New podcast: Where do we go from the COP28 stocktake?

COP28 in Dubai begins on Thursday, November 30, and it is going to be all about the Global Stocktake — a pivotal moment in climate change accountability.

Zest Associates Managing Director Jeffrey Beyer recently moderated Episode 9 of the Future Energy Insights podcast. Sponsored by the World Future Energy Summit, the series takes an in-depth look at renewable energy and sustainability topics.

Podcast

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Beyer was joined by:

1. Katrina Hasbani, a partner at AESG with experience spanning hydrocarbons and renewable energy.

2. Vahid Fotuhi, founder and CEO of the Blue Forest restoration company in Dubai. Fotuhi started his career at BP and worked in clean energy development in Africa.

3. Courtney Fieldman, the founder of the SPARK building energy system, climate advisor at Mission 2020, and a COP28 UAE Climate Envoy.

Key takeaways from the podcast:

1 ) Effective cooperation requires the right tools.

• New technologies, such as clean hydrogen, are naturally perceived as risky because there is no existing 'benchmark'.

• Hasbani highlights the practical instruments that should define cooperation: legislation and regulation, financial instruments, and innovative research.

• The energy transition is no longer centralized and government driven. Private capital can provide the appetite for risk while the public sector builds infrastructure for pilot demonstration.

2) Inclusive community engagement and equity must be at the forefront of climate action.

• Fieldman says that the Global Stocktake's course correction opportunity requires us to consider how we are supporting resilience and equity while integrating vulnerable communities.

• 97% of the countries hardest hit by the climate crisis are in Africa, which emits only 3% of the world's CO2. The developed world needs to deliver on loss & damage funding.

COP28 presents nations with the overdue opportunity to turn rhetoric into tangible results. Innovation needs to happen at scale, which can only happen with a regime of collaboration between countries and sectors.