Episodes
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In this episode, we dive into the fascinating world of eco-friendly mining technology with Don Weatherbee, CEO of Regenx Tech, a company specializing in recycling precious metals from catalytic converters. Don shares the company's unique hydro metallurgic process, which is more environmentally sound than traditional mining and smelting. We discuss the market for platinum and palladium, the potential for growth, and the challenges in the recycling industry. Don also reveals Regenx Tech's journey from a junior mining company to a pioneer in catalytic converter recycling, with a focus on the underserved diesel market. We also discuss its fund raising approach. Join us as we explore the intersection of mining, recycling, and clean technology.
ABOUT DON: Don Weatherbee is the Chief Executive Officer of Regenx Tech Corp., a provider of a new clean-tech solution for the recovery of precious metals from end of life materials. He is an accomplished Senior Executive with extensive experience in leading complex operations with over 28 years in the mining and material processing sectors including 20 years at the executive level. He holds Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Alberta, a CPA, CMA from the Chartered Professional Accountants of Alberta, and a Certified Information Technology Professional (CITP) designation from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Don has worked for both privately held and publicly listed companies throughout his career.FEEDBACK: Email Host | HOST, PRODUCTION, ARTWORK: Joseph Jacobelli | MUSIC: Ep0-29 The Open Goldberg Variations, Kimiko Ishizaka Ep30-50 Orchestra Gli Armonici – Tomaso Albinoni, Op.07, Concerto 04 per archi in Sol - III. Allegro. | Ep51 – Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G, Movement I (Allegro), BWV 1049 Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
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In this episode we dive into Taiwan's offshore wind story with Scott Hsu. A veteran in Asia's wind power sector, Scott shares unique insights from Taiwan's remarkable journey to become an offshore wind powerhouse. From market dynamics to financing challenges, we explore how Taiwan is balancing ambitious renewable targets with local industry development.
ABOUT SCOTT: Scott Hsu is the Country Director for Taiwan and the Philippines at K2 Management. Within this role, he advises clients on the development, construction, and management of offshore and onshore wind projects in Taiwan and the Philippines. Prior to this, he was a Site Manager at Vestas, a consultant at 8.2 Consulting AG, a Project Manager at Swancor and a Field Service Manager at GE Renewable Energy. He has a PhD in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from National Central University and a BA in Aerospace Engineering from Tamkang University.FEEDBACK: Email Host | HOST, PRODUCTION, ARTWORK: Joseph Jacobelli | MUSIC: Ep0-29 The Open Goldberg Variations, Kimiko Ishizaka Ep30-50 Orchestra Gli Armonici – Tomaso Albinoni, Op.07, Concerto 04 per archi in Sol - III. Allegro. | Ep51 – Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G, Movement I (Allegro), BWV 1049 Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
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This episode is the second part of the conversation with a truly exceptional guest: one of Asia’s pre-eminent thinkers on the environment and climate change, Professor Christine Loh. We explore climate policy and climate action in the Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong, examining the issues from a policy perspective. Given China's crucial role in global climate action, we began by discussing the nation's policies related to the environment, climate change, and energy.
ABOUT CHRISTINE: Professor Christine Loh, SBS, JP, OBE, Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Mérite, is Chief Development Strategist at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. She was Under Secretary for the Environment in the HKSAR Government (2012-17), Special Consultant to the Chief Executive on the mainland’s ecological civilisation policy (2019-2020), and a Member of the Hong Kong Legislative Council (1992-97 and 1998-2000). Loh has been active in public policy and politics since the 1980s. She founded and was the CEO of the non-profit think tank, Civic Exchange (2000-12), and helped to establish several non-profit organizations in Hong Kong related to the environment, equal opportunity, arts and culture, as well as human rights. Professor Loh is currently a board member of CDP Worldwide, Global Maritime Forum, New Forests Pty Ltd, Towngas Smart Energy Company Limited, and is Asia Society’s Scholar in Residence (2023-2024). She taught a course at Anderson School of Management, University of California at Los Angeles on nonmarket risks for five years (2018-22). She is a published author of many academic and popular works. Loh is a lawyer by training, and a commodities trader by profession. She received her legal training in England and received honorary degrees of Doctor of Law from the University of Hull and Doctor of Science from the University of Exeter.FEEDBACK: Email Host | HOST, PRODUCTION, ARTWORK: Joseph Jacobelli | MUSIC: Ep0-29 The Open Goldberg Variations, Kimiko Ishizaka Ep30-50 Orchestra Gli Armonici – Tomaso Albinoni, Op.07, Concerto 04 per archi in Sol - III. Allegro. | Ep51 – Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G, Movement I (Allegro), BWV 1049 Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
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This episode features a truly exceptional guest: one of Asia’s pre-eminent thinkers on the environment and climate change, Professor Christine Loh. We explore the crucial topic of climate business and finance education and capacity building. We started the conversation with Professor Loh on what exactly is the Institute for the Environment at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. And as you'll discover, the Institute's work goes far beyond that of a traditional think tank. It is the first of a two part discussion with Prof Loh.
