is How Big Things Get Done: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/672118/how-big-things-get-done-by-bent-flyvbjerg-and-dan-gardner/Watch Episode 58 with John Redfern, CEO of Eavor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MU8TDupVvjMWatch Episode 92 with Simon Morrish, CEO of Xlinks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6KIMswZkWAWatch Episode 116 with Tom Samson, former CEO of Rolls Royce SMR: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjThq8c3tT4Watch Episode 122 with Professor Sir Chris Llewellyn Smith: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1_gL_XXaQQ Guest Bio Bent is among the most cited scholars in the world on Project Management, Planning, Infrastructure and Cities. He has 30 years of experience as an adviser to government and business, including the US, UK, and Chinese governments and Fortune 500 companies. He has consulted on some of the largest projects in the world, from High-Speed 2 in the UK and the California High-Speed Rail project, each the largest civil construction project ever in their respective countries. Bent is the author or editor of 10 books and more than 200 papers, translated into 20 languages, including Megaprojects and Risk: An Anatomy of Ambition (2014) and this year’s How Big Things Get Done. He has received numerous honours and awards, among them a knighthood and two Fulbright scholarships. Bent is chairman of Oxford Global Projects, and was formerly the Academic Director of Oxford's MSc in Major Programme Management.
Ep 127The Clean Tech Network Effect - Ep127: Emily Kirsch
This week’s guest on Cleaning Up is Emily Kirsch, Founder and CEO of Powerhouse and Managing Partner of Powerhouse Ventures. Powerhouse, based out of Oakland, California, is an innovation firm that pairs startups in clean energy, mobility, and climate with some of the world’s largest corporations and investors. Emily is also managing partner of Powerhouse Ventures, directly backing seed-stage start-ups innovating on decarbonization. Michael and Emily spoke about building Powerhouse and adding value to its huge startup database, some of the hits from Powerhouse Ventures' first funding round, and ended with a wider discussion about the role of VCs - and pioneering women - on the path to net-zero. Make sure you like, subscribe, and share Cleaning Up. We're growing fast on LinkedIn, and we'd love for you tell your professional network about us: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cleaning-up-with-michael-liebreich/ You can find everything you need to keep up with Cleaning Up here: https://linktr.ee/mlcleaningup Links and Related Episodes Learn more about Powerhouse here: https://www.powerhouse.fund/ Michael appeared on Emily’s podcast, Watt It Takes, back in 2021: https://www.powerhouse.fund/liebreich Watch Episode 9 with Jigar Shah here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJhhinSeh9I Watch Episode 18 with Nancy Pfund here: https://www.cleaningup.live/episode-18-nancy-pfund/ Watch Episode 47 with Gina Domanig here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlZvy2c92SsGuest Bio Emily is Founder & Managing Partner of Powerhouse Ventures, and Founder & CEO of Powerhouse. Prior to launching Powerhouse in 2013, Kirsch worked with Van Jones to launch the Green Jobs Corps, Oakland’s first ‘green jobs’ training program. She is the founding convener of the Oakland Climate Action Coalition, which drafted and secured passage of what was at the time the most ambitious climate action plan of any U.S. city. Emily is a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader Fellow, served on the Executive Committee for Clean Energy for President Biden, and appeared on the San Francisco Business Times’ 2020 list of the “Most Influential Women in Bay Area Business.” Emily hosts the podcast Watt It Takes, which has over 1 million downloads and has featured founders of some of the energy and automotive industries’ most iconic companies like Nest, Sunrun, and Tesla. Emily studied Sustainable Urban Development at San Francisco State University.
Ep 126Subsidies Everywhere All at Once - Ep126: Marco Alverà
Today’s guest on Cleaning Up is Marco Alverà, CEO of TES. TES are hoping to accelerate the clean energy transition by supplying green hydrogen at scale to clients in the mobility, industry and power sectors. TES’ first major project is Wilhelmshaven Green Energy Hub, which hopes to supply 250 TWh per year of carbon-neutral energy to Germany by 2045. By 2030, TES hope to have produced one million tonnes of what they call ENG, or electric natural gas, as a like-for-like replacement for LNG. Michael had plenty of questions about ENG, TES’ ambitious plans, and the generous subsidies they’re set to take advantage of through the US’ Inflation Reduction Act.Make sure you like, subscribe, and share Cleaning Up. We're growing fast on LinkedIn, and we'd love for you tell your professional network about us: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cleaning-up-with-michael-liebreich/ You can find everything you need to keep up with Cleaning Up here: https://linktr.ee/mlcleaningup Further Reading and Related EpisodesLearn more about TES here: https://tes-h2.com/TES plan to produce 5.5 million tonnes of hydrogen each year at Wilhelmshaven: https://tes-h2.com/wilhelmshaven-green-energy-hub/The Financial Times reported on TES’ latest funding round: https://www.ft.com/content/e0b366d6-5dbe-41eb-96f7-e49c24f9a2c4The New York Times wrote a profile on Marco late last year: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/11/business/green-natural-gas.htmlWatch Cleaning Up Episode 115 with Jorgo Chatzimarkakis here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NCiEhprSOcWatch Cleaning Up Episode 107 with David Cebon here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K61ZXd_F6QoWatch our whole Hydrogen playlist on YouTube here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLe8ZTD7dMaaC57hgJGekXX0m1zegQelkeWatch all of our Audioblogs on YouTube here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLe8ZTD7dMaaAGobfBqd5eRQfeb5l9vPLG Guest BioMarco has more than 20 years’ experience in the energy sector. He began his career working at Goldman Sachs before starting and selling a telecom company, and joining Enel, one of the world’s largest green electricity companies. He subsequently worked for Eni, the oil and gas major, for over 10 years in senior positions, and from 2016 to 2022 was CEO of Snam, where he positioned the company as an international leader in green gas and green gas infrastructure. Since 2017, Marco has been non-executive director of S&P Global, where he is also chair of the Finance Committee. Macro is also Co-Founder of Zhero, a company focused on developing new energy projects. Marco holds a degree in Philosophy and Economics from the London School of Economics, and is the author of The Hydrogen Revolution, one of the FT’s books of the year in 2021.

