Topic: technology

Delivering on the Clean Energy Economy: The Role of Policy in Developing Successful Domestic Solar and Wind Industries

Sarah Parsons — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 14:57:39 -0500

Executive Summary

Data Explorer Tool

The release of this paper is accompanied by the launch of an interactive Data Explorer Tool, which enables users to view, chart, and compare underlying data from our research.

Users can explore data for a specific country–or see how that country stacks up against others–in terms of correlating select “benefits” (manufacturing, domestic installations, and jobs) with changes in key national policies. In addition to pulling out raw data, the tool allows users to uncover the stories inside the numbers: For example, how does the growth in wind manufacturing capacity in China compare to the U.S. over the past 10 years? And what key policies were introduced in both countries over that period?

The renewable energy industry is expanding to meet the needs of a large and growing global market for clean and secure energy. This growth is likely to continue, with electricity production from non-hydro renewable energy sources expected to grow more than eight-fold from 2009 to 2035, if countries implement their existing commitments, and draw nearly US$3 trillion in investment. In this globalized industry, no single country has a monopoly on the supply chain or the opportunities to benefit from this expansion.

Competition is fierce and the industry is changing rapidly. Energy—and electricity in particular—is a highly policy dependent market, strongly shaped by regulation, incentives, and public goals. There are a number of different factors that drive policymakers to consider the development of domestic renewable energy industries including energy security, environmental considerations, providing more universal access to energy, and as an economic development opportunity. Now, many policymakers are weighing how to take advantage of improvements in the renewable energy global supply chains that include lower costs, higher quality equipment, and improved performance to deliver domestic energy more cheaply, while still nurturing and protecting domestic industries that create highly visible “green jobs.”

These two goals—creating robust and growing domestic industries and delivering affordable domestic energy—are both central to business-as-usual economic development. Doing both in the context of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and other environmental impacts delivers on the promise of green growth in the energy sector. In nearly every country, it is politically very difficult to pursue one of these goals to the exclusion of the other. There is little political patience with using public resources to support a highly import-dependent clean energy deployment strategy, while raising energy costs, including to support domestic manufacturing or subsidize technologies, is equally politically challenging.

The renewable energy industry seems to offer opportunities to meet energy and economic development goals, but is there evidence that this promise has come to fruition? If there is, how did policymakers help deliver those results for their countries? This paper focuses on solar PV and wind industries in China, Germany, India, Japan, and the United States and provides a historical cross-country analysis, drawing from individual country cases, which aims to:

Determine which policies have been introduced to support the broader value chain—research and development(R&D), manufacturing, installation, and power generation—of the solar PV and wind industries in each country;
Track the trends in industry development in terms of size, installed capacity, jobs created (where available), and equipment prices (where available); and
Analyze how countries are finding success in both creating a healthy domestic industry and delivering low-cost, domestic clean energy.

This working paper emerges from a collaboration of five leading research institutions: World Resources Institute(WRI), Institute for Global Environmental Strategies(IGES), Öko Institut, Renmin University of China, and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), based in the target countries. Researchers at each institution reviewed and gathered information from domestic and international data sources to create a richly nuanced but still comparable review of the development of these industries.

The assessment attempts to uncover in particular how policymakers have cultivated successes. Countries have pursued a range of policies to accomplish these goals and there is now sufficient history in the solar PV and wind industries to begin to draw conclusions about whether countries have met their goals and what policy steps have been effective along the way.

Open Climate Network Analysis

Kevin Lustig — Thu, 17 May 2012 12:16:37 -0400

Use the list to the right to explore available analysis from the Open Climate Network »

Projected Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reductions from the Power Sector under the Clean Energy Standard Act of 2012, S. 2146

Nicholas Bianco — Tue, 08 May 2012 14:50:26 -0400

This analysis provides an assessment of the projected power sector greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions from S. 2146, the Clean Energy Standard Act of 2012 (CESA), introduced by Senator Bingaman and eight cosponsors on March 1, 2012. CESA establishes a standard for clean energy generation in the United States through 2035. In 2035 covered utilities must supply 84 percent of their total annual sales of electricity from clean sources. CESA defines “clean” on the basis of a generator’s greenhouse gas emissions intensity, and thus can drive significant reductions in emissions.

