Energy Transitions Commission

The Energy Transitions Commission (ETC) is an international think tank, focusing on economic growth and climate change mitigation. It was created in September 2015 and is based in London. The commission currently contains 32 commissioners from a selection of individuals and company and government leaders.[1]

Energy Transitions Commission
AbbreviationETC
Formation28 September 2015 (2015-09-28)
TypeInternational organization
Legal statusActive
PurposeDevelop actionable insights to help energy decision-makers in their efforts to meet the twin objectives of economic development and climate change mitigation
HeadquartersLondon
FieldsEnvironment, Energy
Chair
Lord Adair Turner
Co-chair
Dr. Ajay Mathur
Websitewww.energy-transitions.org

Activities

The primary activity of the commission is publishing reports and position papers. They are typically supported by a body of readily available or explicitly commissioned data sets provided by various independent or industry-related organizations. The findings of reports are then reviewed through a broad consultation process within and outside of the commission. Finally, the report or position paper is redacted and generally understood to constitute the collective view of the ETC commission. Although individual commissioners may disagree with particular findings or recommendations, the general direction of the arguments developed in the publications is guided by consensus.[2]

Publications

Since its founding in 2015, the commission has published two extensive reports and half a dozen papers. For example, Pathways from Paris – Accessing the INDC Opportunity, is a 25-page study of INDCs (i.e. the plans developed by individual countries and submitted at the 2015 UN Climate Change Conference in Paris). This investigation highlighted the mechanisms various countries utilize in order to reduce emissions and identify opportunities for further reductions.[3] News outlets of general interest and the specialized press reported summaries of these reports. Both reports outlined below were cited as reference to several articles in a 2018 special report edition of The Economist magazine.[4]

Better Energy, Greater Prosperity

This 120-page report[5] recognized the opportunity to halve global carbon emissions by 2040. According to the report, it is possible to simultaneously ensure economic development and access affordable, sustainable energy for all, while reducing carbon emissions by half the current output.

The report suggested four strategies to be concurrently implemented:

  • Accelerate clean electricity access.
  • Decarbonize beyond power generation, using bioenergy, hydrogen, and carbon capture for industrial activities and transport modes which cannot be electrified in an economical fashion.
  • Improve energy productivity by targeting a 3% energy productivity per year (compared to 1.5% currently)
  • Optimize usage of remaining fossil fuel uses

According to the report, the strategies listed above would have reduced fossil fuel consumption by 30%, but 50% of energy needs would have needed to be met with fossil fuels. This, the report explained, could be solved by optimizing usage of these sources by switching from coal to gas, by preventing methane leakages, and by stopping routine flaring. Another area of optimization would come from carbon capture or sequestration such as underground storage, and finally a decrease in fossil fuel use.

The report suggested two solutions for energy policy:

  • Increased investment, keeping in mind that the investment required by the transition is estimated to be between $300-600 billion USD annually. At this level, the cost would not cause a significant macroeconomic challenge, relative to the approximately $20 trillion in anticipated savings and investments annually. The issue is more one of a shift in the mix of investments: moving away from fossil fuels and toward low carbon technologies and energy-efficient equipment and infrastructure.
  • Public governance, with the introduction of coherent and predictable policies which favour the energetic transition, along with the phasing out of fossil fuel subsidies and the introduction of carbon pricing.

Mission Possible

This 172-page report[6] focused on the "hard to abate sectors", namely:

  • Heavy industry: cement, steel and plastics
  • Heavy duty transport: heavy road transport, maritime shipping, and aviation

Collectively, these sectors currently represent approximately 30% of energy emissions, with the potential to increase to 60% by 2050 (due to the reduction of the share owed to other sectors, and to the demand growth in these hard to abate sectors).