ABOUT CHRISTINE: Professor Christine Loh, SBS, JP, OBE, Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Mérite, is Chief Development Strategist at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. She was Under Secretary for the Environment in the HKSAR Government (2012-17), Special Consultant to the Chief Executive on the mainland’s ecological civilisation policy (2019-2020), and a Member of the Hong Kong Legislative Council (1992-97 and 1998-2000). Loh has been active in public policy and politics since the 1980s. She founded and was the CEO of the non-profit think tank, Civic Exchange (2000-12), and helped to establish several non-profit organizations in Hong Kong related to the environment, equal opportunity, arts and culture, as well as human rights. Professor Loh is currently a board member of CDP Worldwide, Global Maritime Forum, New Forests Pty Ltd, Towngas Smart Energy Company Limited, and is Asia Society’s Scholar in Residence (2023-2024). She taught a course at Anderson School of Management, University of California at Los Angeles on nonmarket risks for five years (2018-22). She is a published author of many academic and popular works. Loh is a lawyer by training, and a commodities trader by profession. She received her legal training in England and received honorary degrees of Doctor of Law from the University of Hull and Doctor of Science from the University of Exeter.FEEDBACK: Email Host | HOST, PRODUCTION, ARTWORK: Joseph Jacobelli | MUSIC: Ep0-29 The Open Goldberg Variations, Kimiko Ishizaka Ep30-50 Orchestra Gli Armonici – Tomaso Albinoni, Op.07, Concerto 04 per archi in Sol - III. Allegro. | Ep51 – Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G, Movement I (Allegro), BWV 1049 Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
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Climate risk modelling plays a vital role in shaping informed decisions, managing risks, and driving strategic planning by empowering businesses, governments, and individuals to understand and quantify the impacts of climate change. It enables organizations to pinpoint and evaluate climate-related risks, meet regulatory requirements, safeguard financial stability, and fortify resilience. Furthermore, it underpins accurate insurance pricing and investment evaluations, while guiding public policy and resource allocation. In this episode, we are joined by renowned expert Martim Rocha. Together, we explore the high-level aspects of climate risk modelling and delve into the key areas of climate risk it addresses, including physical and transition risks. Martim shares his insights on data analytics, emphasizing the critical issue of data quality. He also examines the transformative role AI is playing in modelling and provides a compelling long-term outlook.
ABOUT MARTIM: Martim Rocha is the Global Head of the Risk Banking Solutions, as such he manages a team of global experts on banking risk management, defining roadmaps and priorities for SAS solutions and supporting customers on their journey to take the best of the SAS solutions, defining the best approach for each business case, and taking the to be live system. Martim has published several papers and has spoken at several conferences around the world on the topics of Risk Management in Banking, Risk and Finance Integration, IFRS9/CECL, Regulatory Risk Management, Balance Sheet Management, Capital Planning, Scenario Based Analysis and Stress-testing and more recently on Climate Risk on Financial Services. With SAS for more than 20 years, he played leading roles on projects such as Stress-testing on a G-Sib based in London; IFRS9 and Stress-testing at G-SIB bank covering more than 60 locations worldwide; a couple of Top 5 Nordic Bank, at Top banks in UAE; and others. In addition, he was a lecturer for courses on advanced decision support systems, data warehousing and data mining at the Autonomous University of Lisbon and at the ISCTE Business School. Before joining SAS, Martim worked for the financial services industry implementing MIS, EIS, Financial Planning and Budgeting and Balanced Scorecard systems. After he was a partner on the Business Analytics focused consulting firm, Noscitare where he led the delivery of many IT projects again in financial services companies. Martim has a post-graduate degree in Business Administration from Nova SBE and has an undergraduate degree in Computer Science from ISIG.FEEDBACK: Email Host | HOST, PRODUCTION, ARTWORK: Joseph Jacobelli | MUSIC: Ep0-29 The Open Goldberg Variations, Kimiko Ishizaka Ep30-50 Orchestra Gli Armonici – Tomaso Albinoni, Op.07, Concerto 04 per archi in Sol - III. Allegro. | Ep51 – Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G, Movement I (Allegro), BWV 1049 Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
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In this episode we analyse national and corporate transition trends in Asia. We have invited a distinguished guest to discuss this topic: Prof. Dr. Sayuri Shirai. Dr. Shirai is an Advisor for Sustainable Policies at the Asian Development Bank Institute. She is also a professor of economics at Keio University. We discuss areas such as adaptation and mitigation in Asia. We also cover the phase-down or phase-out of coal-fired power plants. Additionally, we explore corporate climate disclosure and transition planning.