Download the Complete Analysis (PDF, 646 Kb) (includes footnotes and references)
More WRI Bill Analysis

Findings

CESA can reduce GHG emissions from the power sector approximately 12-18 percent (295-428 million metric tons CO2e) below 2005 levels in 2020 and 49-56 percent (1,194-1,357 mmtCO2e) below 2005 levels in 2035, assuming that affected utilities meet their obligations under the program by generating electricity from clean sources or purchasing credits from other clean sources. The figure also compares the projected reductions from CESA to the power sector reductions that were predicted to occur under the American Clean Energy Security Act (ACESA, or Waxman-Markey), which is the only comprehensive climate bill to pass either house of Congress and would have reduced total U.S. GHG emissions (i.e., economy-wide) 17 percent below 2005 levels in 2020.
The GHG reductions from CESA are significant, but not sufficient to reduce U.S. economy-wide GHG emissions 17 percent below 2005 levels in 2020 without ambitious greenhouse gas abatement measures from other sectors.

Power Almanac of the American Midwest

Kevin Lustig — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 14:07:40 -0400

Fact Sheet: The Power of Innovation: Meeting our Energy Challenges through Accelerated Innovation

Micah Ziegler — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 12:44:38 -0500

Innovation can close the gap between the low-carbon technologies of today and the low-cost, high performance technologies the world needs.

Download PDF (PDF, 920 Kb) (includes additional references)
More WRI Climate Fact Sheets
Read more on WRI Insights: Want Low-Cost Clean Energy? Bank on Innovation

This fact sheet is based on the WRI working paper Two Degrees of Innovation — How to Seize the Opportunities in Low-Carbon Power.

Download Fact Sheet (PDF, 920 Kb)

We are facing two urgent energy challenges. We need to maintain modern energy services and expand energy access to another 1.4 billion people.¹ We also need to mitigate further climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, including carbon dioxide from fossil fuel burning.² Low-carbon technologies such as wind and solar power exist and have the technical capacity to meet global energy needs,³ but they are expensive compared to high-carbon alternatives and face performance challenges like requiring large quantities of water or land. They are new to the energy system and can create integration headaches. Innovation—improvements in cost and performance—will close the gap between the low-carbon technologies of today and the low-cost, high performance technologies the world needs.

These infographics demonstrate how innovations in solar photovoltaic (PV) and wind power over the past thirty years have dramatically improved performance and reduced cost, creating the technologies we recognize today. They also project the target costs that experts estimate are necessary to reach our energy goals, highlighting how much more we need to innovate.

For example, if we built the solar PV installations necessary by 2050 using technology from 1982, we would spend US$53.5 trillion (2010$). Building the same solar capacity with 2008 technology would only cost US$8.46 trillion. If we meet the cost goal set by the United States Department of Energy (DOE) Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) we would spend just US$1.58 trillion. Similarly, between 1982 technology and ARPA-E’s goal technology, the total land area required for solar panels would drop by 64 percent.

Innovation is a powerful, cumulative process but it does not happen automatically in a highly regulated sector like electricity. It is critical that policymakers support innovators by building a robust, dynamic innovation ecosystem. This goes beyond investing in public research and development and creating markets through subsidies. It also includes building collaborative networks, creating stable regulatory environments, providing infrastructure, supporting innovators’ needs for finance, and building capacity in the workforce.

To achieve a 50 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 (compared to 2005 levels) the International Energy Agency estimates that 3,155 GW of photovoltaic capacity will be required by 2050, enough to provide 11 percent of global electricity production. Over time, innovations have made reaching this target easier.⁴ Innovations like new materials and improved methods of production, including improvements through learning-by-doing and finding economies of scale, made solar photovoltaic cells significantly cheaper and more efficient between 1982 and 2008. While many factors—such as commodity prices—also impact costs, future innovations can continue to improve solar cells and push toward a competitive cost of equipment, estimated in U.S. electricity markets to be US$0.50/Wp by the U.S. Department of Energy.