Cleaning Up Audioblog Episode 10: The Next Half-Trillion-Dollar Market – Electrification of Heat
bonusThis week's episode is a recording of Michael's latest blog post for BloombergNEF:The Next Half-Trillion-Dollar Market – Electrification of HeatOur thanks to BloombergNEF for allowing us to record it and share it with our Cleaning Up audience.Make sure you like, subscribe, and share Cleaning Up. We're growing fast on LinkedIn, and we'd love for you tell your professional network about us: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cleaning-up-with-michael-liebreich/ You can find everything you need to keep up with Cleaning Up here: https://linktr.ee/mlcleaningup
Ep 125Annual Update: All Things Nuclear - Ep125: Kirsty Gogan
This time on Cleaning Up, Michael welcomes Kirsty Gogan back to the show to update us on developments across the world of nuclear energy. Kirsty is co-CEO and founder of TerraPraxis, an NGO and climate solution accelerator, and a leading expert on nuclear power. It’s been three years since Kirsty’s last appearance on the show in August 2020, during which we’ve seen new reactors come online across the globe, as well as supply dropouts and wholesale nuclear phase-outs. Kirsty walked Michael through the headlines, as well the rise of SMR (Small Modular Reactor) technology and its potential applications. Michael and Kirsty end discussing whether nuclear is offering too little, too late on the path to net-zero in the coming decades, as renewables continue to rise to meet global energy demand. As a one-stop update on all things nuclear, today's Cleaning Up is not to be missed. Make sure you like, subscribe, and share Cleaning Up. We're growing fast on LinkedIn, and we'd love for you tell your professional network about us: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cleaning-up-with-michael-liebreich/ You can find everything you need to keep up with Cleaning Up here: https://linktr.ee/mlcleaningup Relevant Guest & Topic Links Read the European Commission JRC’s Technical assessment of nuclear energy: https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC125953 Watch Kirsty’s first appearance on Cleaning Up Episode 5: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83oUuo9Af_c&list=PLe8ZTD7dMaaBcbo3W_zva0ChNZ9R9rL-U&index=16 Watch Julia Pyke, Financing Director of Sizewell C on Episode 94 of Cleaning Up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fUcx9RT6hQ&list=PLe8ZTD7dMaaBcbo3W_zva0ChNZ9R9rL-U&index=4&pp=gAQBiAQB Watch Tom Samson, former CEO of Rolls-Royce SMR on Episode 116 of Cleaning Up: https://youtu.be/sjThq8c3tT4 Learn more about the work of TerraPraxis: https://www.terrapraxis.org/ Learn more about the work of LucidCatalyst: https://www.lucidcatalyst.com/ Guest Bio Kirsty has more than 15 years’ experience as a senior advisor to Government on climate and energy policy, including 10 Downing St and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. Kirsty is managing partner of LucidCatalyst, a highly specialized international consultancy focused on large-scale, affordable, market-based decarbonization of the global economy. LucidCatalyst was recently commissioned to produce the widely cited Energy Technologies Institute Nuclear Cost Drivers Study, and by ARPA-E to conduct a study on Cost and Performance Requirements for Flexible Advanced Nuclear Plants in Future U.S. Power Markets. Kirsty sits on the UK’s Nuclear Innovation Research and Advisory Board and the board of the Nuclear Innovation Alliance. In addition to being an authority on nuclear, Kirsty is an award-winning expert on science communication, climate change, and competitiveness. Kirsty is also co-founder and Global Director of Energy for Humanity (EFH), an environmental NGO focused on large-scale deep decarbonisation and energy access.
Ep 124Annual Update: Sustainable Energy for All - Ep124: Damilola Ogunbiyi
Today’s guest on Cleaning Up is Damilola Ogunbiyi. Damilola is CEO of Sustainable Energy for All, the UN partner organization dedicated to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7) – access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all by 2030. Damilola is a returning guest on Cleaning Up after first joining us for Episode 62 in 2021. She’s back to tell us how SEforAll is progressing in its mission to bring electricity to the whole world. After talking Michael through a raft of SEforAll’s new initiatives – across everything from clean cooking to carbon markets - Damilola ends with a passionate plea to change the conversation around the energy needs of the developing world:“What is happening is you're using a conversation of no fossil / fossil to fund nothing… The crux of it is, if you look at the money that's going in to Africa, 1.5% of all renewable investment? It's absurd, it is embarrassing.”Make sure you like, subscribe, follow and share Cleaning Up. We're growing fast on LinkedIn, and we'd love for you tell your professional network about us: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cleaning-up-with-michael-liebreich/You can find everything you need to keep up with Cleaning Up here: https://linktr.ee/mlcleaningupRelevant Guest & Topic LinksLearn more about SEforAll’s mission: https://www.seforall.org/Find out more about the parameters of SDG7: https://www.seforall.org/sustainable-development-goal-7-sdg7Read and explore last year’s Energy Progress Report 2022: https://trackingsdg7.esmap.org/Damilola first featured on Episode 62 of Cleaning Up in 2021: https://www.cleaningup.live/ep62-damilola-ogunbiyi-energy-the-red-thread-through-the-sdgs/Edited Highlights from Episode 62 are available here: https://www.cleaningup.live/p/ep62-eh/Episode 118 of Cleaning Up featured Achim Steiner, Administrator of of UNDP and Co-chair of UN Energy alongside Damilola: https://www.cleaningup.live/ep118-achim-steiner-sustaining-development/Our episodes featuring Alain Ebobisse, Elizabeth Wathuti and Bill McKibben can all be found in our Development playlist on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLe8ZTD7dMaaDSF7Z5EpAvtWOs8HPUEdC3Guest BioDamilola Ogunbiyi is the CEO of Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All, and Co-Chair of UN-Energy. Before joining SEforAll, Damilola was the first female Managing Director of the Nigerian Rural Electrification Agency, where she initiated the Nigerian Electrification Project, a programme that to date has provided energy access to over 5 million people across NigeriaBefore joining the Federal Government of Nigeria, Damilola was the first female General Manager of the Lagos State Electricity Board. Under her leadership, five independent power projects were completed to deliver over 55 megawatts of power to Lagos State hospitals, schools, and government facilities. Damilola is a member of the Global Leadership Council of the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, an Advisory Board member of the Centre on Global Energy Policy, a member of the Development Advisory Council of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, a member of the Clean Cooking Alliance Advisory Board, a member of the Advisory Board of University of Oxford’s Future of Cooling Programme, and Co-Chair of UN–Energy.Damilola holds a bachelor’s degree in Project Management with Construction and a Master’s degree in Construction Management with Public Private Partnership from the University of Brighton.