ABOUT DR SAYURI SHIRAI. Sayuri Shirai has been the Asian Development Bank Institute's Advisor for Sustainable Policies since 2022. She is also currently a professor of economics under Keio University’s faculty of policy management since 2016. From 2020-2021, she was a senior advisor to London-based EOS at Federated Hermes, which provides environmental, social, and governance (ESG)-related stewardship services on firms and public policy. She was a full-time member of the Policy Board of the Bank of Japan from 2011-2016, participating in making decisions on monetary policy and other central banking matters. She also taught at Sciences Po in Paris from 2007–2008 and served previously as an economist at the International Monetary Fund. She has published extensively on topics such as central bank digital currency, monetary policy, global finance, and ESG investment. She is also a contributing writer to the Japan Times and a frequent Japanese and international media commentator on Japan’s economy and global monetary policies. She holds a PhD in economics from Columbia University.FEEDBACK: Email Host | HOST, PRODUCTION, ARTWORK: Joseph Jacobelli | MUSIC: Ep0-29 The Open Goldberg Variations, Kimiko Ishizaka Ep30-50 Orchestra Gli Armonici – Tomaso Albinoni, Op.07, Concerto 04 per archi in Sol - III. Allegro. | Ep51 – Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G, Movement I (Allegro), BWV 1049 Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
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Episode 49 is about the related topics of electric vehicles, key minerals, and China. Our guest is Henry Sanderson. Henry is currently the executive editor of Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, a provider of supply chain and energy transition intelligence. This includes lithium, nickel, cobalt, electric vehicles, and the like. Henry and I first discuss his interest in EVs and the related minerals. Then we talk about his book Volt Rush, about EVs, about some of the key minerals, and finally on his thoughts about market developments over the next 25 years.
Useful Resources:
Volt Rush: The Winners and Losers in the Race to Go Green
Benchmark’s free newsletter
Benchmark Mineral Intelligence's Power Players
ABOUT HENRY: Henry Sanderson is an author and journalist focusing on clean energy. He authored Volt Rush, the Winners and Losers in the Race to Go Green, which was chosen as a book of the week by the Observer, and one of the best science and environment books of 2022 by The Times. He also previously co-authored a book, China's Superbank: Debt, Oil and Influence - How China Development Bank is Rewriting the Rules of Finance. He is former journalist for the Financial Times and Bloomberg, he is currently the executive editor of Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, the leading provider of data and analysis on the battery supply chain.FEEDBACK: Email Host | HOST, PRODUCTION, ARTWORK: Joseph Jacobelli | MUSIC: Ep0-29 The Open Goldberg Variations, Kimiko Ishizaka Ep30-50 Orchestra Gli Armonici – Tomaso Albinoni, Op.07, Concerto 04 per archi in Sol - III. Allegro. | Ep51 – Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G, Movement I (Allegro), BWV 1049 Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
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This is a special episode. It is an abridged version of a webinar held in May 2024 on climate finance. There are three short presentations followed by a short Q&A session. You will hear the views from Dr Tim Cadman from the University of Southern Queensland, from Dr Tapan Sarker, from the same university, and from Joseph Jacobelli. Dr Cadman discusses some positive trends about action toward protecting the environment with some emphasis on biodiversity conservation. Dr Sarker focuses on the financing of the UN SDGs and developing countries’ access to finance being facilitated through enhanced project implementation and climate finance. Joseph focuses on the entities who will most benefit from opportunities opened up by the energy transition, namely corporations. Thank you to the publisher De Gruyter who kindly organised the seminar and also to Lervinia Swee from De Gruyter who facilitated the discussion.
YouTube: The Economic Cost of Climate Change to APAC in 2024 and beyond hosted by De Gruyter.
De Gruyter Handbook of Sustainable Development and Finance by Timothy Cadman and Tapan Sarker
Asia’s Energy Revolution: China’s Role and New Opportunities as Markets Transform and Digitalise by Joseph Jacobelli
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS:
Dr Timothy Cadman. Adjunct Research Fellow, University of Southern Queensland. Timothy specialises in governance of sustainable development, environmental politics and policy, climate change and natural resource management, including forestry, responsible investment and institutional performance. He works with communities and governments across Asia-Pacific to develop governance standards for international projects and programmes.
Dr Tapan Sarker. Professor of Finance, University of Southern Queensland. Tapan's research expertise lies in the domain of business strategy for sustainability, carbon finance and the political economy of sustainable development, with a particular focus on developing economies. Before entering academia, Tapan worked with the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Environment and Forests in Bangladesh and later as a World Bank scholar in Tokyo, Japan.