To achieve a 50 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 (compared to 2005 levels) the International Energy Agency estimates that 2,000 GW of installed wind capacity will be required by 2050, enough to provide 12 percent of global electricity production. Over time, innovations have made reaching this target easier.⁵ Between 1985 and 2010, innovations like new materials and improved methods of production, including improvements through learning-by-doing and finding economies of scale, made wind turbines more capable and their electricity cheaper. While many factors—such as commodity prices—also impact costs, future innovations can continue to improve wind turbines and farms and push toward a competitive position in electricity markets, estimated in U.S. electricity markets to be a levelized cost of electricity of US$.069/kWh by the American Wind Energy Association.

International Energy Agency, “Access to Electricity,” World Energy Outlook, 2010, http://www.worldenergyoutlook.org/electricity.asp. ↩
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Working Groups I, II and III, Climate Change 2007: Synthesis Report, IPCC Assessment Report (Valencia, Spain, 2007), http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar4/syr/ar4_syr.pdf. ↩
Ottmar Edenhofer et al., IPCC Special Report on Renewable Energy Sources and Climate Change Mitigation - Summary for Policymakers (Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2011), 7, http://srren.ipcc-wg3.de/report/IPCC_SRREN_SPM. ↩
These calculations focus on crystalline silicon photovoltaic technology only, assume photovoltaic cells operate at peak capacity, and only consider module cost. For simplicity, this excludes many other factors that can make solar photovoltaic installations more efficient and cheaper, such as careful siting, improved operations, and reduced maintenance costs. This analysis includes only the solar module cost and omits installation and maintenance costs. ↩
The graphic slightly understates the story; the difference in number of turbines needed is so large that it was necessary to round up to make the comparison visible at all. Each turbine in the graphic represents approximately 1 million turbines. The 50% reduction goal could be met by 1.25 million 1.6 MW turbines and 200,000 10 MW turbines. In addition, these calculations focus on horizontal-rotor, onshore wind turbines and treat the 2,000 GW target as “nameplate” capacity. The cost calculations use estimates of the levelized (or lifecycle) cost of energy (or electricity) and compute the cost of producing 5,200 TWh of wind energy, which is stipulated in the IEA Blue Scenario Wind Goal. ↩

COP 17: Durban

Kevin Lustig — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 13:42:52 -0500

UPDATE: Read WRI’s summary of the outcome of the Durban talks and review of key issues: Reflections On COP 17 In Durban

More information on China and climate change at ChinaFAQs.

From November 28 to December 8, 2011, the United Nations hosted the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP) in South Africa.

WRI experts were in attendance at this latest meeting under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to help inform the talks. Below, you can find a variety of materials from the World Resources Institute that shed light on key areas of international climate policy.

Adaptation

World Resources Report 2010-2011: Decision Making in a Changing Climate: WRI’s flagship report offers specific, practical strategies and innovative case studies to inform how to integrate climate change risks into national policies and planning.
Report | Website

Making Adaptation Count: Concepts and Options for Monitoring and Evaluation of Climate Change Adaptation: A practical framework for monitoring and evaluation systems to track the success and failure of adaptation initiatives.

Finance

Power, Responsibility, and Accountability: Re-Thinking the Legitimacy of Institutions for Climate Finance: An objective analysis of ongoing efforts to finance mitigation and adaptation in developing countries.

Greenhouse Gas Accounting

Greenhouse Gas Protocol Product Life Cycle Accounting and Reporting Standard: Provides requirements and guidance for quantifying and publicly reporingt an inventory of GHG emissions and removals associated with a specific product.
Greenhouse Gas Protocol Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) Accounting and Reporting Standard: Provides requirements and guidance for preparing and publicly reporting a GHG emissions inventory that includes indirect emissions resulting from value chain activities.