Ep 123H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco: The Prince and the Planet - Ep123
Cleaning Up: Leadership in an Age of Climate Change has the great privilege of welcoming H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco to launch our ninth season.For our 123rd episode, Michael and Prince Albert have a wide-ranging and insightful discussion, on the work of the Prince Albert II Foundation to safeguard the planet and its oceans; the Prince's lineage and its deep connections to oceanography; the Prince's adventures and the awakening on climate they prompted; and the joys of success - and the perils of failure - in winter sports.The episode was recorded at the Palais Princier de Monaco. Cleaning Up would like to thank the Royal Household and all those inside and outside of the Palace who supported production of this special episode.As always, please like, share, and if you haven't already, subscribe to Cleaning Up. Relevant Guest & Topic LinksLearn more about the work of the Fondation Prince Albert II de Monaco: https://www.fpa2.org/en/index Watch Cleaning Up Episode 7 with Bertrand Piccard here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MeGpW2HOek Watch Cleaning Up Episode 96 with Aksel Lund Svindal here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRc1VCBnVgI Guest BioH.S.H. Prince Albert, Alexandre, Louis, Pierre, Sovereign Prince of Monaco, was born on 14 March 1958. His Highness is the son of Prince Rainier III, Louis Henri-Maxence-Bertrand and Princess Grace, née Kelly. H.S.H. Prince Albert II succeeded his father, Prince Rainier III who died on 6h April 2005. On 12th July 2005, at the end of the period of official mourning, the Prince's accession to the throne was celebrated.In April 2006, H.S.H. Prince Albert II visited the North Pole by dog sled from the Russian base of Barneo 120 kilometres away. This journey was the opportunity for him to pay tribute to his great-great grandfather, Prince Albert I of Monaco, a pioneer of modern oceanography, who, in 1906, set out to Spitzberg, in the archipelago of Svalbard, the most successful of his four Arctic exploration campaigns. In January 2009, Prince Albert II of Monaco undertook a three-week scientific journey in the Antarctic. He visited a large number of scientific stations and visited the South Pole in the company of the explorer Mike Horn. In June 2006, H.S.H. the Prince set up the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation dedicated to protecting the environment. It encourages sustainable and fair management of natural resources and places man at the centre of its projects. It supports the implementation of innovative and ethical solutions in three broad areas: climate change, water and biodiversity.HSH the Prince participated in five Olympic Games, from Calgary in 1988 to Salt Lake City in 2002, as a member of the national bobsleigh team. A member of the International Olympic Committee since 1985, He is President of the Monegasque Olympic Committee.The Prince's complete biography can be found here: https://www.palais.mc/en/princely-family/h-s-h-prince-albert-ii/biography-1-5.html
Ep 122Solving for Storage - Ep122: Sir Chris Llewellyn-Smith
This time on Cleaning Up, Michael hosts Professor Sir Chris Llewellyn Smith, one of the UK's greatest living physicists, for a fascinating and detailed dive into the UK's energy storage requirements as it moves towards a fully carbon-free grid. Sir Chris is Emeritus Professor of Physics at the University of Oxford, and a former Director-General of CERN. At CERN he steered the funding and commissioning of its Large Hadron Collider, and as a theoretical particle physicist, Sir Chris predicted the existence of the very particle - the Higgs Boson - that the Large Hadron Collider went on to help discover. Sir Chris is likely the only person ever to have been knighted for "services to particle physics." In the last few years Sir Chris has been busy leading a forthcoming Royal Society study on large-scale energy storage as part of the net-zero transition. He and Michael discuss the significance of storage to a newly configured, renewable grid, the likely cost of stored electricity, and the role of salt caverns in hosting hydrogen stores. Relevant Guest & Topic Links Sir Chris discussed the energy storage requirements of a net-zero UK at a virtual conference in March 2020. His slides are available here: https://www.era.ac.uk/write/MediaUploads/Other%20documents/Need_for_Storage_in_a_Net_0_World_Chris_Ll_S_23_3_20.pdf Discover more about Chris’ storied career here: https://www.physics.ox.ac.uk/our-people/llewellyn-smith Watch Episode 104 with Yanis Varoufakis here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLbm8fg08hcWatch Episode 115 with Jorgo Chatzimarkakis here: https://youtu.be/_NCiEhprSOcWatched Episode 116 with Tom Samson here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjThq8c3tT4Guest Bio Sir Chris Llewellyn Smith FRS is a quantum field theorist and Emeritus Professor of Physics at the University of Oxford. Chris was Director of Energy Research at Oxford from 2011 to 2017, Director of the UK's fusion programme (2003-2009), Provost and President of University College London (1998-2001), Director General of CERN (1994-1998) when the Large Hadron Collider was approved and construction started, and was the first Chairman of Oxford Physics (1987-1992). Chris holds a BA in Physics with First Class Honours from the University of Oxford, as well as a D.Phil in Theoretical Physics. He holds honorary doctorates from universities in the UK, Spain, Canada and China. He was knighted in 2001 for “services to particle physics.” He is a Fellow of the Royal Society and was awarded their Royal Medal in 2015. Chris captained Oxford’s cross-country running team as an undergraduate in 1963. After completing his doctorate in 1967, Chris worked briefly in the Lebedev Physical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow.
Ep 121Jet-Zero Hero - Ep121: Prof. Rob Miller
Michael’s guest for Episode 121 of Cleaning Up is Rob Miller, Professor of Aerothermal Engineering at the University of Cambridge and Director of the Whittle Laboratory. The Whittle Laboratory is conducting world-leading research in pursuit of making net-zero aviation a reality. With the aviation sector looking set to be one of the hardest to abate in the net-zero transition, Michael wanted to know whether electrification or hydrogen represents the best chance to keep the world flying in sustainable fashion. Also on the agenda were the complexities of producing - and defining - sustainable airline fuel, and the scale of the risk posed by aircraft contrails. Relevant Guest & Topic Links The Aviation Impact Accelerator (AIA) is helping map pathways to net zero aviation: https://whittle.eng.cam.ac.uk/aviation-impact-accelerator/ Explore the AIA’s Resource to Climate Comparison Evaluator (RECCE): https://recce.aiatools.org/ Read about the plans for the new Whittle Laboratory: https://whittle.eng.cam.ac.uk/new-whittle-laboratory/ King Charles toured the Whittle Laboratory in 2020: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjoY4y_qZAkGuest BioRob Miller is professor of aerothermal technology and director of the Whittle Laboratory at the University of Cambridge. He is also director of the Rolls-Royce Whittle University Technology Centre in Cambridge. Rob is a member of the UK Department for Transport’s Science Advisory Council, the FlyZero Design Advisory Group, and a fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering. In 2014 he set up and led the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Gas Turbine Aerodynamics. He led the team that pioneered rapid technology development, the process of reducing research and development times in aerospace from years to months or weeks. In 2020 he set up the Aviation Impact Accelerator (AIA), an international expert group aiming to build an interactive whole-system simulator to accelerate the journey to climate-neutral aviation.Rob’s honours include the Royal Academy of Engineering President's Special Awards for Pandemic Service, the Institution of Mechanical Engineers Thomas Hawksley Gold Medal, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Air Breathing Propulsion Award, the American Society of Engineers IGTI Best Paper Award (2019, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2010, 2008, 2007, 2005) and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers highest honour in the field, The Gas Turbine Award, four times (2019. 2015, 2014, 2010).
Ep 120Enabling Africa's Green Energy Revolution - Ep120: Ana Hajduka
Today on Cleaning Up, Michael's guest is CEO and Founder of Africa GreenCo, Ana Hajduka. Africa GreenCo provide a trading operation and guarantee scheme for power producers in Sub-Saharan Africa to enable and sustain renewable energy investment and development in the region. This episode coincided with International Women's Day, so as well as outlining Africa GreenCo's ambitions to promote renewable energy supply in Africa, Ana ended with some truly fascinating insights into what it takes to be a successful woman in the climate space.Relevant Guest & Topic Links Learn more about Africa GreenCo’s mission here: https://africagreenco.com/ Sustainable development in Africa was discussed recently in Cleaning Up Episode 118 with Achim Steiner: https://www.cleaningup.live/ep118-achim-steiner-sustaining-development/ Bridging the energy gap in Africa was one of the topics discussed in Cleaning Up Episode 62 with Damilola Ogunbiyi: https://www.cleaningup.live/ep62-damilola-ogunbiyi-energy-the-red-thread-through-the-sdgs/ Guest Bio Ana is qualified as a lawyer in both England & Wales and the State of New York and is an infrastructure and energy professional. Ana trained with Allen & Overy LLP and went on to work for Fulbright & Jaworski LLP and Trinity International LLP, advising on a diverse range of projects within the energy sector, predominately in Sub-Saharan Africa. Ana was involved in a number of renewable energy projects across sub-Saharan Africa and is an African IPP project finance and PPA risk allocation specialist. In March 2015, Ana was appointed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) as the Team Leader responsible for a Project Team in charge of developing international renewable energy PPP standards as part of the Sustainable Energy for All agenda. Ana holds a degree in Law from University College London, studied for an LPC at the University of Oxford and holds an MSc in International History and International Relations from the London School of Economics.
