PITTSBURGH—At the opening of the Global Clean Energy Action Forum, which gathers more than 30 energy ministers from around the world in Pittsburgh, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), the leading think tank for science and technology policy, released the following statement from the director of ITIF’s Center for Clean Energy Innovation, David Hart:
The world will not reach net-zero emissions by 2050 without dramatically accelerating the pace of clean energy and climate innovation. The 2021 Glasgow climate conference generated promising new initiatives including Mission Innovation 2.0, which includes hydrogen, carbon dioxide removal, and low-carbon shipping among its priorities. But past experience demonstrates that promises like those made in Glasgow aren’t always kept. Moreover, critical gaps, such as funding for capital-intensive demonstration projects and agreements to promote innovation-friendly trade in carbon-intensive goods, still plague the global energy innovation system. It is vital that the nations represented in Pittsburgh invest more in climate innovation, diversify their portfolios, and cooperate more effectively to fill these gaps and speed progress toward affordable and effective climate solutions.
ITIF senior analyst Hoyu Chong added:
Trends in public investment in energy RD&D have been discouraging until very recently. The original Mission Innovation nations fell far short of the promised doubling of their investments between 2015 and 2020. Mission Innovation 2.0 has taken promising steps to begin to fill important gaps in the global climate-tech portfolio. But there is much more to be done; governments must follow through on their pledges and set even more ambitious targets in the future.
For more on this issue, see:
- David Hart and Hoyu Chong, “Climate Innovation Policy from Glasgow to Pittsburgh,” (Nature Energy, September 12, 2022).
- Hoyu Chong, “Mission Critical: The Global Energy Innovation System Is Not Thriving,” (ITIF, January 2022).
- Chad A. Smith and David M. Hart, “The 2021 Global Energy Innovation Index: National Contributions to the Global Clean Energy Innovation System,” (ITIF, October 2021).
Members of the media at the Global Clean Energy Action Forum are invited to join ITIF on Friday, September 23, at 09:00 AM EDT, for a panel discussion of approaches to leverage demonstration projects and international cooperation to accelerate the clean energy transition. This event, side event #C54, is co-hosted by ITIF, the International Energy Agency, ISGAN, the United Nations Environment Programme, Mission Innovation, and the Ministero della Transizione Ecologica. Details follow.
Discussion: “Demo! Scalable and Replicable Demonstration Projects to Accelerate Decarbonization Worldwide”
Date and Time: Friday, September 23, 2022 09:00-10:00 AM EDT
Featured Speakers:
- David Hart, Director, ITIF’s Center for Clean Energy Innovation
- Brian Motherway, Head of Energy Efficiency, International Energy Agency
- Kelly Cummins, Acting Director, Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations, United States Department of Energy
- Reena Suri, Executive Director, India Smart Grid Forum
- Mark Radka, Chief of the Energy and Climate Branch, United Nations Environment Programme
- Anna Krzyzanowska, Advisor to DG RTD, European Commission
To RSVP: Register via the Global Clean Energy Action Forum