International Agreement

Building the Climate Change Regime: Survey and Analysis of Approaches: Seeks to identify concrete pathways for building an international “climate change regime” by surveying academic literature and proposals by NGOs and governments.

Assessing Non-Annex I Pledges: Building a Case for Clarification: Builds a case for the need to clarify the assumptions, methodologies, and other critical details underlying non-Annex I GHG mitigation activity pledges.

Science

Blog post: Five Takeaways from the IPCC Report on Extreme Weather and Climate Change
Blog post: IPCC Report Adds To Studies Tying Climate Change To Extreme Weather
Blog post: Study Testing Skeptics’ Critiques Reconfirms Basic Climate Science
Blog post: Q & A On The Release Of Climate Science 2009-2010

Technology

Two Degrees of Innovation—How to Seize the Opportunities in Low-Carbon Power: A strategic framework for policymakers seeking to capitalize on the low-carbon transition.
Working Paper | Fact Sheet

Grounding Green Power: Bottom-Up Perspectives on Smart Renewable Energy Policy in Developing Countries: Identifies key components of smart renewable energy policy in developing countries.

Two Degrees of Innovation: How to Seize the Opportunities in Low-Carbon Power

Maggie Barron — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 10:38:40 -0400

This paper offers a strategic framework for those seeking to capitalize on the low-carbon transition. The first section presents innovation as a key strategy to achieve economic development, energy, and environmental goals. The second section explains why the innovation process is unique in the low-carbon power sector and introduces the innovation ecosystem. The third section lays out a stepby- step process to identify and capitalize on the enormous potential and emerging opportunities in this sector.

Key Points

A global transformation of the energy infrastructure is urgently needed to meet the need for modern energy services while avoiding a climate disaster.
There is a large and growing global market for utility-scale, low carbon power technologies as this transformation begins. Both developed and emerging economies can benefit from it but competing in the global value chain will require explicitly building innovation capacity.
Innovation—improvements in price and performance—will close the gap between low-carbon technologies today and the low-cost, high performance technologies that are needed.
Innovations include new products, processes, or policies that reduce costs or improve performance and can happen at any point in a technology’s lifecycle—from design through manufacturing through operations and maintenance.
The innovation ecosystem approach captures the complexity, uncertainty, and heterogeneity of innovation processes and identifies the critical services innovators need to thrive. These are the services policymakers need to focus on when investing in innovation.
The framework provides step-by-step guidance to identify the opportunities in the sector and build a robust innovation ecosystem to capture them.

Is the Fit Right? Considering Technological Maturity in Designing Renewable Energy Policy

Kevin Lustig — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 14:20:52 -0400

Recent studies suggest that the United States can greatly expand its deployment of renewable energy resources beyond current levels. This would reduce emissions of harmful pollutants and enhance energy security by diversifying the nation’s domestic energy supply. This brief describes a number of policy tools that can be employed to drive investment in renewable energy technologies and discusses which policy options may be the best fit based on the commercial maturity of a targeted technology. We examine several policy tools to describe where they have been most effective to advance technology progress along the innovation chain. The findings and recommendations presented are based on a study of the literature on technology innovation and policy best practices, as well as on discussions with experts in the field, policymakers, and private sector companies involved in renewable energy projects.

Key findings:

Grants can be used to fund technologies in their earliest stages—research and development (R&D) and early-stage demonstration. The R&D stage involves significant uncertainty as to whether the concept will ever lead to a viable technology application. Grants help overcome this risk because they provide an important cost share for investment to research and develop the technology further. Technologies in the demonstration stage typically have difficulty accessing commercial investment due to uncertainty on technical performance and the inability to provide performance warranties. It is unclear whether they will eventually be financially profitable, particularly in the near-term. Demonstration grants allow commercial investors time to pilot and evaluate a new technology with appropriate due diligence. This can reduce risk perception and facilitate further investment.
Loan guarantee programs are well suited for technologies in the commercialization and early deployment stages. In these stages, project performance remains uncertain, making it difficult to attract investors. Loan guarantees help attract private investors by sharing the risk of technical failure with a financially secure and credible entity (namely, a government agency).
Tax credits and feed-in tariffs (FITs) can help advance technologies in the later stages of innovation, namely commercialization and early deployment. These policies allow projects to earn more profit for electricity produced so that they earn the revenues needed to offset higher upfront investment costs.
Renewable electricity standards (RES) are most effective for more mature technologies that are in early deployment. An RES creates demand for renewable electricity and allows the market to determine how to most efficiently supply it; thus the market sets the premium paid to renewable resources. RES mandates can allow for open competition among a range of different technologies, or can be tailored with a carve-out to promote specific technologies that are not yet cost competitive with other renewables. The carve-out option can be a good fit for technologies that are still in the commercialization phase.
A favorable regulatory environment is important to ensure that renewable energy technologies do not face inherent disadvantages due to interconnection standards, utility pricing structures, and other legal hurdles. Failing to address regulatory barriers to renewables can increase their cost of deployment and reduce the effectiveness of incentive programs.

Technology Transfer

Kevin Lustig — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 16:02:40 -0400

Technology transfer refers to the manner in which technologies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and aid climate adaptation efforts are developed and shared across borders. Developing countries will need more than financial investment to address climate change; they will need new technology for reducing emissions, such as wind and solar power, and adaptation. Technology transfer also requires collaboration and the sharing of knowledge and skills to ensure that emerging economies have the capacity to follow best practices and use the technology to greatest effect.

Technology transfer is key to reaching a global agreement on efforts to fight climate change because it will facilitate emissions reductions and adapting to a changing climate. WRI works with decision makers in both developed and developing countries to ensure that the benefits of innovative clean technology are available around the globe.

Renewable Energy & Efficiency

Kevin Lustig — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 15:43:14 -0400

Open Climate Network

The Open Climate Network (OCN) is an independent, international partnership that tracks and reports on the progress of key countries on climate change. OCN partners will be tracking clean technology policies, investment, jobs, and more in countries around the globe.

Read more

A variety of technologies, including wind power and solar power, exist today to provide low-cost, low-carbon power to nations and communities of all sizes, and a variety of policies and incentives can make renewable energy both effective and economical everywhere. WRI works to help stakeholders navigate the technical, financial, and policy issues surrounding renewable energy and energy efficiency, and promote those actions that make clean power available to everyone.

Wind and Solar Power

Clean electricity produced by the power of the wind and the sun is key to efforts to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that are causing climate change. WRI provides resources to help key groups identify the right mix of policies, strategies, and incentives to maximize the benefits of these technologies. Read more

» See all WRI resources on wind power | solar power

Renewable Energy in Developing Countries

The majority of new electrical capacity around the world in the coming decades will be built in developing countries–the same countries that are at greatest risk from the impacts of climate change. WRI works with partners around the world to identify the right mechanisms for growing renewable energies in developing countries. Read more

» See all WRI resources on renewable energy in developing countries

Energy Efficiency Financing in China

The China Energy Efficiency Financing project seeks to help remove one of the principal barriers to implementing energy efficiency projects in the industrial sector in China – lack of access to financing sources under reasonable terms. Read more

Low-Carbon Energy Technology

Kevin Lustig — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 15:37:59 -0400

The engine of economic growth around the globe has traditionally run on fossil fuels. However, a wide variety of technologies now provide opportunities for tremendous growth while reducing the risk to our climate. WRI informs efforts to employ an effective mix of policy, economic mechanisms, and international cooperation to spur the global energy transformation yielding low-cost, safe, and reliable low carbon energy solutions.

Use these links to explore WRI’s work on low-carbon energy technology:

Low-Carbon Development in Emerging Economies

Kevin Lustig — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 15:25:58 -0400

Today’s major emerging economies — countries such as Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, and South Africa — face the challenge of increasing economic development while also overcoming serious barriers to energy access and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. These countries recognize the need for a shift to low-carbon climate-resilient development, but seek solutions that do not compromise growth.