Ep 119Fusion Energy: The Materials Challenge - Ep 119: Dr Aneeqa Khan
This week on Cleaning Up, Michael welcomes Dr Aneeqa Khan, Manchester-ISIS Neutron and Muon Source Research Fellow in Nuclear Fusion.Aneeqa had insights to offer on the significance of the recent fusion breakthrough at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, some of the challenges facing nuclear scientists and engineers, and the race to bring a raft of fusion technologies to commercialisation and grid integration.Links and Related Episodes:Dr. Khan spoke to the New Statesman about fusion and the climate: https://www.newstatesman.com/spotlight/climate-energy-nature/2022/12/when-nuclear-fusion-produce-enough-powerDiscover Cleaning Up’s Nuclear playlist on YouTube, including Episode 29 with Steven Chu: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLe8ZTD7dMaaBcbo3W_zva0ChNZ9R9rL-UDr. Khan’s recent research output can be found here: https://research.manchester.ac.uk/en/persons/aneeqa.khan#:~:text=Aneeqa%20Khan%20is%20a%20research,khan%40manchester.ac.ukLearn about Helion’s plasma accelerator: https://www.helionenergy.com/our-technology/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bDXXWQxK38Cleaning Up Episode 114 featured James DeMuth, CEO of Seurat Technologies:https://www.cleaningup.live/ep114-james-demuth-disrupting-manufacturing-with-laser-printing/Guest BioDr Khan has been Manchester-ISIS Neutron and Muon Source Research Fellow in Nuclear Fusion at the University of Manchester since 2019. Previously, she’s held postdoctoral positions at the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics in Garching, Germany, and at ITER Organization in Saint-Paul-lès-Durance, France.Dr Khan holds a BEng in Mechanical Engineering and a Ph.D. in nuclear engineering from the University of Manchester. Dr Khan’s areas of research interest include material deposition, irradiation effects and fuel retention.
Ep 118Sustaining Development - Ep118: Achim Steiner
This week on Cleaning Up, Michael welcomes Achim Steiner, Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme and co-chair of UN Energy. Michael had questions for Steiner on UNDP’s roster of initiatives, balancing climate priorities with development goals, and how to clear a path to financing billions of dollars of clean infrastructure in the midst of a global energy crisis.Like, share and subscribe to Cleaning Up for more essential conversations around the net zero transition. Links and Related Episodes: Learn more about UNDP: https://www.undp.org/energyOver 120 countries are part of UNDP’s Climate Promise: https://climatepromise.undp.org/Discover UNDP’s Sustainable Finance Hub: https://sdgfinance.undp.org/Many of the episodes mentioned can be found in our ‘United Nations’ playlist on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gvl91lgPsUg&list=PLe8ZTD7dMaaDVAOrAyAwuMKrmq3G9ih75Watch Episode 98 with Bill McKibben: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7W9uR6eTe94Watch Episode 59 with Alain Ebobissé: https://www.cleaningup.live/ep-59-alain-ebobisse-meeting-africas-infrastructure-needs/Guest BioAchim Steiner became Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme in 2017, and is also the Vice-Chair of the UN Sustainable Development Group. Steiner has been a global leader on sustainable development, climate resilience and international cooperation for nearly three decades.Prior to joining UNDP, he was Director of the Oxford Martin School and Professorial Fellow of Balliol College, University of Oxford. He led the United Nations Environment Programme (2006-2016), and was Director-General of the United Nations Office at Nairobi. Steiner previously held positions including Director General of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, and Secretary General of the World Commission on Dams.Steiner graduated in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (MA) from Worcester College, Oxford University, and holds an MA from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS).
Ep 117From Oil to Clean Energy - Bridging the Gulf - Ep117: Dr. Nawal Al-Hosany
This week on Cleaning Up, Michael welcomes Dr. Nawal Al-Hosany, UAE’s Permanent Representative to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), for a wide-ranging discussion on IRENA’s work promoting an equitable transition, the UAE’s emergence as a renewables superpower, and the significance of COP28 coming to the region later this year.Links and Related Episodes: Learn more about the International Renewable Energy Agency and its work: https://www.irena.org/Learn about IRENA and the UAE’s Beyond Food initiative: https://www.irena.org/News/pressreleases/2022/Mar/UAE-and-IRENA-Launch-New-Initiative-to-Provide-Access-to-Energy-for-Clean-CookingDr. Nawal’s recent op-ed on the importance of climate education: https://www.thenationalnews.com/opinion/comment/2023/01/05/its-time-to-put-youth-at-the-top-of-the-climate-agenda/Visit the UAE mission to IRENA’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@uaemissiontoirenaWatch Cleaning Up Episode 87 with Francesco La Camera: https://www.cleaningup.live/ep87-francesco-la-camera-the-economist-diplomat-championing-clean-energy/Guest BioDr. Nawal Al-Hosany is the Permanent Representative of the UAE to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) as of April 2018. Previously, Dr. Al Hosany held the position of the Executive Director of Sustainability at Masdar, the international renewable energy leader based in Abu Dhabi. She also served as the Director of the Zayed Future Energy Prize for eight years between 2011-2018. Dr. Al-Hosany is an active member of various climate-focused boards and committees, including the advisory council of National Geographic magazine and the advisory Panel for the Momentum for Change initiative of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). She is a board member of Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) and she serves as the Vice Chair for the Global Council of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).She graduated from the Faculty of Engineering at the UAE University in 1992 and obtained her PhD from Newcastle University in the UK in 2002. In July 2018, Dr. Al-Hosany was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Keele University in the UK in recognition for her achievements in the field of sustainability. Dr Al-Hosany has also received the “Arab Woman Award” and the “Emirates Business Women Award”.
