Cleaning Up: Leadership in an Age of Climate Change

• 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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• Is There A Future Without Oil & Gas? Ep214: Ben van Beurden

  Oil and gas companies lie at the heart of the energy transition. To some, they are heroes, continuing to power human progress despite all the odds. To some, they are villains, responsible for the climate change that is devastating our planet. This week on Cleaning Up, Michael Liebreich interviews Ben van Beurden, former CEO of Shell from 2014 to 2023. The conversation explores the complexities of the energy transition, climate change, and the role of oil and gas companies in addressing global emissions.Van Beurden argues that there's no silver bullet solution to climate change, emphasizing the need for multiple approaches and a holistic view of energy transformation. He believes oil and gas companies will play a crucial role in developing clean energy solutions and driving systemic change, but ultimately we must move away from polluting fossil fuels in pursuit  of the prize of Clean Energy.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 Ep111: Daniel Yergin "The World's Most Influential Energy Analyst – https://youtu.be/8QIh4U3VgjcEp86: From Climate Law Maker to Superglued Law Breaker – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDo7hkcsRFA

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• Deforestation, Oil and Aviation Fuels: A Brazilian Take on the Climate Emergency | Ep213: Thelma Krug

  What happens if the Amazon rainforest stops absorbing carbon and starts releasing it? Do we need geoengineering to help us cool an overheating planet? And how can developing countries balance environmental preservation with economic development?This week on Cleaning Up, Baroness Bryony Worthington sits down with Thelma Krug, a renowned Brazilian scientist and mathematician, and former vice chair of the IPCC, to explore these critical questions.Krug offers an insider's perspective, drawing from her decades of experience monitoring the Amazon rainforest and participating in international climate negotiations.The conversation ranges from the alarming transformation of the Amazon from a carbon sink to a potential carbon source, to the controversial realm of solar radiation management. As it prepares to host COP30 in Belem in November, Krug provides nuanced insights into Brazil's challenges, the complexities of global climate policy, and the potential for innovative solutions like biofuels and international collaboration.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:• Sierra Leone special: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-5QjSfy2SM• COP30 website: https://cop30.br/en• Degrees Global Forum: https://degreesglobalforum.org• Episode 168 with Anand Gopal: https://youtu.be/33QiMC4nG1k

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• ⁠Hydrogen Subsidies, Clean Power & Fixing Spain's Blackouts | Ep212: EU Commissioner Dan Jørgensen

  What will it take to finally wean Europe off Russian gas? Can renewables help with grid stability? And is the EU making a mistake subsidising hydrogen? This week on Cleaning Up, Michael Liebreich sits down with EU Energy and Housing Commissioner Dan Jørgensen to dissect the continent's energy transformation. In this wide ranging interview recorded at the Berlaymont building in Brussels — the home of the European Commission — Liebreich and Jørgensen delve into critical topics including reducing dependency on Russian energy, the economics of renewable technologies, the role of nuclear power, and the contentious economics of green hydrogen. Jørgensen defends the EU's ambitious climate goals while addressing concerns about cost, competitiveness, and political pushback against the green transition. 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:Sierra Leone special: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-5QjSfy2SMDecarbonizing the last few percent: https://mliebreich.substack.com/p/decarbonizing-the-last-few-percentLessons from Spain: https://mliebreich.substack.com/p/lessons-from-spainEU Hydrogen Strategy: https://energy.ec.europa.eu/topics/eus-energy-system/hydrogen_en  

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