Giuseppe (Joseph) Jacobelli. Managing Partner, Bougie Impact Capital. Joseph is a climate business and finance expert with over three decades of experience in investment banking, clean energy companies, and research. Currently, he manages two firms, including Bougie Impact Capital, a Single Family Office investing in public markets and real estate. A strong advocate for decarbonisation awareness, Joseph authored a book on Asia's energy transition and hosts a podcast on the topic.FEEDBACK: Email Host | HOST, PRODUCTION, ARTWORK: Joseph Jacobelli | MUSIC: Ep0-29 The Open Goldberg Variations, Kimiko Ishizaka Ep30-50 Orchestra Gli Armonici – Tomaso Albinoni, Op.07, Concerto 04 per archi in Sol - III. Allegro. | Ep51 – Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G, Movement I (Allegro), BWV 1049 Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
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In this episode, we focus on a crucial part of climate-related business and finance: the creation of renewable energy projects. This is a significant step towards a cleaner energy future. Our expert guest, Steve Shi, is a seasoned professional in renewable energy project transactions, with experience in North America and Southeast Asia. He will enlighten us on the necessary steps to develop clean energy projects and share his insights on key Asian electricity markets, including the Philippines, Vietnam, and Bangladesh.
ABOUT STEVE. Difu (Steve) Shi is the Overseas Transaction Manager for Sungrow Renewables. He is based in Southeast Asia and coordinates renewable energy investments and transactions in the ASEAN market for Sungrow Renewables, the development arm of Sungrow. Prior to joining Sungrow Renewables, he was the leading analyst for a publicly listed IPP based in Toronto, Canada, covering the North American market. He also held positions at KPMG and EY in Beijing. Steve holds an MBA from the University of Toronto, is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in Hong Kong and Ontario, and also holds Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designations. He volunteered for over eight years at the Toronto Wildlife Center, transporting dozens of injured red-tailed hawks and owls to the rehabilitation facility.
Please take note of the disclaimer at the end of the episode.FEEDBACK: Email Host | HOST, PRODUCTION, ARTWORK: Joseph Jacobelli | MUSIC: Ep0-29 The Open Goldberg Variations, Kimiko Ishizaka Ep30-50 Orchestra Gli Armonici – Tomaso Albinoni, Op.07, Concerto 04 per archi in Sol - III. Allegro. | Ep51 – Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G, Movement I (Allegro), BWV 1049 Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
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The phase-out of coal-fired power plants in Asia Pacific presents a significant challenge, requiring a delicate balance between environmental sustainability and economic feasibility. In this discussion, we are joined by Dr Christoph Nedopil Wang of the Griffith Asia Institute, who delves into case studies from Pakistan and Vietnam, offering valuable insights applicable to other Asian electricity markets. Notably, the conversation will explore innovative financial mechanisms that could facilitate the early retirement of coal plants while mitigating potential financial burdens.
Resources: China coal exit: Opportunities for China-led financing of early phase down of coal-fired power plants in Pakistan and Vietnam.
ABOUT CHRISTOPH. Professor Christoph Nedopil is the Director of the Griffith Asia Institute at Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia. He is also a Visiting Professor at FISF Fudan University, Shanghai, Acting Director of the Green Finance & Development Center at FISF Fudan University, and a Visiting Faculty at Singapore Management University (SMU). Christoph regularly provides advisory to governments, financial institutions, enterprises, and civil society on sustainable development issues. He is the lead author of the UNDP SDG Finance Taxonomy, the Innovative Climate Finance Solutions report for the G20 in Indonesia, and the Green Development Guidance of the BRI Green Development Coalition under the Chinese Ministry of Ecology and Environment. He has authored four books and published articles in Science and other leading journals. Christoph serves as board director in scaling sustainability in businesses and finance. Christoph is quoted regularly in Financial Times, The Economist, Reuters, Bloomberg, and other major outlets. Before joining Griffith University, he served as Founding Director of the Green Finance & Development Center and Associate Professor at the Fanhai International School of Finance (FISF), Fudan University and previously as Founding Director for the Green BRI Center at the Central University of Economics in Beijing. He worked with the World Bank in over 15 countries and was a Director in the German development agency GIZ. Christoph holds a Master of Engineering and a PhD in Economics from the Technical University Berlin, as well as a Master of Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School.FEEDBACK: Email Host | HOST, PRODUCTION, ARTWORK: Joseph Jacobelli | MUSIC: Ep0-29 The Open Goldberg Variations, Kimiko Ishizaka Ep30-50 Orchestra Gli Armonici – Tomaso Albinoni, Op.07, Concerto 04 per archi in Sol - III. Allegro. | Ep51 – Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G, Movement I (Allegro), BWV 1049 Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
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The world’s offshore wind installed capacity reached 117 gigawatts in 2023, up 50% over 2022. It is projected to reach 320 GW by 2030. We discuss with Asia energy markets veteran Mark Hutchinson the recently released Global Wind Report 2024 by Global Wind Energy Council. We have a quick review of 2023, focus on a couple of the key take aways, share some thoughts on some key Asia Pacific offshore wind markets, discuss the state of capital investments and financing, and finally look beyond 2024.