Ep 116Small Modular Reactors: Nuclear's Next Act? - Ep116: Tom Samson
This week on Cleaning Up, Michael welcomes Tom Samson, CEO of Rolls-Royce SMR. Rolls-Royce SMR are among a raft of new companies innovating in the field of Small Modular Reactors, hoping to provide nuclear energy in smaller, more repeatable modules at a lower price point than traditional gigawatt-scale reactors. Michael had questions for Samson on nuclear’s “desperately poor track record” for price control, the practicalities of factory-building a nuclear reactor, and the feasibility of nuclear finding a role in an energy landscape full of increasingly cheap renewables. Like, subscribe and share for more insights and in-depth interviews from the front-line of the net-zero transition.Links and Related Episodes: Learn more about Rolls-Royce SMR: https://www.rolls-royce-smr.com/about-us Watch a walkthrough of Rolls-Royce SMR’s nuclear technology here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jmp-z5bzmE Watch Cleaning Up Episode 5 with Kirsty Gogan, “Fighting for Nuclear”: https://www.cleaningup.live/episode-5-kirsty-gogan/ Watch Cleaning Up Episode 94 with Julia Pyke, “The Fight for GW Nuclear”: https://www.cleaningup.live/ep94-julia-pyke-the-case-for-gw-nuclear/ Watch Cleaning Up Episode 74 with Francesco Starace: https://www.cleaningup.live/ep74-francesco-starace-europes-clean-power-leader/ Watch Cleaning Up Episode 97 with Julio Freidmann: https://www.cleaningup.live/ep97-julio-friedmann-the-carbon-wrangler/ Guest Bio Tom Samson is the CEO of Rolls-Royce SMR Limited. He has over 30 years of experience in the power industry in various senior level executive positions in the UK and internationally. Samson joined Marubeni Corporation in 2009, where he undertook a number of CEO and Board-level assignments in the UAE and USA. Samson was appointed Chief Operating Officer for ENEC in the UAE in 2012, where he helped establish Nawah Energy as the operator of Barakah, the first nuclear power plant in the region. Samson was appointed CEO and Board member at NuGeneration Ltd in 2015, which was responsible for developing a new nuclear power station at Moorside in Cumbria. In early 2020 Samson joined Rolls-Royce to lead their SMR Consortium and is a Board Member of Rolls-Royce SMR Limited. Samson holds a degree from Edinburgh Napier University in Energy Engineering. Samson began his career as a Chartered Engineer at GEC Alstom designing combined cycle gas-fired power plants.
Ep 115Europe's Hydrogen Pusher - Ep115: Jorgo Chatzimarkakis
This week, Michael invites Jorgo Chatzimarkakis, CEO of Hydrogen Europe, to debate the importance of hydrogen in powering Europe and the world towards a decarbonized economy. Hydrogen Europe is an industry association of more than 400 members that promotes the role of hydrogen in reaching carbon neutrality in Europe. Chatzimarkakis holds hydrogen to be the miracle molecule of the transition, while Michael’s Hydrogen Ladder has a far narrower view of its likely uses on the path to net zero. What follows is a comprehensive, robust – and at moments, fierce - discussion of hydrogen in the transition, covering electrolyzers, fertilizers, freight, transportation and heating, as well as following the “pots of money” behind hydrogen infrastructure and lobbying in Europe. Spark more healthy debate around net zero pathways by liking and sharing the episode, and don’t forget to subscribe. Relevant Guest & Topic Links: Learn more about Hydrogen Europe: https://hydrogeneurope.eu/ HE’s Hydrogen Act (2021) lays out a roadmap for a ‘European Hydrogen Economy’: https://hydrogeneurope.eu/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/2021.04_HE_Hydrogen-Act_Final.pdf HE’s Clean Hydrogen Monitor (2022) provides an overview of the European hydrogen market: https://hydrogeneurope.eu/clean-hydrogen-monitor2022/ Explore Michael’s Hydrogen Ladder here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/clean-hydrogen-ladder-v40-michael-liebreich/ President von der Leyen’s speech at the European Parliament Plenary on December 15th 2022: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/fi/speech_22_7727 Watch Cleaning Up Episode 111 with Dan Yergin here: https://www.cleaningup.live/ep111-daniel-yergin-the-worlds-most-influential-energy-analyst/ Watch Episode 88 with Patrick Graichen here: https://www.cleaningup.live/ep88-patrick-graichen-germanys-secretary-of-state-for-the-energiewende/ Guest Bio:Chatzimarkakis was a Member of European Parliament from 2004 until 2014 for Germany’s Free Democratic Party (FDP), serving on the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy among others. From 1999 to 2004, Chatzimarkakis was Managing Partner at Polit Data Concept, a public affair consultancy, and served as a Science Policy Officer at Germany’s Bundestag from 1995 to 1998. Chatzimarkakis holds an MA from the University of Bonn in Political Science. He has held positions as a lecturer at University Duisberg Essen and Saarland University.
Ep 114Disrupting Manufacturing with Laser Printing - Ep114: James DeMuth
This week on Cleaning Up, Michael is joined by James DeMuth. James is co-founder and CEO of Seurat Technologies, a specialist in 3D metal printing, or Additive Manufacturing. With their own licensed laser technology, their aim is to decarbonize traditional, emissions-intensive manufacturing processes by competing with them, and ultimately, displacing them. Relevant Guest & Topic James is evangelical about the potential of Seurat’s technology to transform the manufacturing industry for the better:“Our goal is to make hardware production as simple to do and as cheap to produce as it is to write code and software... I don't think we have any concept, at all, for the explosion in applications that we would see when that happens.” Relevant Guest & Topic Links:Area Printing Explained https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llAcqwD2TBY Seurat Technologies Inc. https://www.seurat.com/ The Economist on Seurat and Additive Manufacturing https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2022/03/19/a-new-type-of-3d-printing-may-bring-it-into-the-mainstreamOn Seurat’s 2024 plans for a 100,000-square-foot factory https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/10/06/business/local-3d-printing-startup-build-new-factory-mass-production/?p1=BGSearch_Overlay_LatestStories A comprehensive look at Seurat’s approach to additive manufacturing https://issuu.com/inovar-communications/docs/metal_am_spring_2022/141?fr=sN2VjNjQ3NDg2NTg Why the name? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmzUHwFGKtI Guest Bio: Since co-founding Seurat in 2015, DeMuth has served as the company’s CTO, and as of 2020, their CEO. DeMuth spent six years at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, as a Research Associate, then as a Mechanical Engineer working in Advanced Manufacturing and Fusion Energy. At LLNL, DeMuth worked on power generation, additive manufacturing technologies, and the Laser Inertial Fusion Energy (LIFE) Engine. DeMuth holds a BSc from Santa Clara University in Mechanical Engineering, and an MA from Stanford University in Mechanical Engineering.
