?? Wanted: Clean energy solutions ?

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Soaring energy prices are highlighting more than ever the need to adapt to new and efficient energy sources around the world ?? , and spurring some innovative responses ??.

This week the United States announced a sizable financial commitment ?? in the fight against climate change. The U.S. government will spend more than $500 billion ?? on climate technology and clean energy over the next decade.?

The U.S. government commitment reaches an estimated $514 billion total ?? . It includes $362 billion from the Inflation Reduction Act, $98 billion from the Infrastructure Act and $54 billion from the bipartisan-supported CHIPS law, although Congress will have to pass further legislation ?? to guarantee the release of all funds.?

The intention is investment in climate-related research and pilot studies ?? and support manufacturing. The analysis, by non-profit RMI, excludes additional agriculture and land-related climate spending ??.

Belgium’s response to the energy crisis has renewed focus on community empowerment ??, as citizens are turning to local energy cooperatives investing in renewables. Belgium’s cooperatives, which rely on their own production rather than buying from volatile markets, have seen a huge spike ?? in demand as the energy crunch has hit consumers.?

A cooperative called Ecopower supplies households at production cost - fixed for the lifespan of the energy source ?? - topped up by grid fees and taxes, as well as the cost of running itself.?

Ecopower says it has seen demand rise so sharply that it has had to stop accepting new members ?? . With no spare production capacity, it would have to buy power on the spot market - where prices are at record highs - to supply more.

In Mexico, companies are increasingly turning to smaller-scale renewable options ?? that allow businesses to cut carbon emissions while dodging fights ?? with regulators.??

Solar companies and energy analysts said they are seeing an unprecedented surge in distributed generation solar projects ??, which are smaller and less regulated with a threshold in Mexico of 500 kilowatts - enough to power about 200 households.

In Conversation

Dr. Angela Wilkinson, Secretary General and CEO at the World Energy Council

“The World Energy Council today released results from its August World Energy Pulse, which polled nearly 600 leaders from across the global energy community.?

“This World Energy Pulse reinforces the importance of placing people and communities at the heart of energy transitions. The urgent need to decarbonize economies without destabilizing societies has become crystal clear in the context of new cost-of-living crises and global supply chain risks.

?“Successfully managing energy transitions is best achieved through a combination of energy trilemma solutions at all levels of societies, by redesigning markets and ESG investment frameworks to include energy and environmental-justice considerations alongside energy and climate security.

?“The World Energy Pulse also reinforces the importance of ‘clean and just' energy transition literacy. It’s vital that decision makers avoid triggering social resistance to energy transition and engage in more open and honest conversations about links between price, system costs, affordability and value-in-use.”?

ESG Lens

A recession is now almost certain, inflation is nearing double digits and a winter with looming energy shortages is fast approaching. Though already bleak, the outlook is likely to get worse before any significant improvement well into 2023.

ESG Movers and Shakers

Fast-food chain McDonald's has amended its board as the director being replaced had been targeted by activist investor Carl Icahn who sought to tighten the company's animal-welfare policies. Sheila Penrose, who will retire effective Sept. 1, was one of two incumbent board members Icahn sought to replace with his own nominees. Penrose, who was a McDonald's director for 15 years, led the board's sustainability and corporate-responsibility efforts. McDonald's has elected three new board members: Marriott International CEO Anthony Capuano, Johnson & Johnson executive vice president Jennifer Taubert and Salesforce.com CFO Amy Weaver.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has appointed Samantha Joseph as senior advisor for faith-based initiatives in the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. Joseph recently worked as the head of community outreach and vaccine equity at the Cambridge Innovation Center in Boston, Massachusetts. Prior, she worked on the campaigns of President Joe Biden, former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey.

Luke Seraphin has been appointed to the newly created role of head of inclusion, content and Sky Studios. Seraphin will be responsible for the creation and delivery of all diversity, equality, inclusion and accessibility initiatives across Sky originals. They previously worked at Sky since 2020 as head of drama and factual PR and had previous stints at Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, BBC, Channel 4 and ITV.

West Virginia Wesleyan College has appointed Laurie Goux as the new director of diversity, equity and inclusion. Goux brings more than 16 years of experience in higher education, beginning at Columbia College Chicago. For the previous 10 years, Goux served as adjunct faculty in fine and performing arts at Davis and Elkins College, where she completed her Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts.?

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