ABOUT MARK. Mark Hutchinson has over three decades of energy sector experience, including over 25 years consulting and research experience in Asia. He has expertise in strategic advice, finance, M&A, contract negotiations and due diligence in the power and renewables, and the oil and gas sectors. He is the chair of the Southeast Asia Task Force for the Global Wind Energy Council. Mark works with the GWEC members in Asia and globally to represent the wind industry in policy and regulatory discussions across the region. GWEC convenes both in-person and virtual meetings with key stakeholders, providing fact-based analysis and guidance to help shape policies that affect the wind industry.FEEDBACK: Email Host | HOST, PRODUCTION, ARTWORK: Joseph Jacobelli | MUSIC: Ep0-29 The Open Goldberg Variations, Kimiko Ishizaka Ep30-50 Orchestra Gli Armonici – Tomaso Albinoni, Op.07, Concerto 04 per archi in Sol - III. Allegro. | Ep51 – Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G, Movement I (Allegro), BWV 1049 Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
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Scaling up energy efficiency can for 11 per cent of cumulative emissions reductions by 2030 according to the IEA. In this episode energy industry veteran Alexander Ablaza, explains why energy efficiency the most important pieces of the energy transition although it is often unjustifiably ignored. He discusses in detail business and finance trends in the sector as well as examining the many investments opportunities, and the challenges, with energy efficiency in the Asia Pacific region.
ABOUT ALEXANDER: Alexander Ablaza is CEO of Climargy Inc. The last 23 years of his 38-year professional career have been dedicated to growing energy efficiency and other clean energy technology deployment in 14 Asian markets through the identification, due diligence and financial close of over $3 billion in direct investments, and also through catalytic market transformation, policy, regulatory, fund mobilization and transaction support interventions. He designed and established Climargy, a global pioneer private Super ESCO aggregator of ESCO project assets hosted by the C&I sector in Asian growth markets. He convened, founded, and chairs the Asia-Pacific ESCO Industry Alliance and the Philippine Energy Efficiency Alliance. He likewise co-founded and sits in the Advisory Board of the Global ESCO Network and co-chairs the Marketplace Taskforce of the global coalition, Mission Efficiency. He is armed with 35 years of project and corporate management experience, an aggregate 29 years of energy sector involvement, and an educational background in engineering (BSCE) and economics (MBE).FEEDBACK: Email Host | HOST, PRODUCTION, ARTWORK: Joseph Jacobelli | MUSIC: Ep0-29 The Open Goldberg Variations, Kimiko Ishizaka Ep30-50 Orchestra Gli Armonici – Tomaso Albinoni, Op.07, Concerto 04 per archi in Sol - III. Allegro. | Ep51 – Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G, Movement I (Allegro), BWV 1049 Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
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In this episode podcast, we’re privileged to host two seasoned stalwarts of the heavy industry, Genevieve Hilton and Steve Willis. Their unexpected pivot has led them to channel their vast experience into a compelling work of fiction: ‘Fairhaven: A Novel of Climate Optimism’ (Habitat Press, 2024). This isn’t just a novel; it’s a beacon illuminating the pressing climate issues that our planet grapples with. Our conversation takes a deep dive into Genevieve’s and Steve’s transformative journey towards net-zero. We then shift our focus to three innovative climate solutions, not mere theoretical constructs, but viable both project-wise and financially, as explored in the novel. We also touch upon the topic of corporate sustainability and underscore the paramount importance of raising awareness. This episode isn’t just a discussion; it’s a thought-provoking exploration of climate change from a truly unique vantage point. Tune in for an enlightening experience.
ABOUT GENEVIEVE. Genevieve Hilton has worked in corporate affairs and sustainability in the Asia Pacific region since 1994. She previously led ESG and communications in Asia Pacific for Lenovo, as well as Corporate Citizenship and External Communications Asia Pacific for BASF. Since taking a step back from the corporate world in 2022, she has become a full-time sustainability activist and writer. Under the pen name Jan Lee, she is an award-winning science fiction writer. She is the co-author, with Steve Willis, of "Fairhaven – A Novel of Climate Optimism" (Habitat Press UK), a winner in the Green Stories contest. Her work has also been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and recognized several times in the “Writers of the Future” contest. She also is Editor-in-Chief of The Apostrophe, the quarterly magazine of the Hong Kong Writers Circle. She currently acts as a senior advisor for a number of environmental and social activist organizations, as well as co-chairing the Energy & ESG Committee of the American Chamber of Commerce of Hong Kong.