The report concluded that full decarbonization of these sectors is feasible and the cost to the global economy would be less than 0.5% of GDP by 2050. It also identifies cement, plastics and shipping as the most challenging sectors, due to process emissions, end-of-life emissions and the fragmented nature of the maritime industry respectively. The feasibility if not inevitability of some of these transitions, for example these concerning the industrial production of ammonia, are echoed (or in some cases originate from) the respective industry sectors.[7][8][9]

Funding

The ETC is funded by various businesses and organizations, including major oil and gas companies – this was a source of concern from many observers.[10] Current or past sponsors include Bank of America Merrill Lynch, BHP Billiton, Energy Systems Catapult, CO2 Sciences, the European Climate Foundation, the Grantham Foundation and the UN Foundation. Regardless of funding every Commissioner has an equal voice and participation in ETC activities.[11][12]

List of commissioners
Current and past commissioners
Start date End date Current Name Position Company / organization References
2019-09-28YBadar KhanPresidentNational Grid Ventures
2019-09-27YSiddar SharmaGroup chief sustainability officerTata
2018-11-19YDominic EmeryVice-president, group strategic planningBP[13]
2018-11-19YLei ZhangCEOEnvision Group[13]
2018-11-19YMahendra SinghiManaging director and CEODalmia Cement (Bharat) Limited[13]
2018-11-19YNandita ParshadManaging director, energy and natural resourcesEuropean Bank for Reconstruction and Development[13]
2018-11-19YRichard LancasterCEOCLP Holdings Limited
2018-11-19YRobert TrezonaPartner, head of cleantechIP Group
2018-11-19YWill GardinerCEODRAX[13]
2018-11-19YZoe KnightManaging director and group head, Centre of Sustainable FinanceHSBC[13]
2018-09-27YAndreas RegnellSenior vice-president, strategic developmentVattenfall[13]
2018-03-26YMark LaabsManaging directorModern Energy[14][13]
2017-08-19YZhang LeiCEO and founderEnvision Group[15]
2017-04-25YCathy ZoiPresidentOdyssey Energ
2017-04-25YChangwen ZhaoDirector general, Department of Industrial EconomyDevelopment Research Center of the State Council of China[16]
2017-04-25YLaurence TubianaCEOEuropean Climate Foundation
2017-02-13YLaurent AugusteSenior executive vice-president, innovation and marketsVeolia[13][16][17]
2017-02-13YPierre-André de ChalendarChairman and CEOSaint-Gobain[17][13][16]
2016-05-16YAuke LontCEO (previously at Statoil)Statnett[13][16]
2016-05-16YPhilip NewCEOCatapult Energy Systems[18][13][16]
2020-01-01YDamilola OgunbiyiCEOSustainable Energy For All[18][13][16]
2016-03-16YAdair TurnerChairEnergy Transitions Commission[11][13][16]
2016-03-16YAlex LaskeyPresident and founderOpower[19]
2016-03-16YNigel ToppingCEOWe Mean Business.[19][13][16]
2015-09-28YAjay MathurDirector generalThe Energy and Resources Institute,[11][20]
2015-09-28YAndrew SteerPresident and CEOWorld Resources Institute,[20][13]
2015-09-28YChad HollidayChairmanRoyal Dutch Shell[20]
2015-09-28YJules KortenhorstCEORocky Mountain Institute,[20][13][16]
2015-09-28YNicholas SternProfessorLondon School of Economics,[20][13][16]
2015-09-28YTimothy WirthVice chairUnited Nations Foundation,[20][13][16]
2015-09-28YZhao ChangwenDirector general industrial economyDevelopment Research Center State Council China
2019-09-28NLord Gregory BakerExecutive chairman of the board of directorsEN+[20]
2018-11-19NArvid MossExecutive vice president, energy and corporate business developmentHydro
2018-11-19NGopi KatragaddaChief technology officer and innovation headTata Sons
2017-08-19NDeb FrodlGlobal executive directorGE Ecomagination
2017-08-192018-11-19NDidier HolleauxExecutive vice-presidentENGIE[13][21]
2017-04-252018-00-00NRiccardo PulitiSenior director, energy and extractives global practiceWorld Bank
2017-02-132018-00-00NStuart GulliverGroup chief executiveHSBC[17][16]
2016-05-162017-08-11NAl GoreChairmanGeneration Investment Management,[18][16]
2016-05-162017-04-25NMukund RajanMember group executive councilTata[18]
2016-04-152017-01-00NKate GordonVice chair for climate and sustainable urbanizationPaulson Institute
2016-04-152018-00-00NPoppy AllonbyManaging director, natural resourcesBlackRock
2016-03-162018-05-00?NBernard DavidChairman and CEOThe Global CO2 Initiative,[19][14]
2016-03-162017-09-00NPurna SaggurtiChairman, global corporate and investment bankingBank of America Merrill Lynch
2016-03-162017-12-00NTony CudmoreChief public affairs officer / head of sustainability and public policyBHP Billiton[19][15]
2016-03-16NYngve SlyngstadCEONorges Bank Investment Management (NBIM).[19][13][16]
2015-09-282017-04-00NAnita GeorgeSenior director energy and extractivesWorld Bank Group[17]
2015-09-28NDean Dalla ValleChief commercial officer BHP Billiton
2015-09-28NHank PaulsonChairmanPaulson Institute
2015-09-28NJay FaisonFounderClearPath Foundation
2015-09-282018-11-19NJean-Pascal TricoireChairman and CEOSchneider Electric[13][20]
2015-09-282018-00-00NKandeh YumkellaFormer CEOSustainable Energy For All (SE4All)
2015-09-28NLorenzo SimonelliCEOGeneral Electric, Oil & Gas[16]
2015-09-282018-00-00NPeter TeriumCEO RWE AG[20]
2014-08-01NJohannes MeierCEOEuropean Climate Foundation
2014-08-012017-01-00NFelipe CalderonFormer president of Mexico

