Author - Amy Myers Jaffe — Climate Smart

State-owned oil enterprises in BRICS countries and their green innovation efforts

In the final hours of global climate talks at Sharm El-Sheik, Egypt, 80 developed and developing nations backed a call for the final agreement to include language affirming the wind down of fossil fuel use. The suggested text was opposed by major oil and gas producers, notably Saudi Arabia, which argued that carbon capture and storage (CCS) is a viable emissions reduction solution that can eliminate emissions from continued oil and gas production and consumption. Saudi Arabia took the occasion of the twenty-seventh Conference of the Parties (COP27) to unveil its plans to host the world’s largest CCS hub, led by its state-owned oil and gas firm Saudi Aramco, in what it termed “the circular carbon economy.”

Internal Combustion Engine Cars: Will national sales bans become reality?

Internal combustion engine (ICE) car bans are in the news, raising questions about their effectiveness as a policy tool. For automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), ICE bans are a strong policy signal that car companies must take action. While policies that promote alternative fuels like biofuels, electricity, and hydrogen can create a competitive market for low carbon fuels, ICE bans are technology-forcing, which theoretically can provide a more decisive market signal.

New SEC proposed rules mean corporations should heed latest IPCC insights on longevity of carbon sinks

Last month, IPCC AR6 Working Group II released its latest report, which covers Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability. The report reveals in stark terms that climatic impacts are interacting and multiplying across sectors and regions, creating risks that compound each other (IPCC AR6 Summary 18). One key takeaway from the report that needs more attention is that many natural systems have already been pushed to their adaptive breaking points, including many warm water coral reefs, coastal wetlands, rainforests, arctic, and mountain ecosystems (IPCC AR6 Summary 28). These harsh realities raise concerns about the longevity of existing natural carbon sinks and has important policy implications.

Hydrogen: A Geopolitical Game-changer for Future European Energy Security?

Rising tensions between the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and Russia over Russian troop buildups on the Ukraine border have raised the specter of an energy crisis in Europe. This new geopolitical context is likely to influence Europe’s calculus going forward, with a high likelihood that a lasting distaste for heavy reliance on Russian gas will give even further impetus to plans to rapidly diversify to cleaner energy sources such as offshore wind and hydrogen. That begs the question: Have Russia’s recent actions hurt its own chances to be a major participant in Europe’s energy transition?

Natural Farming, A Climate Solution in India?

A new Tufts CREATE Solutions report reviews evidence for Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF), one of the largest efforts to implement agroecology at scale. The Government of Andhra Pradesh, India plans to expand ZBNF to millions of farmers in the state over the next several years. The review finds ZBNF generally increases farmers’ income, but critical gaps remain concerning climate change outcomes.

What the New Methane Rules Could Mean for US Early Adopters

As scientific data on methane leakage from US oil and gas production and transport systems has improved, the urgency of methane mitigation policy has increased. Higher estimates for methane released in oil and gas US operations continue to be verified via ground-based facility scale measurement combined with satellite and other aerial methods, suggesting that volumes of well over 2 to 3 percent of gross US natural gas production need to be detected and remedied.

U.S. Loan Guarantee Program Needs a Revamp: Here's Why.

Amy Myers Jaffe discusses CPL’s newest policy brief about how a U.S. loan guarantee program can spur experimentation and innovation by helping firms avoid the “valley of death” in the innovation process.

Climate SmartClimate Policy LabOctober 18, 2021Author - Amy Myers Jaffe, 2021

Congress Should Approve a Federal Green Bank to Promote a Just Energy Transition

As Congress continues to debate infrastructure legislation, it should endorse a proven model for addressing the complex political landscape in the United States: Green banks. The Biden administration is proposing the establishment of a $27 billion “Clean Energy & Sustainability Accelerator’ which, in effect, would be a federal green bank. A new report from Climate Policy Lab argues that a federal green bank can be “one of the best tools in the country’s toolbox for ensuring a just energy transition” by targeting communities being left behind

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