Global Opportunity
Expanding Our Impact in China, Africa, the Caribbean, and Beyond
Written by Jules Kortenhorst, CEO of Rocky Mountain Institute. Follow Jules on Twitter @JulesKortenhors.
Just this past May, scientists predicted that at two carbon dioxide measuring stations in distant parts of the world — in Australia and Hawaii — the levels will not dip below 400 ppm again. The effects of climate change are visible everywhere, perhaps nowhere more so than on islands, greatly impacted by rising sea levels, increased storm intensity, and high energy costs. China, now the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, is facing debilitating smog in many of its urban centers. And as emerging economies around the world continue to grow, they are expected to become major sources of air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
Although the world’s energy problems might seem daunting, there is much reason for optimism. In the past year, President Obama and China’s President Xi Jinping reaffirmed their determination to move ahead decisively to implement domestic climate policies, to strengthen bilateral coordination and cooperation, and to promote the transition to low-carbon and climate-resilient economies. And in Paris, delegates from nearly 200 countries approved a historic agreement to address climate change.
Yet emerging economies and developing countries need our help to translate their Paris commitments into implementation plans. That is why Rocky Mountain Institute, with your help, is working to transform energy use on a global scale.
Global Reach
In this issue of Solutions Journal, you will read about our work with the Chinese government and influential partners to deliver an economically compelling alternative development path for the country, through our Reinventing Fire: China program. You will discover how the Alliance of Peaking Pioneer Cities (APPC) is helping 23 Chinese cities peak carbon emissions early and low by providing technical support and resources, and how we are working with the APPC to create a peaking handbook that any Chinese city can use to do the same. You will also learn how we are freeing Caribbean and other islands from their dependence on expensive, imported oil, and helping increase access to affordable, reliable electricity in sub-Saharan Africa. Our Islands Energy Program and SEED Program (Sustainable Energy for Economic Development) are critical to these countries’ necessary integrated energy transitions.
As the world becomes more connected, and climate change affects each and every one of us, a global viewpoint is crucial. So we speak with our board member Maria van der Hoeven, former head of the International Energy Agency, about energy security and the importance of collaboration to transform our energy future.
Helping at Home
Of course, we are also working close to home. In this issue we take you on a photo tour of our new Innovation Center in Basalt, Colorado. Our net-zero energy office building serves as a “living lab” and a practical model to propel the industry toward deep green buildings.
These and other stories within these pages show that a clean energy future is within our grasp. But we need to act faster to reach the targets set in Paris, and keep global temperature rise well below 2 degrees Celsius. Through the international projects described in these pages — along with our work decreasing emissions of the global shipping and aviation industries, and in the U.S. accelerating the transition from fossil fuels to renewables, transforming mobility in cities, improving the efficiency of trucking, addressing fugitive methane emissions, and increasing building efficiency — RMI is working hard to help realize a global energy revolution.
But we can’t do it alone. Our industry and philanthropic partners are integral to our success. With your support, we can transform global energy use to create a clean, prosperous, and secure low-carbon future.
