Fostering carbon-free sources of energy in the world:  China, the EU and the US at the forefront

Tuesday July 23rd

2024 14:00 – 17:00 (Paris time) 

20:00 – 23:00 (China time) 

08:00 – 11:00 (US EST time)

ONLINE EVENT

According to the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), the global mean temperature from February  2023 to January 2024 has been the highest ever: 1.52°C above the 1850-1900 period. The 1.5°C threshold  agreed on at the Paris COP21 is probably already reached while GHG emissions keep growing every year. 

The challenge ahead is gigantic. One of the major parameters to avoid a disastrous global warming lies in  the increase of carbon-free sources of energy. The two sources which are the most promising, and whose  production needs and can increase at the right pace are renewables and nuclear.  

This event organised in a trilateral format by the Chinese International Finance Forum, the European Task  Force on Carbon Pricing and the American Paulson Institute will explore the current state of production  of these two sources of energy, the obstacles to their development and what could be done in order to foster  their development. Focus will be put on the price of carbon. The global responsibility of the three main  economic blocks (the US, China and Europe), acting if possible in concertation, will be put in the spotlight.  

DRAFT AGENDA

20:00 – 20:15   Welcome remarks 

ZHU Xian, IFF Executive Vice President, Former Vice President of the World Bank 

Deborah Lehr, Vice Chairman and Executive Director of the Paulson Institute 

Edmond Alphandéry, Chairman of the Task Force on Carbon Pricing in Europe

20:15 – 20:25   Guest speaker:Peter Jungen, Co-Founder and President of the European Business  

Angels Network on the role of technology and of the startups microenvironment

20:25 – 21:40   Session 1 – Coping with the Dubai objective of tripling renewable capacity by 2030  

Despite major successes in some countries, China in the first place, there are still obstacles  to the development of renewable energy. In Europe for example, many firms scaled back  their projects due to the low price of electricity and the high level of interest rates. Part of  the answer rests on the price of carbon.

20:25 – 20:35   Introduction: COP28 Tripling Renewable Capacity Pledge: the issue

Heymi Bahar, Senior Analyst, Renewable Energy Markets and Policy at the IEA

20:35 – 20:42   Speaker for the EU: Nicolas Piau, Founding Partner & CEO of TiLT Capital, Member of  the Siparex Executive Committee, on financial hurdles to overcome: higher interest rates  coupled with a lower price of electricity

20:42 – 20:49   Speaker for China: XIE Tian, General Manager of Strategic Management Center, LONGi  Green Energy Technology, on the role of the Chinese policy for renewables'development

20:49 – 20:56  Speaker for the US: Damian Ma, Managing Director, MacroPolo think-tank of the Paulson  Institute, on the state of renewables development in the US

20:56 – 21:40   Discussion with the floor

21:40 – 21:55   Session 2 – The comeback of nuclear: its indispensable input in the fight against  global warming

There is a growing momentum for nuclear in the world. In Dubai, more than 20 countries,  including the US, the UK and France, agreed to try to triple global nuclear power capacity  by 2050. The importance of nuclear to fight global warming should not be underestimated.  There are still major hurdles in its development. The price of carbon is certainly an  important catalyst to the return of nuclear.

21:40 – 21:50   Introduction: The resurgence of nuclear power generation

Malwina Qvist, Nuclear Program Lead at the Clean Air Task Force (CATF)

21:50 – 21:57   Speaker for the EU: Christian Stoffaës, Honorary General Engineer of Mines, President  of Cercle des ingénieurs-économistes

21:57 – 22:04   Speaker for China: ZHOU Sheng, Associate Professor, Institute of Energy, Environment  and Economy of Tsinghua University, on nuclear power development in China under  carbon peak and carbon neutrality targets

22:04 – 22:11   Speaker for the US: Daniel B. Poneman, Former US Deputy Secretary of Energy and  former President and CEO of Centrus Energy Corp., on a nuclear momentum in the US?

22:11 – 22:55   Discussion with the floor

22:55 – 23:00   Concluding remarks