A Recap of Global Seminar Series: Energy and Climate Policy in Emerging Asia

Learn more about each seminar and watch the full recordings below.

Global Seminar Series I: Energy and Climate Challenge in Emerging Asia

March 18, 2021

This event marks the launch of the global seminar series on energy and climate policy in emerging Asia that brought together Columbia University students to discuss common climate change challenges across emerging Asia countries as well as differences between regions.

The first session included an overview of the relationship between economic growth, energy consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions, as well as the history of Asia's economic emergence and what it has meant for global energy markets and GHG emissions. The speakers also reviewed the history of emerging Asian countries in the global climate change negotiation, highlighting the shift in approach from the Kyoto (1997) regime to the Paris (2015) one.

Panelists:

• Pierre Noël, Global Research Scholar at the Center on Global Energy Policy.
• Laszlo Varro, Chief Economist at International Energy Agency.

Moderator:

• David Sandalow, Inaugural Fellow at the Center on Global Energy Policy and co-Director of the Energy and Environment Concentration at the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University.

Global Seminar Series II: Energy and Climate Change Policies in China

April 28, 2021

This session zoomed in on the energy and climate change policies in China, during which energy scholars based in the US and China discussed Chinese energy and CO2 emissions trends and questions, the politics and policy involved in the issue, and the path to achieving its 2060 carbon-neutral goals.

During his presentation, David Sandalow stressed that the bilateral agreement between the U.S. and China signed in 2014 was a principal foundation for the 2015 Paris Agreement. Despite significant differences and disagreements in many areas, he believes the two countries can still work together to combat climate change, particularly in mobilizing green development through green finance, developing and promoting carbon capture, utilization, and storage technology globally, and reducing emissions from the food system.

Almost 400 people interacted with the panelists, asking many valuable questions about China and the United States' collaboration on renewable energy and decarbonization via Zoom and Blibli live channel.

Panelists:

• Pierre Noël, Global Research Scholar at the Center on Global Energy Policy.
• Erica Downs, Senior Research Scholar at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University SIPA
• David Sandalow, Inaugural Fellow at the Center on Global Energy Policy and co-Director of the Energy and Environment Concentration at the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University.
• Changyi Liu, Senior researcher at Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization (GEIDCO).

Moderator:

• Weiping Wu, Professor of Urban Planning at Columbia GSAPP and Director of the M.S. Urban Planning program.

Global Seminar Series III: The Climate for Renewables - A Conversation on India’s Energy Policy

June 24, 2021

In this session, we turned our attention to India’s latest policy framework on the development of the regional renewable energy industry and the pathway to its carbon neutrality. The event began with an introductory overview and global perspective by Dr. Pierre Noel.

Sumant Sinha, Founder, Chair, and Managing Director of ReNew Power, one of India’s largest clean energy companies, was then invited to present his new book, ‘Fossil Free: Reimagining Clean Energy in a Carbon-Constrained World’, which provided a thorough introduction to the existing challenges, realities, and complexities of the global and local energy industry, as well as the trends and forces driving the energy transition. Mr. Sinha emphasized that cost variables must be managed equitably through a forward-thinking, transparent, and inclusive policy approach, as well as an ongoing conversation with multiple institutions at the national, subnational, and international levels to develop and deploy the essential solutions.

Speakers:

• Sumant Sinha, Founder, Chair, and Managing Director of ReNew Power in India.
• Pierre Noël, Global Research Scholar at the Center on Global Energy Policy.

Moderator:

• Laurie Fitzmaurice, Executive Director of the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University SIPA