It is possible to meet this challenge while addressing climate change. WRI’s vision is that these countries make a clear link between low-carbon growth and long-term prosperity, and support policies and incentives that advance national development priorities while significantly reducing GHGs. If successful, these countries would redefine the conventional growth paradigm, and offer innovative solutions that set the world firmly on a low-carbon and climate-resilient path.

Use the links below to explore WRI’s work on emerging economies:

WRI’s work by country:

(Click on a highlighted country for publications and other resources)

Who Pays for Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage (CCS) Demonstrations in Developing Countries?

Francisco Almendra — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 12:57:35 -0400

On April 7th, a group of 24 Energy Ministers met in Abu Dhabi for the 2nd Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM). The group represented the governments of countries collectively responsible for over 80% of global energy consumption, and together they agreed to increase efforts to deploy carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) on a commercial scale worldwide.

In addition to this general agreement, the governments of Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Norway, Republic of Korea, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, the United States and the United Kingdom agreed to initiate one or more concrete actions on CCS before the next Clean Energy Ministerial, which will be hosted next year in London. This announcement may provide a major boost to CCS technology, if countries can find a way to finance such projects.

The agreement came in the wake of recommendations set forth by the Carbon Capture Use and Storage (CCUS) Action Group—led by the United Kingdom and Australia and composed of 13 governments and 14 international institutions, including WRI—which included the need to identify and advance appropriate funding mechanisms to support the demonstration of large-scale CCS projects in developing economies.

Cost Barriers in Developing Countries

In its 2009 CCS Roadmap, the International Energy Agency estimated that that 3,400 CCS projects will be needed by 2050 to meet the global climate change mitigation challenge and two-thirds of them will need to be implemented in developing countries. However, CCS development in a non-OECD context has been slow to start, especially when it comes to large-scale (greater than1 million tons of CO2 per year) demonstration projects.

One of the main barriers to CCS demonstrations in developing countries is their significant cost— developing countries often do not have enough resources at their disposal to fund a robust CCS demonstration program by themselves. WRI sees the need to develop effective financing strategies to enable the implementation of CCS demonstration projects worldwide. CCS demonstration projects are one of the key ways to assess if the technology works and its potential to be part of the solutions portfolio against global climate change going forward.

Financing Options

The decision in the Clean Energy Ministerial is a step in the right direction, although more significant action needs to occur. The lack of funding for CCS development in developing countries is part of a broader challenge to finance CCS demonstrations and provide incentives for early deployments worldwide. The challenge is to deliver on this commitment made at the Ministerial, and structure one or more financing mechanisms that will be able to support CCS demonstration projects by providing seed capital and leveraging co-financing from other public and private sources.

WRI work on CCS is not designed to endorse the technology, but rather to explore whether and how society might safely move forward with CCS projects as part of a broad climate mitigation strategy. While WRI does not advocate or oppose the development of CCS, it does proactively engage with governments, international institutions, and businesses on this emerging technology. In this spirit, WRI joined the CCUS Action Group to ensure health, safety, and environmental integrity principles were upheld in the Group’s recommendations to the Clean Energy Ministerial.

In October 2010, WRI led a workshop with CCUS Action Group members to discuss financing options for CCS in developing countries. Representatives from the governments of Australia, Canada, Norway, Scotland, the United Kingdom, and the United States, as well as participants from the Asian Development Bank, the Clinton Foundation, the Global CCS Institute, and the World Bank attended. Drawing from these discussions, WRI just released a working paper highlighting priorities for funding CCS demonstration projects in developing countries. The paper supports and details the rationale behind the CCUS Action Group’s recommendation to provide additional support from developed countries to implement CCS demonstrations in developing countries.

