There are no two ways around it: 2023 was a difficult year for low-carbon energy investment, and 2024 has so far carried on in very much the same vein.
Rising interest rates, fears around future energy policy, cost inflation in some sectors, and perhaps a correction to some earlier over-exuberance, have meant that shares in clean energy companies have generally under-performed the market.
To take a couple of high-profile examples, Tesla shares have fallen about 55% from their peak in 2021, while Ørsted shares are down about 75%.
Capital flows into climate-focused funds has also fallen sharply. Morningstar data suggested that climate-focused funds attracted about $38 billion of new investor money last year, down about 75% from 2021 levels. In the private markets, on the venture capital side, the flows into clean energy also seem to have fallen, if not quite as sharply.
To examine the reasons why low-carbon energy investment is having a rough time of it at the moment, and explore some of the more positive indications in the outlook, host Ed Crooks and regular guest Amy Myers-Jaffe are joined this week by newcomer Dan Goldman, Co-Founder & Managing Partner of Clean Energy Ventures. They discuss the huge shortfall in terms of the investment needed to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement, and raise some ideas for closing the gap. And on the brighter side, they look at the healthy ecosystem of innovative companies working on new ideas that could solve the toughest problems in energy and climate.
Mobilizing capital will be the key to tackling the threat of global warming. How can we make sure the money flows where it is needed?
Plus, two specific ideas that could make big contributions to decarbonizing the energy system. Grid-enhancing technologies can help overcome transmission capacity bottlenecks that are obstacles to the deployment of renewable energy. Dan's firm Clean Energy Ventures has invested in a company called LineVision that has provides those technologies, and he and Amy explain why they are important.
And finally, as the aviation industry continues to grapple with the best ways to cut emissions, Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is a popular potential solution. The gang discuss the potential of companies like OXCCU, which is backed by Clean Energy Ventures, and the fundamental scientific challenges inherent to producing e-fuels from hydrogen and carbon dioxide. Keep an eye out for an upcoming episode with an in-depth look at SAF and OXCCU, on our sister podcast The Interchange.
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