ABOUT STEVE. Steve Willis is an engineer and innovator with decades of experience providing solutions to environmental problems for large scale industries. The start of the covid lockdowns gave him pause to think carefully about climate solutions, what was needed and what it would take to get there. This led to a collaboration with the GreenStories team to produce the No More Fairy Tales anthology for COP27. Steve continues to work on large scale climate solutions, currently developing a CO2 sequestration mineralisation process which can be deployed at the million tonne scale.FEEDBACK: Email Host | HOST, PRODUCTION, ARTWORK: Joseph Jacobelli | MUSIC: Ep0-29 The Open Goldberg Variations, Kimiko Ishizaka Ep30-50 Orchestra Gli Armonici – Tomaso Albinoni, Op.07, Concerto 04 per archi in Sol - III. Allegro. | Ep51 – Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G, Movement I (Allegro), BWV 1049 Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
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One of the rapidly growing areas in climate business and finance is the purchase by corporations of clean energy. This is frequently referred to as corporate renewable energy procurement. Such purchases jumped 12% to 46 gigawatts in 2023 according to BNEF. Our guest is Suji Kang, the programme director of Asia Clean Energy Coalition, an organisation dedicated to corporate renewable energy procurement in Asia. Members include major multinationals such as Amazon, Google, Ikea, and many others. We discussed a variety of topics including the broad picture of what is happening in the region, the work of Suji’s organisation with governments, and the challenges currently faced.
ABOUT SUJI: Suji Kang is the Asia Program Director of Asia Clean Energy Coalition (ACEC) where she is responsible for engaging all members and stakeholders to create a favourable policy and market environment for the company’s clean energy procurement across the Asia Pacific region. Suji has ten years of experience in the public-, private-, non-profit sectors in energy and environment industry. She has worked as a director of K-RE100 solutions team at ROOT ENERGY, a private start-up company providing consulting and procurement services for renewable energy projects for companies in Korea. Prior to that Suji served as Regional Manager of Asia at the World Energy Council, based in London. Prior public experience includes her lead on international cooperation and external affairs team in Korea Energy Foundation. Suji is a graduate of McGill University with Bachelor’s degree in Management and currently studying for Msc in Energy and Environment at Korea University. She is a native speaker of Korea, fluent in English and conversational French.FEEDBACK: Email Host | HOST, PRODUCTION, ARTWORK: Joseph Jacobelli | MUSIC: Ep0-29 The Open Goldberg Variations, Kimiko Ishizaka Ep30-50 Orchestra Gli Armonici – Tomaso Albinoni, Op.07, Concerto 04 per archi in Sol - III. Allegro. | Ep51 – Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G, Movement I (Allegro), BWV 1049 Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
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Some of the climate business and finance trends in Europe and the US are highly applicable to the Asian experience. In this episode, energy media specialist Pamela Largue provides some clarity on some of these trends. We first briefly chat about her organisation, Enlit World, an important source of sector news and trends through publications and conferences. We then discuss Pamela’s latest findings after participating at Enlit industry conferences in Europe (energy security) and the US (energy costs and the I.R.A.). Finally, we have a quick chat about Pamela’s own podcast, the Energy Transitions Podcast.
ABOUT PAMELA. Pamela Largue is senior reporter on Power Engineering International, a daily news site with a 25-year-plus heritage of covering the power generation sector. She writes about all aspects of the energy industry in news articles, features, and interviews. She is also the host of the Energy Transitions Podcast, which magnifies the future energy landscape through the lenses of industry movers and shakers. Pamela holds a post-graduate degree in Social Anthropology and has worked in media and energy events for more than 12 years.FEEDBACK: Email Host | HOST, PRODUCTION, ARTWORK: Joseph Jacobelli | MUSIC: Ep0-29 The Open Goldberg Variations, Kimiko Ishizaka Ep30-50 Orchestra Gli Armonici – Tomaso Albinoni, Op.07, Concerto 04 per archi in Sol - III. Allegro. | Ep51 – Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G, Movement I (Allegro), BWV 1049 Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
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Our guest is Mike Thomas who heads The Lantau Group, a Hong Kong-based consultancy, and who is one of the leading energy economics thinkers in the Asia Pacific region. As it is the beginning of the year, Mike evaluates a small sample of the many developments in the region’s climate business and finance in 2023. He also shares a few thoughts on 2024 and beyond. We discuss some specific markets including Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and China as well as examine some of the major themes such as the ASEAN grid, offshore wind, and grid capacity. Mike truly offers some unique perspectives thanks to his vast experience and extensive work with corporates, governments, and financial institutions.
Link: research by The Lantau Group.
