Nick Adeyi is a Consultant in the Energy, Sustainability & Infrastructure Practice at Guidehouse, a leading global consulting firm focused on highly regulated industries.
In the last week of August 2020, I participated in the Clean Energy Leadership Institute’s (CELI) emPOWER conference, an annual gathering of young professionals and industry veterans designed to foster a new kind of energy leadership. As attention to equity has gained increasing traction in mainstream climate discourse, this year’s emphasis on climate justice and local action could not have been more pertinent. Read on for my recap and insights from emPOWER 2020 .
Day 1
What does an equitable energy transition look like, and how do we implement it? – this was the question on my mind throughout Day 1. In a morning session on Driving Equitable Energy Access, Sarah Chandler of Elemental Excelerator, a Hawaii- and Bay Area-based startup accelerator focused on scaling place-based climate solutions, explored how Elemental’s portfolio companies are reimagining the relationship between startups and their local communities.
Elemental is pursuing “square partnership” models that invest in startups and compensate local leaders for the unique knowledge they bring. Pono Home, an Elemental portfolio company that provides comprehensive energy and sustainability audits combined with efficiency upgrades, has partnered with South Bay nonprofit Acterra to create a pilot training program for local community members to franchise Pono Home businesses. This kind of partnership creates economic opportunity for local communities beyond the life of any single project. As Wahleah Johns, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Native Renewables and a member of the Navajo (Dine) tribe, pointed out, humility is key to creating meaningful change at the community level – in crafting policy or allocating investment dollars, we must put local knowledge and needs before our own assumptions about what is ‘good for’ the communities we seek to support.
Day 2
Day 2 of emPOWER20 covered the full spectrum of energy issues, from policy and communication to finance and clean energy investment. Dr. Varum Sivaram, former CTO of India’s largest renewable energy company and a Senior Research Scholar at Columbia University’s Center for Global Energy Policy, reminded us that an equitable transition to clean energy requires us to look beyond our own borders. This transition will put the greatest strain on poorer nations with less developed energy infrastructure and greater reliance on fossil fuels. These nations are also likely to bear the brunt of climate impacts. To prevent a massive climate refugee crisis, we must turn our attention and resources towards countries where decarbonization and climate change will be the toughest challenges.
Dr. Abigail Regitsky, a materials scientist focused on sustainability initiatives at the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, gave a primer on Clean Energy Standards (CES). While not as developed as existing Renewable Portfolio Standards, a CES has bipartisan appeal because it is market-based and technology-agnostic but firmly drives the energy sector towards decarbonization. In a later discussion on the role of agriculture and food production in climate change, Dr. Joe Bozeman, whose research focuses on the food-energy-water nexus, shared the hard truth that our current food supply chains do not align with the necessary emissions reductions pathways. In addition to first steps like reducing meat in our diets, practical decarbonization of our food system will require a paradigm shift towards shorter supply chains and more localized consumption.
Much has been said about putting a price on carbon. Carbon pricing is not the only incentive we have to reduce emissions, but it is arguably the most straightforward. Robert Littman, Chairman of the Risk Committee at Kepos Capital, re-emphasized the need to ‘slam on the brakes’ in order to avoid the worst effects of climate change. Strong incentives for decarbonization – i.e. a carbon price – could do just that, but our current incentives are too weak. A price of $40-$50/ton could create a phase change in the short term, but it is “very difficult” to find a carbon price below $100/ton that would incentivize the kind of emissions-reducing behavior we need. Any serious discussion of carbon pricing must aim above this baseline for a price to result in meaningful emissions reductions.
Effective communication on climate is paramount in the U.S., where a lack of political consensus on the existence and impacts of climate change – despite the overwhelming scientific consensus – hinders political action at all levels of government. Dr. Abel Gustafson, whose research focuses on the drivers of public opinion on science and technology, shared actionable insights from his research at the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Strategies differ depending on the target audience, but all include emphasizing both the beliefs of ingroups and the extent of the scientific consensus. With that in mind, here are Dr. Gustafson’s five key goals for an effective climate change communication strategy:
- Correct misperceptions and provide clear information
- Apply strategic framing of the benefits of climate action
- Avoid partisan cues
- Present clear, easy opportunities for action
- Leverage social norms to drive behavior change
Day 3
The third and final day of emPOWER20 featured back-to-back panels on CELI’s fellowship program and career paths in clean energy. As the Zoom window closed on Friday afternoon, I left better equipped and better informed to make strides as I pursue a career in clean energy. This conference felt unique in its emphasis on empowering individuals to become leaders in the energy transition – it’s in the name, after all! The virtual format lent an unexpected intimacy to panel discussions and worked well for participants to brainstorm in side sessions before sharing their ideas with the larger group. Thanks to the entire CELI team for putting together such a successful event – I’m looking forward to next year!
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