Policy Integrity’s Webinar Series: Informing Critical Discussions at Climate Week and Beyond
As Climate Week NYC 2024 begins, leaders from business, government, and the climate community in general are convening to discuss and share solutions to some of the most significant obstacles still facing the clean energy transition. How can we reduce emissions from hard-to-decarbonize industrial processes? How do we rapidly electrify everyday processes, like residential heating, that currently rely on fossil fuels? How do we create useful models of an energy system that is in flux? And how can we do all of this in an equitable way?
Indeed, researchers around the country investigate each of these questions every day. Over the past year, the Institute for Policy Integrity hosted a webinar series on energy and environmental research during which we showcased the cutting-edge work of many of these researchers. We also highlighted the critical need for interaction between researchers, policymakers, and communities affected by energy and environmental policy decisions. Supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, our five webinars — and the panelists who spoke at each of them — explored crucial aspects of the energy transition, offering insights that are highly relevant to the discussions taking place during Climate Week and will remain relevant for stakeholders interested in solving some of our most difficult climate problems.
Industrial Decarbonization: Paving the Way for a New Industrial Revolution
Our webinar on Industrial Decarbonization (featuring Dr. Rebecca Ciez, Dr. Erin Mayfield, Simon Mashala, and Dr. Avi Shultz) explored the complex task of decarbonizing industrial sectors like steel, cement, and chemical manufacturing. The discussion revealed that the path to industrial decarbonization requires more than just technological solutions; it demands a holistic approach that considers economic viability, social equity, and environmental sustainability. Key insights included the importance of integrating non-cost objectives into decisionmaking processes, the potential impacts of renewable energy integration on manufacturing processes, and the role of government support throughout the innovation timeline. The webinar highlighted the need for comprehensive tools to assist policymakers and industry leaders in making informed decisions about sustainable industrial processes, emphasizing that the transition to low-carbon industry is not just a technological challenge but also a social and economic one.
Modeling the Energy Transition: Preparing for the Future of Energy and Transport
The Modeling the Energy Transition webinar (featuring Dr. Oleg Lugovoy, Dr. Zane Selvans, Dr. Wei Peng, and Jignasa Gadani) underscored the critical role of modeling in helping policymakers understand how the future energy system may take shape under different policy scenarios. The webinar highlighted the importance of open-source energy models and the need to make public data more accessible for analysis. A key theme was the integration of human-centered considerations into decarbonization pathways, making models more reflective of real-world complexities and impacts on society. The discussion also emphasized the importance of considering exposure disparities and health impacts across different population segments within models. By bringing together perspectives from academia, non-profits, and regulatory agencies, the webinar provided a comprehensive view of how modeling can inform and improve energy policy decisions in the context of rapid technological and societal changes.
Electrification in Buildings and Communities: Reimagining How We Build and Live
Our Electrification in Buildings and Communities webinar (featuring Dr. Ana Dyreson, Dr. Sergio Castellanos, Dr. Paulo Cesar Tabares-Velasco, and Dr. Henry C. McKoy) emphasized that the transition to a decarbonized energy system will require rapid, cost-effective, resilient, and equitable electrification of homes and other buildings. The webinar explored various approaches to building electrification, from community-level retrofits to financial mechanisms for overcoming upfront cost barriers. Some of the panelists focused on the unique challenges faced by different types of communities, including rural areas and low-income neighborhoods. The discussion also highlighted the importance of workforce development and consumer education in advancing electrification efforts. By addressing both technical and social aspects of building electrification, this webinar provided valuable insights into the complexities of transforming our built environment in the face of climate change.
Energy Access and Equity: Ensuring a Just Transition
The Energy Access and Equity webinar (featuring Jon Binder, Dr. Jonathan Colmer, Dr. Anissa Dickerman, Dr. Diana Hernández, and Dr. Benjamin Sovacool) featuring explored the real-world challenges of implementing equitable energy policies, emphasizing that energy equity and justice cannot be an afterthought as the clean energy transition accelerates. The webinar covered a range of topics, from novel approaches to data collection in underserved communities to the often-hidden impacts of renewable energy supply chains. A key focus was on understanding and addressing energy insecurity as a public health concern, with discussions on how to measure and mitigate these impacts. The event also highlighted the importance of considering distributional effects in clean energy job creation and policy design. By bringing together diverse perspectives on energy equity, this webinar underscored the complex interplay between technological changes in the energy sector and broader societal impacts.
Energy Disruptions and Resilience: Preparing for Climate Challenges
Our webinar on Energy Disruptions and Resilience (featuring Dr. Duncan Callaway, Dr. Mikhail Chester, Dr. Erica Fischer, and Leuwam Tesfai) focused on the increasing threat that climate change poses to the resilience of our power grid and other critical infrastructure. The discussion covered a wide range of topics, from the tradeoffs in power system planning and operations to the modeling of infrastructure interdependencies and cascading failures. A significant portion of the webinar was dedicated to exploring the impacts of specific climate-related hazards, such as wildfires, on various infrastructure systems. The event also highlighted regulatory perspectives on enhancing grid resilience while meeting ambitious clean energy targets. Throughout the webinar, speakers emphasized the need for interdisciplinary approaches and collaboration among researchers, policymakers, and utilities to address these complex challenges. This event underscored that creating a clean, safe, affordable, and reliable grid in the face of climate change is not a question of if, but how.
As Climate Week NYC 2024 convenes to showcase new ideas for tackling the climate crisis, our webinar series provides valuable context and insights for these critical discussions. By bringing together diverse experts and perspectives, we’ve contributed to the knowledge base that informs policy decisions and corporate strategies in the fight against climate change. We invite you to explore the recordings of these webinars and join us in continuing these important conversations during Climate Week and beyond.