Previous Episode with Mike: Ep23 Temperature check on the energy transition in Asia, ft Mike Thomas, 20 December 2022
ABOUT MIKE: Mike Thomas is a founding partner at The Lantau Group with over 30 years of consulting experience, focussing on the energy sector. He advises a wide range of energy sector stakeholders on strategic, regulatory, and competition matters; sustainability; market design and development; and commercial transactions. Prior to co-founding in 2010, he headed the Asia Pacific Energy & Environment practice of a global consulting firm. Mike has an MPP from Harvard Kennedy School, United States and a BA in Economics from Carleton College, United States. More specifically, within the Asia Pacific region, he has led many significant engagements involving the robust application of economics and analytics to a wide variety of business, policy, and regulatory challenges affecting the electricity and gas sectors. He works extensively with multinationals on sustainability strategies, focussing on the best options in different markets, and on the regulatory and policy changes needed to support increasing renewable energy contracting options. He has testified or advised as an industry economic expert in commercial contract disputes before courts or arbitral panels in Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, New Zealand, and Australia, and on disputed regulatory matters before regulatory authorities in New Zealand, Australia, and the Philippines. His experience in commercial matters includes market forecasts and revenue simulations for numerous renewable energy and conventional energy projects and market assessments in South Asia, North Asia, ASEAN, and Australia/New Zealand.FEEDBACK: Email Host | HOST, PRODUCTION, ARTWORK: Joseph Jacobelli | MUSIC: Ep0-29 The Open Goldberg Variations, Kimiko Ishizaka Ep30-50 Orchestra Gli Armonici – Tomaso Albinoni, Op.07, Concerto 04 per archi in Sol - III. Allegro. | Ep51 – Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G, Movement I (Allegro), BWV 1049 Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
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Corporates play a crucial role in driving the energy transition. Their role is critical to accelerating change and addressing the pressing climate change challenges. It is critical for corporates to formulate transition strategies, beyond climate risk and other types of reporting. It is a tough hurdle given all of this is very new. Our guest is Summer Chen who is a Principal Consultant with ERM, a leading multinational consultancy firm. Summer works with corporates on the strategy front, among other things. In the episode, first Summer puts transition in Asia into context. Then she offers several key take aways from her COP28 visit. She then discusses how corporates approach transition strategies, including a few examples. Finally, she shares some thoughts on her long-term outlook.
Helpful Link: ERM's SustainAbility Institute
ABOUT SUMMER. Summer is a Principal Consultant of the Corporate Sustainability and Climate Change Team with ERM based in Hong Kong. She is experienced in climate strategy development, climate risk assessment, scenario analysis and financial impact quantification covering a broad range of sectors. Summer also provides low carbon transition advisory, supporting companies at all stages of their net zero journey, from developing a decarbonisation strategy, implementing emission reduction measures, to deploying low-carbon technologies. Prior to Hong Kong, Summer has worked for the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office for over 5 years on climate change energy policy through the delivery of projects to support regional energy transition. She took on temporary roles in UN agencies and has previously lived and worked in Malaysia, China, Kenya and the UK.FEEDBACK: Email Host | HOST, PRODUCTION, ARTWORK: Joseph Jacobelli | MUSIC: Ep0-29 The Open Goldberg Variations, Kimiko Ishizaka Ep30-50 Orchestra Gli Armonici – Tomaso Albinoni, Op.07, Concerto 04 per archi in Sol - III. Allegro. | Ep51 – Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G, Movement I (Allegro), BWV 1049 Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
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Decarbonisation efforts start with the commitment by a government. Once the broad policy is set, the real hard work of regulation begins. To understand and advance sustainable finance it is absolutely imperative to understand this work. In this episode our guest is Eugene Wong who shares his unique insights on the Southeast Asian experience. Eugene is the Chief Executive Officer of the Sustainable Finance Institute Asia. The Institute is a neutral, convening platform to bring together different stakeholders to advance the sustainability agenda in ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asia Nations). The actors include policy makers, regulators, industry, academia, and others, and are all focused on Southeast Asia’s financial sector as a catalyst for ASEAN’s sustainable agenda. Today, for example, the Institute is a host to the ASEAN Taxonomy Board collaborating with all of the capital markets regulators in Southeast Asia.