Ep 113Checkpoint 2023: Energy Efficiency Investment - Ep113: Jonathan Maxwell
This week’s episode of Cleaning Up sees the return of Jonathan Maxwell, Founder and CEO of Sustainable Development Capital Limited (SDCL), one of the world’s biggest investors in energy efficiency. Jonathan is back for the first in a series of 'checkpoints' on Cleaning Up, as we invite guests back to the show to give an update on their sector or specialism on the path to net zero. Guest Bio: investment trust investing exclusively in energy efficiency - Sustainable Energy Efficiency Income Trust (SEEIT). Jonathan chairs the Trust’s Investment Committee.Jonathan has over two decades of experience in the financial sector – he spent early days of his career at HSBC Infrastructure and led the IPO process of HICL Infrastructure Company (formerly HSBC Infrastructure Company) – one of the biggest infrastructure funds listed on the London Stock Exchange.In 2007 he founded Sustainable Development Capital (SDCL), a boutique investment firm specializing in clean energy, energy efficiency and decentralised energy infrastructure projects. He has led the company ever since as the CEO. Jonathan holds a degree in Modern History from Oxford University.View: Relevant Guest & Topic Links:Find out more about SDCL: https://www.sdclgroup.com/Find out more about SDCL: https://www.sdclgroup.com/ Explore LLNL's flowcharts, or Sankey diagrams: https://flowcharts.llnl.gov/ See last year's flowchart's produced by BEIS detailing UK energy use: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/energy-flow-chart-2021 SDCL Energy Efficiency Income Trust PLC's listing on the LSE: https://www.londonstockexchange.com/stock/SEIT/sdcl-energy-efficiency-income-trust-plc/company-page BEIS in the Chancellor's Autumn Statement, including the pledge to establish an Energy Efficiency Taskforce: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/beis-in-the-autumn-statement#:~:text=Energy%20Efficiency%20Taskforce&text=The%20taskforce%20will%20support%20a,billion%20provided%20in%20this%20Parliament.Watch: Related Episodes:Watch Jonathan's first appearance on Episode 14 of Cleaning Up in 2020: https://youtu.be/Wqrtr2lePM8Watch Episode 111 with Dan Yergin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QIh4U3VgjcWatch Episode 110 with Adair Turner: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5P2JgeOXp9wWatch Episode 109 with Ion Yadigaroglu and Dipender Saluja: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUTPkszXs_YWatch Episode 84 with Mark Carney: https://youtu.be/HtA5ufMzKAU
Ep 112Climate Risk, Financial Returns - Ep112: Bob Litterman
This week on Cleaning Up, Michael hosts Bob Litterman, founding partner at Kepos Capital and Chairman of the Kepos Capital Risk Committee. Litterman spent 23 years at Goldman Sachs, during which time he became a partner and established himself as an outstanding authority on financial risk. Since co-founding Kepos and joining the boards of the World Wildlife Fund, Ceres and the Climate Leadership Council, among others, he has become a leading voice on climate policy and risk as it relates to climate change and the transition. From this unique vantage, Litterman is acutely aware of the time-sensitivity of climate risk: “We have to create incentives globally to reduce emissions, and we have to do it very quickly. One thing I like to tell people is when you're managing risk, time is a scarce resource. If we have enough time, we can solve almost anything. When you're managing risk and you run out of time, a risk management problem becomes a catastrophe.”Guest Bio: Prior to founding Kepos Capital, Litterman had a 23-year career at Goldman, Sachs & Co., where he served in research, risk management, investments and thought leadership roles. Litterman became a partner at Goldman Sachs and head of the firm-wide risk function in 1994, and head of the Quantitative Resources Group in 1998. Litterman is the co-developer of the Black-Litterman Global Asset Allocation Model, a key tool in investment management.Litterman serves on a number of boards, including the Niskanen Centre, Ceres, World Wildlife Fund, and the Climate Leadership Council, where he serves as co-chair of the Board. Litterman also chairs the CFTC Climate-Related Market Risk Subcommittee, which published its report, Managing Climate Risk in the U.S. Financial System in September 2020. Litterman holds a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Minnesota, and a B.S. in Human Biology from Stanford University. Prior to Goldman Sachs, Litterman taught at MIT and worked at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.View: Relevant Guest & Topic Links:Read Managing Climate Risk in the US Financial System: CLICK HEREFind out more about Kepos Capital: CLICK HEREWatch: Related Episodes:Cleaning Up Episode 49 with Johan Rockstrom: CLICK HERECleaning Up Episode 48 with Nick Stern: CLICK HERECleaning Up Episode 109 with Dipender Saluja and Ion Yadigaroglu: CLICK HERE
Ep 111The World's Most Influential Energy Analyst - Ep111: Daniel Yergin
Cleaning Up begins the new year and its eighth season in conversation with Daniel Yergin. Yergin, Vice Chairman of S&P Global, is a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and one of the world’s leading authorities on energy.Alongside discussing the latest edition of his best-selling book, The New Map, Yergin also provided some fascinating predictions for the future of global energy supply and demand, its international nuances, and its historical echoes.Daniel Yergin is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of a trilogy of books on energy and is seen by many as America’s foremost energy expert. He was co-founder of Cambridge Energy Research Associates and currently serves as Vice Chairman of S&P Global, one of the world’s largest research and information companies.Yergin is the author of several bestselling works of history, most notably The Prize: the Epic Quest for Oil Money and Power (1990), which was awarded the Pulitzer Prize and has been translated into 20 languages. His latest book is The New Map: Energy, Climate, and the Clash of Nations (2020). Yergin’s other work includes The Quest: Energy, Security, and the Remaking of the Modern World (2011), and Commanding Heights: The Battle for the World Economy (1998).Yergin holds a BA from Yale University and a PhD from Cambridge University, where he was a Marshall Scholar. Yergin has served on the US Secretary of Energy Advisory Board under the last four presidents.View: Relevant Guest & Topic Links:On the energy crisis: CLICK HEREOn copper in the energy transition: CLICK HEREOn Putin and winter in Europe: CLICK HEREWatch: Related Episodes: Nobuo Tanaka, Former Head of the International Energy Agency: CLICK HEREJulio Friedmann, Chief Scientist at Carbon Direct: CLICK HERE
It's a New Year - Time to Face Reality - Cleaning Up Audioblog Episode 9:
bonusThis week, it's a special, bonus episode of Cleaning Up. Michael has some essential messages to keep in mind at the dawn of the new year:1. Climate action is neither doomed nor a sure thing.2. People who disagree with you may share your goals, but put facts and priorities in a different order.3. We will never get to declare victory over climate change. The original version of It’s A New Year And Time To Face Reality can be found here:https://medium.com/@MLiebreich/its-new-year-and-a-good-time-to-face-some-facts-c610f3aa579eFollow or Subscribe to Cleaning Up: Twitter: https://twitter.com/MLCleaningUp LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cleaning-up-with-michael-liebreich/
Ep 110Lord of the Net Zero Transition - Ep110: Adair Turner
Adair Turner, Baron Turner of Ecchinswell, is Chair of the Energy Transitions Commission, a global coalition of major companies, investors and experts identifying pathways to limit global warming to well below 2˚C by 2040.From 2008-2013, Lord Turner chaired the UK’s Financial Services Authority. He was Director General of the Confederation of British Industry (1995-2000); Chairman of the UK Pensions Commission (2003-2006); and was the first Chairman of the UK Climate Change Committee (2008-2012). From 1982-1995 Lord Turner worked at McKinsey, and was Vice-Chairman of Merrill Lynch Europe from 2000-2006.Lord Turner authored Between Debt and the Devil (Princeton: 2015), and Economics after the Crisis (MIT: 2012). He became a cross-bench member of the House of Lords in 2006, and holds a degree in History and Economics from the University of Cambridge.The Energy Transition Commissionhttps://www.energy-transitions.org/Download the Commission's latest report, Degree of Urgency: Accelerating Actions to Keep 1.5°C on the TableDegree of Urgency: Accelerating Actions to Keep 1.5°C on the Table
The Unbearable Lightness of Hydrogen - Cleaning Up Audioblog Episode 8:
bonusThis week's episode is a recording of Michael's latest blog post for BloombergNEF: https://about.bnef.com/blog/liebreich-the-unbearable-lightness-of-hydrogen/Our thanks to BloombergNEF for allowing us to record it and share it with our Cleaning Up audience.
