Plus: TOTAL shifts to LNG and power; Companies accountable for changing consumer behaviors
Hi Everyone,
Read my comments on the first few articles, please. Then send me your thoughts.
I’m running out of fingers to keep up with the pulse of and connections between the many rapid developments going on. The list of stories at the bottom are ones I read this week (yes, I did read them all) on my bus & train commute to and from work. If nothing else, scan them for the patterns they represent.
Here in Canada, we’re celebrating Thanksgiving. Please join me in taking some time to reflect and giving thanks for the many ways we are blessed.
Have a great week,
Peter
Extinction Rebellion: who they are, and what they want | Electrek
Comment: This is worth the read, even watch the short video. A couple of the key ‘demands’ of XR is for governments to tell the truth by declaring a climate and ecological emergency and to act now to halt biodiversity loss and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2025. This would require unprecedented political commitment – something in short supply at national levels. Yet cities are taking up this up challenge in ever greater numbers. What this looks like in practice varies (in Canada, Edmonton among the more robust).
All the climate strikes, declarations of emergencies suggests there is a speedily growing consciousness that should be understood. It is the speed with which climate has moved front and center that is the most important aspect that I wanted to bring to your attention. There is a lot more that could be said here, but I’ll save that for another time.
Big Oil’s Renewable Shift Seen Flooding Shareholders With Cash | BNN Bloomberg
Comment: This is a fascinating dimension of the way companies in different sectors are managed – one I have to admit is not my area of expertise. Rystad Energy, an energy analyst outfit points out that oil and gas companies typically have 15% debt on their balance sheets, whereas companies pursuing wind and solar tap debt markets for 95% of the cost. They suggest the transition from the former to the latter means all that capital will need to be returned to shareholders. Again, not my area of expertise, but I can’t see that happening fast. Makes for some interesting conversations about the implications though, hey?
European CEOs: Changing consumer behaviours is the next sustainability frontier | edie
Comment: Note the realization among European CEOs of where accountability lies for changing consumer behavior – not with the consumer, but with the producer. For ‘integrated’ oil and gas companies – ones that sell products to end-use consumers, we’ve seen evidence of the shift to selling electricity instead of gasoline or diesel. So I am asking: What does this mean for an ‘upstream’ company (no refining and marketing)? Thoughts people?
Related to this: Revealed: the 20 firms behind a third of all carbon emissions | The Guardian
Excerpt: The report additionally explains that while most (90%) of European shoppers are willing to change behaviours in the name of sustainability, they can only choose from what is offered by companies. Moreover, given that habit guides 45% of all buying decisions, consumers will likely need companies to use behaviour change psychology to drive a shift in consumption – even if they consider themselves “green” or “conscious”.
“What would our customers expect us to do if they knew what we know?” Dave Lewis, who recently stepped down as Tesco’s chief executive officer, told Xynteo. “We can’t just rely on customers to ask us for healthier, sustainable alternatives.”
“Nearly 90% of people are willing to change their behaviour to fight climate change, but only 3% of them know how – so there’s a gap there that we can fill,” Ingka Group’s chief executive Jesper Brodin added.
Adapt to ‘slowing’ oil demand by investing more in gas, power: Total CEO | S&P Global Platts
Comment: An example of what one integrated oil and gas company is doing. Shell, BP, ENI and others pursing similar paths (see solar stories below).
Excerpt: Pouyanne noted Total’s plans to double its LNG production by 2025, to 800,000 b/d of oil equivalent, and to supply a quarter of global LNG output, making the French company the world’s No. 2 producer. In electricity, Pouyanne highlighted the company’s plans to double the number of its electricity customers to 8 million by 2025. Total will have 10 GW of power capacity in Europe, including 3 GW from natural gas and 7 GW from renewables, and outside Europe will install 25 GW of renewable power capacity, he said, insisting: “We can make profits from electricity.”
Advanced traffic management is the next big thing for smart cities | GreenBiz
Excerpt: For example, Pittsburgh deployed Rapid Flow Technology’s Surtrac system at 50 intersections across the city. The decentralized system uses a combination of video detection and radar to detect vehicle traffic and adjust signals in real-time using artificial intelligence-driven software. Results from the implementation have been substantial: travel times have been reduced by 26 percent, wait times at intersections are down 41 percent and vehicle emissions have been reduced by 21 percent.
Comment: Very cool. Let’s see lots of other cities pilot this too, please! (ahem, Calgary)
Other headlines of interest…
Energy Storage
- Tesla acquires Canadian battery specialist, Hibar Systems | Electric Autonomy Canada
- Researchers have made a rechargeable carbon dioxide-consuming battery | Anthropocene
- Tesla deploys a big Powerpack system in Nantucket to secure the island’s power | Electrek
- Kaluza pens Powervault battery storage integration partnership | Current News
- ‘Germany’s largest’ EV battery-powered stationary storage system will give grid flexibility | Energy Storage News
Hydrogen
- Massive 5,000MW solar and wind projects set to fuel WA’s hydrogen expansion | RenewEconomy
- Toyota unveils revamped hydrogen sedan to take on Tesla | Reuters
Solar
- Italian oil giant ENI buys two more solar farms in Australia | RenewEconomy
- Shell Buys Stake in Indian Solar Firm Orb Energy | Greentech Media
- Solar power is the red-hot growth area in oil-rich Alberta | Financial Post
- Queensland celebrates 4GW solar milestone, three panels for every person | RenewEconomy
- Wyoming solar capacity to increase 1,300% under PacifiCorp plan | pv magazine USA
- La. kills net metering. Will other states roll back solar? | E&E News
- International Research Team Claims New Perovskite Solar Record — 18.1% | CleanTechnica
Wind
- Saskatchewan launches call to build 300 megawatts of wind power | National Observer
Transport
- The Greening of Paris Makes Its Mayor More Than a Few Enemies | The New York Times
- Anheuser-Busch is buying 21 BYD trucks | Release
- The most important electric cars for 2020 | Green Car Reports
- Dyson abandons multi-billion dollar electric vehicle project | The Driven
- California’s Clean Truck Rule: First Of Its Kind & Long Overdue | CleanTechnica
Autonomous Vehicles
- Waymo promises ‘fully driverless’ cars in Phoenix | Smart Cities Dive
- Toyota, GM, Nvidia, Bosch and others form new autonomous driving tech consortium | TechCrunch
Buildings
- Boston to require carbon-neutral design for new city buildings | Smart Cities Dive
Transition
- Big Tech’s eco pledges aren’t slowing its pursuit of Big Oil | JWN Energy
- US energy giant says renewables and batteries beat coal, gas and nukes | RenewEconomy
- Blaming oil suppliers won’t solve climate change: Shell CEO | BNN Bloomberg
- Economic analysis finds clean energy future is cheaper than gas | Pembina Institute
- Electric cars: call for tax on road usage to cover lost fuel revenue | The Guardian
- What Decarbonization Means for Cows, Steel and Cement: QuickTake | Bloomberg
- Germany adopts major new climate law, sets 98GW solar target for 2030 | RenewEconomy
Circular Economy
- How closed-loop supply chains are spurring Apple’s decarbonisation efforts | edie
- Unilever pledges to halve its use of new plastic by 2025 | Reuters
Brekr Model B electric moped offers dual batteries and 100 miles of range | Electrek
Another example of the curious designs we’re seeing coming out for getting people from A to B.