References: ASEAN Taxonomy for Sustainable Finance version 1 (Nov 2021); ASEAN Taxonomy for Sustainable Finance version 2 (June 2023); ASEAN Transition Finance Guidance (Oct 2023);
ABOUT EUGENE: Eugene Wong is the Chief Executive Officer of SFIA, an independent institute established to catalyse ideas on Sustainable Finance at the policy level in ASEAN, as well as propel action in support of those policy ideas. SFIA is currently the Host of the ASEAN Taxonomy Board and convenor of the ASEAN Capital Market Regulators’ Industry Advisory Panel on Sustainable Finance. Eugene was previously the Managing Director, Corporate Finance & Investments of the Securities Commission Malaysia (SC). He also served as a member of the Audit Oversight Board in Malaysia and was an Adviser to the Malaysian Accounting Standards Board. He oversaw the SC’s ASEAN related initiatives and was a Chair of the Deputies of the ASEAN Capital Markets Forum (ACMF) and the Co-Chair of its Sustainable Finance Working Group. The ASEAN Green Bond Standards, ASEAN Social Bond Standards and ASEAN Sustainability Bond Standards were issued during his tenure as Chair of the Deputies of the ACMF. In addition, he was a Co-Chair of the ASEAN Working Committee on Capital Market Development. Eugene represents SFIA as an observer to the International Capital Market Association’s Green Bond Principles, Social Bond Principles, Sustainability Bond Guidelines and Sustainability-linked Loans Guidelines Group. Eugene is a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, Fellow of CPA Australia and a Chartered Accountant of the Malaysian Institute of Accountants.FEEDBACK: Email Host | HOST, PRODUCTION, ARTWORK: Joseph Jacobelli | MUSIC: Ep0-29 The Open Goldberg Variations, Kimiko Ishizaka Ep30-50 Orchestra Gli Armonici – Tomaso Albinoni, Op.07, Concerto 04 per archi in Sol - III. Allegro. | Ep51 – Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G, Movement I (Allegro), BWV 1049 Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
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Industry practitioners are a key source to understand the business and finance of the energy transition in Asia. In episode 37’s we have a conversation is Robert McGregor. Robert is the Chief Corporate Development Officer of Gurīn Energy, a pan-Asia renewable energy company. He has a long, illustrious, and unique career in the energy industry first in the UK and then in Asia. We had a broad-based and in-depth conversation on key topics revolving around clean energy. Robert shares his thoughts on the current state of the renewable energy industry in the region, about corporate strategies and the importance of corporate culture, about the state of financing and finally offers his outlook on the sector.
ABOUT ROBERT. Robert is the Chief Corporate Development Officer of Gurīn Energy, a pan-Asia renewable energy company. After a 17-year career in the UK energy industry, Robert moved to Asia in 1997 to undertake senior roles in investment banking (Hong Kong) and in private equity (Singapore). In the period from 1997 to 2014, Robert worked on transactions in India, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, South Korea, Australia, and also collaborated with Hong Kong and Japanese corporates. In April 2014, Robert relocated to the Philippines (where his family resides) to take up employment with the Aboitiz Group where he had a concurrent role overseeing business development, investments, and divestments in both the Aboitiz Equity Ventures and Aboitiz Power companies. Robert was the chairman of the Investment Committee and project-managed almost all of the Group’s significant capital deployments over the last nine years. Robert graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Applied Chemistry (1980) and an MBA (1994), both from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow. He recently added an MLitt in Scottish Heritage (2022) from the University of Aberdeen.FEEDBACK: Email Host | HOST, PRODUCTION, ARTWORK: Joseph Jacobelli | MUSIC: Ep0-29 The Open Goldberg Variations, Kimiko Ishizaka Ep30-50 Orchestra Gli Armonici – Tomaso Albinoni, Op.07, Concerto 04 per archi in Sol - III. Allegro. | Ep51 – Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G, Movement I (Allegro), BWV 1049 Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
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Corporates all over the world are under immense pressure to address their carbon footprint. They must worry about their own footprint as well as that of other companies their linked with, such as their suppliers. In this episode I chat with a specialist in this area, Albert Sutanto. Albert is the Southeast Asia Markets Manager at Mt. Stonegate Green Asset Management based in Taiwan. Albert shares his experience on how he helps corporates to identify and reduce their carbon footprints as well as raising their consumption of clean energy. He discusses corporate decarbonisation strategies in Asia in general and in Southeast Asia in particular. He also touches on the financing side of the equation.
ABOUT ALBERT: Albert is the Southeast Asia Markets Manager at Mt. Stonegate. He is a dynamic and results-driven business development professional, with a proven track record in the renewables and environment industry. Specialize in driving growth and market penetration for carbon credits and energy attribute certificates in the Southeast Asian market. Forge strategic partnerships, identify emerging market trends, and deliver innovative solutions to maximize sustainable impact. Successfully establish and expand business operations, leveraging strong stakeholder relationships. Committed to fostering collaboration and advancing sustainable initiatives for a greener future.FEEDBACK: Email Host | HOST, PRODUCTION, ARTWORK: Joseph Jacobelli | MUSIC: Ep0-29 The Open Goldberg Variations, Kimiko Ishizaka Ep30-50 Orchestra Gli Armonici – Tomaso Albinoni, Op.07, Concerto 04 per archi in Sol - III. Allegro. | Ep51 – Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G, Movement I (Allegro), BWV 1049 Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
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