Climate Experts: We Need “All Hands on Deck” to Reach Energy Transition Goals

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On September 19, the newly launched Institute of Global Politics (IGP) collaborated with the Center on Global Energy Policy (CGEP) at Columbia University SIPA to host the panel, “Bridging the Divide: Making Action on the Energy Transition a Reality.” Leading experts convened to discuss how to hasten the energy transition and understand how to make use of effective communication, policy, research, and social mobilization. They examined ways in which governments are currently transitioning to clean energy using tools such as Canada’s carbon pricing policies and the US’ Inflation Reduction Act (IRA); the challenges in actualizing energy transition; and upcoming opportunities for more effective and accelerated climate policy action. 

Moderated by Tim Puko, climate correspondent at the Washington Post, the panel was comprised of Jason Bordoff, the founding director of CGEP, professor of professional practice at Columbia SIPA, and co-founding Dean Emeritus of the Columbia Climate School; Abigail Dillen, president of Earthjustice; The Honorable Steven Guilbeault, Canada’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change; and Katharine Hayhoe, chief scientist for The Nature Conservancy and distinguished professor and endowed chair of Texas Tech University. 

Watch the full panel discussion here:

Highlights: 

“Ultimately, it’s important to say, to solve climate change, we not only need more leadership from the biggest energy companies, we need broad structural systemic change. We need to push for leadership, we need to push companies to do more. One of the best ways to make that happen faster is to change that playing field through policy like the IRA and a host of other ways where there’s huge economic opportunities to invest more in the clean energy transition and the shareholders will appreciate that and reward it, not penalize it.”

– Jason Bordoff

“Is there any business that’s accountable to shareholders that would ever cede the power—political power as well as raw energy power—and profits that they currently have? … We’re gonna need a durable and clear signal that this country is getting off fossil fuels so that industry believes it. Because until you believe it, there’s no reason to get out of an incredibly profitable industry.”

– Abigail Dillen

“There’s no silver bullet. You will see headlines and newspapers saying, “Is this the next silver bullet?” And the answer is always, “No, it’s not.” But there’s a lot of silver buckshot. And what that means is we have solutions across the spectrum that together can truly tackle this issue at scale.”

– Katharine Hayhoe

“It’s important for us to remind people of the cost and impacts of climate change. Tens of thousands of Canadians were displaced this summer because of forest fires; some people died because of forest fires. We’ve had hurricanes, tropical storms, floodings like we’ve never seen before… People are getting it, and it’s our responsibility as government to give them the tools and to show them how we can do this.” 

– Hon. Steven Guilbeaurt