Cleaning Up: Leadership in an Age of Climate Change

• The Inflation Induction Act: How the US Lost The Race for Clean Energy | Ep 219: Ethan Zindler

  Is the US about to enter a new era of energy inflation? Can technological progress outpace political regression? Are we witnessing the permanent end of America's climate ambitions?This week on Cleaning Up, Michael Liebreich sits down with Ethan Zindler, former climate counselor to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, now head of countries and policy at BloombergNEF, to dissect the dramatic shifts in US energy policy. Fresh from the passage of the "One Big Beautiful Bill," Zindler reveals how recent legislation in the US could set back clean energy development by years, potentially undermining investments in wind, solar and electric vehicles. There are a couple of brighter spots too, with costs in some technologies falling so rapidly that they might escape the drag of the current administration, and other technologies — like advanced geothermal and nuclear — seeing an uptick in support. Zindler brings the latest analysis from BloombergNEF to Cleaning Up to help unpack the One Big Beautiful Bill and what it means for the future of US energy policy.Leadership Circle: Cleaning Up is supported by the Leadership Circle, and its founding members: Actis, Alcazar Energy, Davidson Kempner, EcoPragma Capital, EDP of Portugal, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information on the Leadership Circle, please visit https://www.cleaningup.live.Links and more: Could Trump 2.0 Roll Back The IRA? Ep181: Ethan Zindler – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sf5_r3V3Vs8The Future of Clean Tech Under Trump — Ep198: Jigar Shah https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCOaF-qQ_TUElon Musk and Michael’s 2007 testimony to Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources: https://www.energy.senate.gov/hearings/2007/3/hearing-ECF571D9-2A3E-444F-A0F0-1C18EE28FFF3

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• North Sea Oil & Gas Is Dying, What Comes Next? | Ep218: Tessa Khan

  ⁠If the UK can’t ditch fossil fuels, who can? What impact would more drilling in the North Sea have for UK energy prices? What does the end of the net zero consensus mean for UK energy policy?This week on Cleaning Up, host Bryony Worthington sits down with Tessa Khan, founder of Uplift, a charity challenging the oil and gas industry's hold on UK energy policy. A lawyer turned campaigner, Khan offers incisive analysis of why the North Sea's fossil fuel era must end.Drawing from her background in international human rights and development, Khan reveals how the UK could become a global pioneer in energy transformation. She unpacks the economic myths perpetuated by the oil and gas lobby, exposes the minimal benefits of continued extraction, and champions a just transition to renewable energy.With the UK at a critical political crossroads, Khan offers a masterclass in strategic advocacy, blending data, political insight, and a passionate vision for a sustainable future. Leadership Circle: Cleaning Up is supported by the Leadership Circle, and its founding members: Actis, Alcazar Energy, Davidson Kempner, EcoPragma Capital, EDP of Portugal, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information on the Leadership Circle, please visit https://www.cleaningup.live. Discover more:Tessa Khan’s organisation, Uplift: https://www.upliftuk.org/Uplift’s report on the future of the North Sea: https://www.upliftuk.org/post/the-future-of-the-north-seaUK Oil & Gas Reserves Report: https://www.nstauthority.co.uk/media/8394/reserves-and-resources-2022.pdfBBC article on Rosebank emissions guidance: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c994v5dy3p0o

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• How Fungi Shape Our World, From Carbon Sinks to Zombie TV: | Ep217: Merlin Sheldrake

  What if the key to solving our climate crisis lies beneath our feet? Could tiny fungal networks be the unsung heroes of carbon sequestration? And how might reimagining our relationship with fungi transform our understanding of life on Earth? This week on Cleaning Up, Bryony Worthington sits down with Merlin Sheldrake, author of the bestselling "Entangled Life," to explore the extraordinary world of fungi. Sheldrake reveals how these remarkable organisms are not just passive participants in our ecosystem, but active innovators that have been shaping our planet for a billion of years. From their crucial role in carbon cycling and soil health to their potential in creating sustainable materials, fungi may be a powerful solution to some of our most pressing environmental challenges. Sheldrake takes us on a journey through fungal networks, discussing their intelligence, chemical capabilities, and symbiotic relationships that challenge our understanding of life. Leadership Circle: Cleaning Up is supported by the Leadership Circle, and its founding members: Actis, Alcazar Energy, Davidson Kempner, EcoPragma Capital, EDP of Portugal, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information on the Leadership Circle, please visit https://www.cleaningup.live. Discover more: Merlin’s Book, Entangled Life: https://www.merlinsheldrake.com/entangled-life Fungi: Web of Life Trailer — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCf7YywIBZ8 Society for the Protection of Underground Networks: https://www.spun.earth  

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• The Best Markets for Wind and Solar Are Not Where You Think | Ep216: Daniel Calderon

  In a world where 17% of all electricity is generated from wind and solar and where 93% of all new capacity added to the grid is from renewables, it can be easy to forget that countries got their first wind and solar resources within just the last few years. And in fact, some countries are still waiting for their first. Today on Cleaning Up, we’re joined by Daniel Calderon, Founder and Managing Partner of Alcazar Energy Partners. Daniel has made it a specialty of going into countries overlooked by others, building their first wind and solar farms, and as he explains, doing it profitably. Leadership Circle: Cleaning Up is supported by the Leadership Circle, and its founding members: Actis, Alcazar Energy, Davidson Kempner, EcoPragma Capital, EDP of Portugal, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information on the Leadership Circle, please visit https://www.cleaningup.live. Discover more:Alcazar Energy Partners:  https://alcazarenergy.com/Episode 196 with Lucy Heintz: https://youtu.be/nhGDI_0QIHgEpisode 181 with Ethan Zindler: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sf5_r3V3Vs8Episode 204, the Sierra Leone special: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-5QjSfy2SM

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• NVIDIA Rising: Will The AI Boom Bust The Planet? | Ep215: Josh Parker

  In 1849, when the Gold Rush hit California, the people who were certain to make money were not the miners, but the sellers of picks and shovels. Indeed, America's first millionaire, Samuel Brannan, made his fortune by adding huge margins to everyday items that suddenly become high in demand. Today's sellers of picks and shovels are those providing the hardware and infrastructure to the software and platform providers, and one company stands apart as the beneficiary of the recent boom times in artificial intelligence: Nvidia. They're currently among the top three listed companies in the US, alongside Apple and Microsoft, and are incredibly profitable, with estimated margins in excess of 40%. They've been around for 30 years, and are much more than simply chip fabricators. This week on Cleaning Up, Bryony Worthington sits down with Josh Parker, Nvidia’s head of sustainability, to explore some of the challenges and opportunities he sees in the AI and Climate space.Leadership Circle: Cleaning Up is supported by the Leadership Circle, and its founding members: Actis, Alcazar Energy, Davidson Kempner, EcoPragma Capital, EDP of Portugal, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information on the Leadership Circle, please visit https://www.cleaningup.live. Discover more:Episode 204, the Sierra Leone special: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-5QjSfy2SM Nvidia’s Sustainability Report:Earth2: https://www.nvidia.com/en-gb/high-performance-computing/earth-2/cBottle: https://catalog.ngc.nvidia.com/orgs/nvidia/teams/earth-2/models/cbottleMichael’s piece on AI efficiency: https://mliebreich.substack.com/p/ai-data-centre-power-and-glory-an

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