Mauro’s GREEN+ corner #7: The green transition? A tale of multiple pieces coming together
Mauro’s GREEN+ corner #7: The green transition? A tale of multiple pieces coming together
Transitioning to a greener society is not easy, but innovation and research can help. Mauro's GREEN+ corner discusses some of the most interesting developments monthly.
From this week on, you can also find our category newsletters here on LinkedIn. This week is Mauro's GREEN+ corner turn, where our editor Mauro Mereu discusses some of the most interesting green transition developments.
It is easy for all–and especially for us as journalists–to look for the silver bullet, the ultimate solution that can fix it all. To those who have read Daniel Kahneman’s Thinking Fast and Slow, the concept that the human brain feels safer with easy answers is not new–and explains our need to find easy answers to problems.
However, the more I cover energy transition developments for IO+, the greater the complexity of making this transition happen. Despite the toughness of the challenge, I remain– and I hope you, too–seeing the great work done by scientists and innovators of any sort. In this new episode of the GREEN+ corner, I grouped some interesting pieces of the puzzle coming together.?
Electric flying? A better option than high-speed trains
This week started with an interesting piece of research by CE Delft . According to the institute, Europe should better invest in electric aviation rather than in railway projects This is especially true for flights of up to a thousand kilometers. Electric planes will be more competitive than trains, and they will also compete with fuel types such as hydrogen and sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs).
A tale of transition drivers?
There is no transition without influential people. Innovators are at the forefront of the developments, crafting disrupting tech. At the same time, policies need to come along. In her new role as the head of the European Environmental Bureau circular economy unit, Eva Maria Bille is motivated to make an impact. Resource reduction is, in her view, the first step to enabling a real circular economy.?
After many years of serving on the ground in the British army, Lieutenant General Richard Nugee CB CVO CBE embarked on one last special mission: reviewing the UK Defense’s climate change and sustainability approach. Since then, he has become an influential thought leader and an advisor for a number of startups. A greentech enthusiast, the now-retired official firmly believes in innovation to tackle the challenges we face.
A bottom-up transition
If you ask me, one of the most positive aspects of green tech, like solar panels and home batteries, is that they can really democratize energy management. Rooftop solar panels are cheaper and cheaper, and more home energy storage solutions are available. Coupled together, these two can really help everyone transition. Yet, you might feel left out if you don’t have a rooftop or can’t afford them. But you are not.?
To this extent, Germany is teaching a great lesson about how the green transition can really be bottom-up. According to the Bundesnetzagentur (Federal Network Agency) figures, 435,000 new plug-in balcony solar panel installations were made in 2024, representing 2.4% of the newly installed German solar capacity. The key? Favorable–and clear–government regulation.?
Mobility, energy, and leadership are three essential pieces in the energy transition puzzle. There are many more, and others still need to be created. There will be no easy answers, but a strong commitment to meet out goals.?
Mauro Mereu - editor at IO+?
Here are some other must-read articles from the last month:
You can find the previous episodes of this newsletter also on Substack