References
  1. "Energy Transitions Commission launches". ETC. October 2015. Archived from the original on 1 October 2015. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
  2. "Mission Possible report summary" (PDF). ETC. November 2018. p. 4.
  3. "ETC Position Paper and INDC Assessment published". ETC. ETC. April 2016. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
  4. "Sources and Acknowledgements". The Economist. 29 November 2018. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  5. "Better Energy Greater Prosperity – Achievable pathways to low-carbon energy systems" (PDF). ETC. April 2017. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
  6. "Mission Possible – Reaching net-zero carbon emissions from harder to abate sectors by mid-century" (PDF). energy-transitions.org. ETC. November 2018. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
  7. Brown, Trevor (17 January 2019). "Mission Possible: decarbonizing ammonia". ammoniaindustry.com. Ammonia Industry blog. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
  8. "Reaching Net Zero Emissions From the Cement Industry Sector is Possible by Mid Century". concretedecor.net. Concrete Decor Magazine. 8 May 2019. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  9. "Mission possible : but no time to waste". bioplasticsmagazine.com. BioPlastic Magazine. 19 November 2018. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  10. "Shell-funded Energy Transitions Commission 'lacks credibility'". Carbon Tracker. Carbon Tracker. 28 September 2015. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  11. "About ETC". ETC. ETC. October 2015. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
  12. "Despite oil-industry past ETC foresees a full renewable future". UC Berkeley. RAEL. 25 April 2017. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
  13. "ETC release 'Mission Impossible" (PDF). ETC. ETC. 19 November 2018. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
  14. "ETC who we are Apr 2018". ETC. 14 April 2018. Archived from the original on 14 April 2018. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
  15. "ETC who we are Nov 2017". ETC. 15 November 2017. Archived from the original on 15 November 2017. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
  16. "ETC press release" (PDF). ETC. ETC. April 2017. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
  17. "ETC who we are Feb 2017". ETC. 13 February 2017. Archived from the original on 13 February 2017. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
  18. "ETC who we are May 2016". ETC. 16 May 2016. Archived from the original on 16 May 2016. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
  19. "ETC who we are Mar 2016". ETC. 16 March 2016. Archived from the original on 16 March 2016. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
  20. "ETC who we are Sept 2015". ETC. 28 September 2015. Archived from the original on 28 September 2015. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
  21. "ETC who we are Aug 2017". ETC. 19 August 2017. Archived from the original on 19 August 2017. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
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