Council on Geostrategy’s Post

US and UK governments issue, "The Atlantic Declaration". With regard to Clean energy, the commit to: • a one-year Joint Clean Energy Supply Chain Action Plan. • the U.S.-UK Joint Action Group on Energy Security and Affordability (JAG), will identify and decide on actions to accelerate the buildout of capacity by the end of 2023. • conduct public-private consultations across key clean energy supply chains, such as offshore wind and electric vehicle batteries. • conduct rapid stress-test exercises across key clean energy supply chains. But no commitments of investment more than encouraging and collaborating with the private sector.

Great to see that some public money goes to create markets for clean energy including #greenhydrogen. These auction support the energy providers if tomorrow. That's definitely better than throwing ever more billions at yesterday's high-emission industries that for years have blocked decarbonizion despite having #climatetech solutions available. If anything, a net zero economy needs a #demand stimulus and a #price point that clears the market. No other subsidy will get us faster to net zero, the econ science is pretty clear about that. Great to see these #hydogren auctions picking up!

Could help the world? I don't know. Singapore's solution is methodical, minimizes risks at expense of speed. "Politicians shouldn’t let this deter them from boldness. Instead they should seek inspiration from one of the unlikelier success stories of cross-border energy cooperation. In the aftermath of World War II, French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman proposed a radical plan: To pool access to the coal and iron ore reserves on the lower reaches of the Rhine, which had contributed to three continental wars since 1870." "The bet was that instead of fighting each other for the spoils of industrial development, France and Germany would be more prosperous if they exploited them collaboratively. Schuman’s proposal was the foundation of the European Union, and his insight has been lasting: It wasn’t the reinforcement of energy security that brought about peace in Europe, but the decision to put collective interests before short-term national advantage. Singapore has much to learn from that example. Like Schuman’s birth country Luxembourg, it’s a small, rich country in an occasionally tense neighborhood. The lesson of its energy dilemma — that a world pursuing net-zero needs to build grids that span not just borders, but continents — applies from the Americas to Africa, and Europe to Asia. Luxembourg turned the solution to its national security problems into a template that would eventually integrate an entire continent in peaceful commerce and trade. Singapore should do the same with its electricity question." Okay, South East Asia is very different from France-Germany. Singapore is a small nation with limited recourse if Cambodia, Indonesia or Laos decide to renege. Cambodia and Laos are too far away, with limited legal recourse - I mean we are not going to invade, and getting a court ruling in Singapore enforced is going to be hard in all these countries. Also an energy net, requires Malaysia to be part of it. So let's go slow, not too slow. After all, this is an ASEAN -minus initiative led by Singapore, we want it to succeed - on behalf of everyone - but let's not rush - just be as fast as we can.

Marat Terterov commented on the annual State of the Union address to the nation by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan about the economic course of the country Dr Marat Terterov, an expert from the Brussels Energy Club, shared his insights on the message of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, with a Kazinform correspondent. Terterov noted that the President's address outlines new directions for cooperation between the European Union and Kazakhstan, particularly in the energy sector. Terterov highlighted the alignment between Kazakhstan's development trends, especially in the energy sector, and global developments, such as renewable energy, decarbonization, and increased energy efficiency. He emphasized that Kazakhstan's commitment to these international standards could enhance political relations and attract quality investments from the European Union. The expert commended Kazakhstan's focus on ESG (environment, social, governance) standards and private capital involvement in green technologies. He saw this as a timely adaptation to international trends, emphasizing Kazakhstan's path toward modernization and alignment with modern international standards. Terterov also pointed out Kazakhstan's pursuit of decarbonization, including trading greenhouse gas emissions and green certificates. He noted that President Tokayev's emphasis on these trends supported the country's banking sector reforms from the 90s and early 2000s. Terterov predicted that President Tokayev's message would be positively received in Brussels and Washington, highlighting the potential for closer cooperation between the European Union and Kazakhstan, particularly in the fields of green energy and decarbonization. However, he acknowledged that successful implementation of the message would be the next crucial step. The original article in the Russian language is available at: https://lnkd.in/dg5PnWVN

BREAKING NEWS 📣 Today the EU announced the results from the first #hydrogen bank auction. Impressive list with 7 projects in Spain (3 projects), Portugal (2 projects), Finland (1 project) and Norway (1 project) 🌍 The commission recieved a total of 132 bids from 17 countries. The winning bid prices range from 37 to 48 €c per kilo of produced, certified RFNBO hydrogen. The ceiling price for the auction was 4,50 €/kg 💰 In total 720 million Euro has now been allocated to fuel the start of hydrogen infrastructure in Europe 📈 💧 Big congratulations to the winners 👏👏 Read more in the link below: European Hydrogen Bank auction provides €720 million (europa.eu) #repowereu #fitfor55

An interesting development. But the core of the problems in the region with regard to an efficient common market with a suffucient liquidity is perfectly described in the phrase: "It is important for the region because everyone intends to join the EU, and it is a condition". It means that the drivers for the markets are external, not inherent to the economics of the countries. 

Back in the mid aughts, while doing research for our first book #TheCleanTechRevolution, Clint Wilder and I traveled to #China. We had identified China as one of our 6 C's (major drivers) moving the clean-tech sector forward (the others were Costs, Capital, Competition, Consumers, and Climate). Not to get into the weeds, but China’s 10th and 11th Five Year Plans (2000-2005, 2006-2010) were the first to include goals for renewable energy development. Fast forward to today, and China now leads in the #manufacturing and #deployment of such key industries as #electrolyzers, #solar, #wind, #electricvehicles, and #energystorage. The following article in today's The New York Times highlights just how far cost reduction and mass deployment of #cleantechnologies has come in China and the issues it's having on global policies and plans. Worth the read. #JanetYellen Clean Edge https://lnkd.in/dhfTwxaX

Positive news from Australia, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese today announcing a Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040, which acknowledges the importance of continuing to grow trade between the world's fastest growing region and one of its long-term energy suppliers. Crucially, the strategy recognises: ▪ the ongoing importance of natural gas - both piped and LNG - to Southeast Asia's energy security and economic growth, as the region transitions to cleaner energy solutions. ▪ that all countries should determine their own decarbonisation pathways to meet their own individual circumstances aligned to Paris Agreement commitments, and conventional energy sources such as LNG, along with renewables and energy storage technologies, will be a critical part of the energy transition. As a trusted and reliable energy supplier to Asia over many decades, Australia is well positioned to continue supplying these essential resources. But in line with the Rystad Energy Study Into Energy Security in Southeast Asia, it's vital that policy settings support the development of future gas projects that will help meet Southeast Asia's energy needs for the 2030s and beyond. Read the full Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040: https://bit.ly/3r2g7Ul Access the Rystad Study: https://bit.ly/3MQLfyc

"US leans on monetary policy…which is like a bazooka for the whole market. China leans more on targeted fiscal policy, on strategic areas where they want an advantage: semis, EVs, renewable energy. They focus their spending there, it’s a different approach than we in the US are used to.”    –Jason Hsu, Chairman and Founder of Rayliant joined Romaine Bostick, CFA & Scarlet Fu on Bloomberg TV's “The Close” to talk #China, #Trump, #Biden and #EmergingMarkets. ⬇️Replay link in comments⬇️