The CCUS Action Group recommendations included the following specific actions relevant to financing CCS:

Funding mechanism: Request an international CCS body such as the Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum (CSLF) or Global CCS Institute to recommend a preferred funding mechanism for projects in developing countries. Work to establish a preferred funding mechanism and a process for project solicitation and support in developing countries.
Carbon credits and finance: Support and encourage the UNFCCC work program in 2011 on CCS in the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) to seek agreement on its inclusion in the December 2011 COP-17 talks in Durban. Support and encourage CCS in other UNFCCC processes, including but not limited to the Global Climate Fund.
Support from multilateral development banks: Urge multilateral development banks to support CCS as an effective low emission technology in developing countries and to introduce mechanisms to address institutional and financial barriers.

Progress on all three fronts will be needed for effective implementation of CCS projects in developing countries in order to move forward on answering the key questions in CCS development and deployment. It is unlikely that any of these three channels will on their own have the necessary scale and delivery conditions to fund CCS demonstrations; however, by complementing each other, there is a good chance that enough momentum can be generated to get CCS demonstrations up and running globally. In turn, the learning generated from these demonstrations will enable non-OECD countries to better gauge the potential of the technology for their local context.

Business and Climate

Kevin Lustig — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 16:21:54 -0400

Tomorrow’s economy is ripe with business opportunity for companies that position themselves to maximize climate advantages.

WRI and InnoCentive

WRI teamed up with InnoCentive, the world leader in Challenge Driven Innovation, to help local communities communicate what they need to adapt to changing climate conditions. This effort was part of WRI’s work on next practices, innovative, transformative strategies that go beyond today’s best practices. Read more about our InnoCentive challenge:

WRI has a long history of partnering with the private sector to advance corporate climate change leadership. Efforts such as the Green Power Market Development Group (GPMDG) and regional climate groups - Climate Northeast, Midwest and Southeast - have produced results for WRI and the business community, starting with the pioneering “Safe Climate, Sound Business” action agenda. See our Project History timeline below for useful links and more information.

Through our current work, including the Next Practice Collaborative and the Climate-Safe Business Network, WRI seeks to understand both the near-term, practical priorities for corporate climate leadership and the long-term business approaches that will lead to a strong, climate-safe economy.

WRI experts work closely with our business partners on greenhouse gas accounting via the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, renewable energy & energy efficiency, carbon capture and storage (CCS), U.S. and international climate policy and a range of other issues.

New: Solar@Work San Francisco: WRI is working with the City of San Francisco on a group purchasing program to bring inexpensive solar power to companies across the Bay Area. Read more

Project History

Photo credit: flickr/cleong

Next Practice Collaborative: Business in a Zero-Carbon Economy

Kevin Lustig — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 16:13:27 -0400

Road Testing: Tool for Sustainability SWOT Teams

This tool, currently in draft form during our corporate road test, is designed to help you gather perspectives on multiple “megatrends” and draw connections to the environmental challenges creating important business risks and opportunities.

Interested in road testing the SWOT tool? Contact Eliot Metzger at emetzger@wri.org or (202) 729-7848.

Current Road Testers:

Log In to the SWOT tool

Mining Megatrends for Innovation

WRI is working with partner companies to develop practical tools and guidance that will help make a compelling case for sustainability innovations. Key themes are emerging from research and interviews with leading companies regarding the competitive advantages to be found in understanding and exploring megatrends.

Climate and energy mega-trends can drive tomorrow’s markets. These represent mega-opportunities for those who reach beyond today’s best practices and pioneer what late WRI board member CK Prahalad termed “next practices.”

Tomorrow’s economic leaders will be those who capture mega-opportunities, advancing transformative strategies at the pace and scale required to meet today’s and tomorrow’s challenges. The “winners” will be those with solutions that meet global demands for resources like energy and water, eliminate greenhouse gas concentrations, and enable climate-resilient development.

WRI and partners are pioneering new, innovative approaches to move beyond today’s leadership standards. We expect to transform business models and realize new markets to build prosperous economies.

Corporate “Next Practices”

Photo credit: flickr/Philippe Put