Department for Energy Security and Net Zero’s Post

Transcript

So I'm here with someone who I can only describe as a global energy superhero, my friend Fatty Barol, who is the head of the International Energy Agency, the IEA, and we're hosting a conference together in April around energy security. Patty, just start off by saying, how do you see the global landscape on energy security today and what are the challenges and the opportunities? Many thanks. Misschien zeggen die het Secret project comeback to landen en zie hier wat eigenlijk. A picture I see that we still have a traditional energy security risks when we look at the world and the geopolitical tensions. But at the same time we see with the clean energy transition expanding around the world, there are some looming new energy security challenges such as resilience of the supply chains or concentration of critical minerals in a few number of countries and talk to us about the opportunity. That clean energy represents in terms of energy security in your in your view, yeah, renewables, solar, wind, they are home growing. If we have more and more of this renewables and plus nuclear power, the amount of energy that we are going to import the countries will be minimized and therefore the energy secretaries will be much lower if you go more clean energy, if you go more renewables, nuclear power and others. But for this we should have a good electrified. The system and so you've been involved in this area for for decades. Have you seen a big shift in the way that countries are approaching the potential of solar and wind and other renewables? It's it's really taken it's exceeded your forecast has exceeded everybody's focused because it is one in the in the economics. It is in many countries the cheapest source of new electricity generation and the second many countries see. A Clean energy, renewables is a important measure to address energy security challenges and it is tomorrow's industry as well. So environment is not necessarily the main driver for the Today the clean energy, it is the economics, it is industrial policy, it is also the energy security. Now some people would say, you know, is this transition really going to happen? People gonna be worried about the costs and so on. Do you think this transition is now unstoppable? This this clean energy transition, it is moving very fast. After work, not only in the advanced economies, but also in developing countries, emerging countries, we will go this direction. But it is not a such a easy task to do. And I believe this conference that we are going to organise together will help for a better understanding of these challenges. Now when I listen to you, Father, I'm always impressed by you always have the best facts. I want you to give me your best, your most optimistic fact about clean energy and the rollout of clean energy just so people so. And so people can have it in their mind. So I can tell you 2 to one number, I can give you a million numbers, but I'll give you one number. I love your number. Thank you very much. So this is good news. Some two years ago, we said to be in line with our International Energy and climate targets, global renewable energy person needs to increase by a factor of three. Yeah. And this year we look at all the investments, all the projects in a conservative way. And now we see that it is 2.7. And increase all the division reach. It is going very strongly, very powerful. I'm 1050 years ago renewable energy was a romantic story. Yeah, but now it is the reality. The main choice of tomorrow's electricity generation. And we got in Britain's clean energy superpower mission. Do you think that people are noticing what Britain is doing around the world? I think they are noticing. They are aware of this. And you're the UK's engagement. Up 29 of us very important and was appreciated by many countries, both in terms of your level of representation, your support for the financing. Issues and also your NDC, you are very, very ambitious. One, they are all noticed. But I believe UK will have a very important role in the next years to come in terms of the global energy and climate leadership and to to particularly to younger people watching this who are saying we see the climate crisis getting worse, we see nothing happening, we're really worried. What's your optimistic message? I think the what is helping today to the penetration of the clean energy is not only not even mainly environmental concerns, this is very important but also this a clean energy technologies are becoming cheaper, more cost effective and also many countries around the world understand that they have to invest in tomorrow's technologies, not the today's. Yesterday's technologies only and only because of the economic interests and position their countries in the global economic landscape. So would you describe yourself as an an optimist I it comes to energy? Definitely yes. In fact, let me ask you just to finish what has changed for the better. I see a edit more and more countries understand that the when it comes to addressing the global challenges of the world. Becomes the energy inland. The best thing is the international cooperation and here the countries like UK showing a leadership is of crucial importance. I am so happy that we are organising this major international conference together in this very London and very much looking forward to work with you for this conference and beyond. Thank you so much Fati. Thank you very much.