Ep 109Technology Investment and the US Inflation Reduction Act - Ep109: Ion Yadigaroglu and Dipender Saluja
Dipender Saluja and Ion Yadigaroglu are Partners at Capricorn Investment Group. Capricorn is a sustainable investment group, one of the largest mission-aligned investment firms in the world, and our sponsor on Cleaning Up.Dipender Saluja is a Partner of Capricorn Investment Group, and a Managing Director of Capricorn’s Technology Impact Fund. Prior to Capricorn, Saluja was Chief of Staff at Cadence, a global market leader in electronic design. Prior to Cadence, he worked at Data General (EMC), Honeywell, ROLM (IBM), and the GF Energy Research Center. Saluja is an electrical engineer by training, and attended UND, University of Minnesota and Stanford University.Ion Yadigaroglu has been Managing Partner at Capricorn Investment Group since 2004. Prior to Capricorn, Ion was Director of Business Development with Koch Industries, and a Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Bivio, a software startup in Colorado. Yadigaroglu was a research fellow at Columbia University and holds a master’s in physics from ETH Zürich in Switzerland and a Ph.D. in Astrophysics from Stanford University. Yadigaroglu was a founding member in 2007 of GIIN, the Global Impact Investor Network.Capricorn was born from the desire to demonstrate the huge investment potential that resides in breakthrough commercial solutions to the world’s most pressing problems, and as such is one of the original impact investors. Ion appeared on Episode 89 of Cleaning Up: https://www.cleaningup.live/ep89-ion-yadigaroglu-pioneering-impact-investor/Take a closer look at Capricorn's portfolio: https://capricornllc.com/technology-impact-fund/Watch Episode 84 with Mark Carney here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtA5ufMzKAUWatch Episode 48 with Lord Stern here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6O5Ge_wRmPA
Ep 108The Power Generation - Ep108: Meredith Adler
Meredith Adler is Executive Director of Student Energy, a global youth-led organization empowering young people to accelerate the sustainable energy transition.Adler has served as Executive Director of Student Energy since 2015, during which time the organization’s network has expanded to comprise 50,000 young people in 120 countries. Adler was Global Community Manager at Student Energy before commencing her directorship.Prior to joining Student Energy, Adler was Communications Coordinator at Clean Energy Canada, and has held positions at Great Basin Water Network and the Student Conservation Association.Adler holds a degree in Geography from the University of British Columbia, and is a keen climber.https://studentenergy.org/https://studentenergy.org/program/space-for-youth/https://studentenergy.org/program/guided-projects/https://www.cleaningup.live/ep83-alex-honnold-free-solar/
Ep 107Thinking in Systems - Ep107: Prof. David Cebon
David Cebon is Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Cambridge, Director of the Centre for Sustainable Road Freight, and a founding member of the Hydrogen Science Coalition. Prof. Cebon leads Cambridge University Engineering Department’s Transport Research Group and the Department's research theme 'Energy, Transport and Urban Infrastructure'.Prof. Cebon’s research covers the mechanical, civil, and materials aspects of road transport engineering. He has authored or co-authored more than 150 peer-reviewed papers on the dynamics, safety, and environmental performance of heavy-goods vehicles. He has a strong current focus on vehicle energy consumption and decarbonisation. Prof. Cebon is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering.The Centre for Sustainable Road Freighthttps://www.csrf.ac.uk/blogs/Hydrogen Science Coalitionhttps://h2sciencecoalition.com/Our episode with Simon Morrish, CEO and Founder of Xlinkshttps://www.cleaningup.live/ep92-simon-morrish-650-leagues-of-hvdc-under-the-sea/Prof. Cebon's blogpost on hydrogen versus heat pumps for heatinghttps://h2sciencecoalition.com/blog/hydrogen-for-heating-a-comparison-with-heat-pumps-part-1/
Ep 106Managing Uncertainty: The Scenario Shell Game - Ep106: László Varró
Ordered as referenced during the show:Meet the Shell Scenarios team | Shell GlobalAfter Ukraine – The Great Clean Energy Acceleration | BloombergNEF (bnef.com)Liebreich: Peak Emissions Are Closer Than You Think – and Here’s Why | BloombergNEF (bnef.com)Ep97: Julio Friedmann "The Carbon Wrangler" | Cleaning Up. Leadership in an age of climate change.Ep105: Nobuo Tanaka "The Race for Clean Energy Dominance" | Cleaning Up. Leadership in an age of climate change.World Energy Outlook – Topics - IEAEp98: Bill McKibben "Writer, Activist & Constructive Disruptor" | Cleaning Up. Leadership in an age of climate change.Ep99: Dev Sanyal "In the Engine Room of the Transition" | Cleaning Up. Leadership in an age of climate change.
Ep 105The Race for Clean Energy Dominance - Ep105: Nobuo Tanaka
Nobuo Tanaka is one of the world’s foremost experts on energy, technology and trade policy. He’s had a near 50-year career in energy, including four years as Executive Director of the International Energy Agency between 2007 and 2011. Since 2011, Tanaka has served as a Global Associate for Energy Security and Sustainability at the Institute for Energy Economics Japan (IEEJ). In addition, Tanaka is professor at the University of Tokyo’s Graduate School of Public Policy; Fellow at the Centre on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University; and is the former President of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation. From 2007 to 2011, Tanaka served as Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA). He was Minister for Industry, Trade and Energy at the Embassy of Japan, Washington DC from 1998-2000. Tanaka was appointed Director for Science, Technology and Industry at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in 1991. Tanaka began his career at Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), where he has returned to hold a number of posts throughout his career. Tanaka has a degree in Economics from the University of Tokyo and an MBA from Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio. He has shown a particular interest in strengthening ties with major energy players outside of the IEA, including Russia, China and India.
Ep 104Yanis Varoufakis: Power, Markets & Power Markets - Ep104
Yanis Varoufakis is an academic economist and politician. He’s a member of Greek Parliament, Founder and Secretary-General of MeRA25, a left-wing political party, and famously served as Minister for Finance in Greece in 2015. He subsequently wrote a book about the experience called Adults in the Room (2017), about how the EU stymied his attempts to renegotiate Greece’s debts in the aftermath of the financial crisis.Varoufakis was elected to Greek parliament and appointed Finance Minister in January 2015 by Alexis Tsipras, in the midst of the Greek government-debt crisis. Varoufakis led negotiations over Greece’s bailout conditions with the European Commission, the International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank, but failed to agree terms. Varoufakis resigned from government and parliament in August 2015, despite a referendum indicating popular support for his stance.Varoufakis founded MeRA25 in 2018, under whose banner he returned to parliament in 2018. Varoufakis has authored numerous books on the Financial Crisis, austerity and debt, including The Global Minotaur (2011), And the Weak Suffer What They Must? (2016), Talking to my Daughter about the Economy (2017) and Adults in the Room (2017), as well as primers on modern economics and Game Theory.Varoufakis holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Essex, has held posts at the University of Cambridge and the University of Sydney among others, and was Professor of Economic Theory at the University of Athens. Varoufakis is a self-described ‘erratic Marxist’.Watch Episode 32 of Cleaning Up with Greg Jackson, CEO of Octopus Energy, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9kHNMyH7bwRead Yanis' response to Michael's takeaways from the episode here: https://www.yanisvaroufakis.eu/2022/11/01/should-electricity-markets-be-reformed-or-disbanded-my-debate-with-michael-liebreich-on-cleaning-up/And Michael's response to Yanis' response (!) here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Ra5-C56VYqfkTI9ylkPtOkcpFncOsTYG/view
After Ukraine - The Great Clean Energy Acceleration - Cleaning Up Audioblog Episode 7
bonusThis week's episode is a recording of Michael's latest blog post for BloombergNEF: https://about.bnef.com/blog/after-ukraine-the-great-clean-energy-acceleration/ Our thanks to BloombergNEF for allowing us to record it and share it with our Cleaning Up audience.
Ep 103Industrial Heat is Electrifying! Ep103: Dr. Silvia Madeddu
Dr Silvia Madeddu is a scientist and expert in decarbonisation strategies for energy-intensive industries. Dr Madeddu has a particular area of expertise in industrial heat, and is at the cutting edge of research hoping to transform the energy transition in Europe and beyond. Dr Madeddu is Senior Sustainability Consultant at Schneider Electric as of August this year. In her previous role, Dr Madeddu was part of the Global Energy Systems modelling group and was Senior Scientist on Industry Decarbonisation at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (2018-2022). At PIK, she helmed research into the potential of direct electrification of heat supply for reducing industrial CO2 emissions. Prior to joining PIK, Dr Madeddu served as Chief Scientist at Cambridge Carbon Capture, developing new Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU) technologies. Dr Madeddu holds a PhD from the University of Sheffield in Materials Science and Engineering, and a master’s in Science and Technology from the University of Padua. https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/abbd02/meta https://www.cleaningup.live/ep49-johan-rockstrom-pushing-planetary-boundaries/ https://energy-nest.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwhY-aBhCUARIsALNIC05b1bO9rqQnHHS4SZrSiHDL3Xrmanh0OTZ1bUG5HWn6dIff_EnA_BQaAr3-EALw_wcB https://rondo.com/how-it-works?gclid=Cj0KCQjwhY-aBhCUARIsALNIC07G3jH4EuvDh8k1WrW98KNGf_Zobyhz81isIsSkv_yQkHtjrxOkfZwaAhGcEALw_wcB
Ep 102Climate Science, Caveman Brain - Ep102: Prof. Chris Rapley
Professor Chris Rapley CBE is Professor of Climate Science at University College London’s Department of Earth Sciences. He served previously as Director of the British Antarctic Survey and of the Science Museum, and is a passionate and plain-speaking advocate for Climate Science. Professor Rapley is a Fellow of UCL and of St Edmund's College, Cambridge, a member of the Academia Europaea, Chair of the European Science Foundation’s European Space Sciences Committee, Member of the Advisory Board of the UK government’s Clean Growth Fund, Patron of the Surrey Climate Commission, a member of the Science Advisory board of Scientists’ Warning, and a member of the UK Parliamentary and Scientific Committee. His previous posts include Directorships of the Science Museum and British Antarctic Survey, Chair of the London Climate Change Partnership, President of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, Executive Director of the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme, and founder and Head of UCL's Earth Remote Sensing Group. He was Instrument Scientist on astrophysical and solar sounding rocket payloads, of the Bent Crystal Spectrometer on NASA’s Solar Maximum Mission, assisted JPL with the Cassini RADAR instrument, and led numerous ESA studies on the use of radar altimeters to study the Earth. He was Chair of the International Planning Group for the International Polar Year 2007-2008 and Chair of the ESA Director General’s High-Level Science Policy Advisory Committee. In 2014 Prof Rapley and the playwright Duncan Macmillan wrote the acclaimed play ‘2071’ which Prof Rapley performed at the Royal Court theatre and in Hamburg and Brussels. More recently Prof Rapley was the Science Consultant on BBC1’s ‘Climate Change – The Facts’ presented by Sir David Attenborough, and the three-part BBC1/PBS series on Greta Thunberg. In 2003 Prof Rapley was appointed CBE by Her Majesty the Queen. In 2008 he was awarded the Edinburgh Science Medal for having made 'a significant contribution to the understanding and wellbeing of humanity'. Prof Rapley holds a PhD. from UCL in X-ray astronomy, an M.Sc from the University of Manchester in Radio Astronomy, and an MA from Jesus College, Oxford in Physics.
Ep 101Britain's Green Grandee - Ep101: Jonathon Porritt
Jonathon Porritt has been on the front line of environmental campaigning for more than 45 years. He has worked tirelessly to promote the solutions to today’s converging environmental crises – including as Director of Friends of the Earth (1980s), co-chair of the Green Party (1980-83), of which he is still a member, Trustee of WWF-UK (1991-2005), Chair of the UK Sustainable Development Commission (2000-2009), and Chancellor of Keele University (2012-2022). Jonathon is Co-Founder of Forum for the Future – the UK’s leading sustainable development charity – and President of Population Matters and The Conservation Volunteers. His work as author, broadcaster and commentator on sustainable development has had a huge impact over the years, and he is involved in the work of many NGOs, charities and campaigning organizations as Patron, Chair or Special Advisor. His latest book, ‘Hope in Hell’, a powerful call to action on climate change, was published in June 2020. His other recent books include ‘The World We Made’ (2013), ‘Capitalism As If The World Matters’ (Earthscan, revised 2007), ‘Globalism & Regionalism’ (Black Dog 2008) and ‘Living Within Our Means’ (Forum for the Future 2009).Jonathon received a CBE in January 2000 for services to environmental protection.http://www.jonathonporritt.com/https://www.forumforthefuture.org/
Ep 100Brewing up a clean fuel miracle - Ep100: Dr. Jennifer Holmgren
Dr. Jennifer Holmgren is CEO of carbon recycling company, LanzaTech. Prior to joining LanzaTech, Dr. Holmgren was VP and General Manager of the Renewable Energy and Chemicals business unit at UOP LLC, a Honeywell Company. Dr. Holmgren is the author or co-author of 50 US patents and more than 30 scientific publications. In 2003, she was the first woman awarded the Malcolm E. Pruitt Award from the Council for Chemical Research (CCR). In 2010, she was the recipient of the Leadership Award from the Civil Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI) for her work in establishing the technical and commercial viability of sustainable aviation biofuels. In 2015 Dr. Holmgren and her team at LanzaTech were awarded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Presidential Green Chemistry Award and she was awarded the BIO Rosalind Franklin Award for Leadership in Industrial Biotechnology. Sustainability magazine, Salt, named Dr. Holmgren as the world’s most compassionate business woman in 2015. In October 2015, Dr. Holmgren was awarded the Outstanding Leader Award in Corporate Social Innovation from the YWCA Metropolitan Chicago. Dr. Holmgren was named as #1 of the most 100 influential leaders in the Bioeconomy by Biofuels Digest for 2016-2017.She currently serves on the board of The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Biofuels Advisory Committee. Dr. Holmgren is also on the Governing Council for the Bio Energy Research Institute in India. The institute has been set up by the DBT (Department of Biotechnology, Indian Government) and IOC (Indian Oil Corporation).Dr. Holmgren holds a B.Sc. degree from Harvey Mudd College, a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and an MBA from the University of Chicago.