The geopolitics of energy is playing a growing role in American foreign policy. As the United States ushers in a new president who has signaled a sharp shift in approach to energy and the environment, the new Administration must examine how these changes will impact relations with the rest of the world. Host Jason Bordoff speaks with Carlos Pascual, a non-resident Fellow at the Center on Global Energy Policy and Senior Vice President at IHS, about the role of geopolitics and foreign policy priorities for the new Administration. Prior to his current position, Carlos served as U.S. Ambassador in Mexico and Ukraine, as the State Department's Special Envoy and Coordinator for International Energy Affairs where he established and directed the Energy Resources Bureau and as senior advisor to the Secretary of State on global energy diplomacy. They discuss: Energy and foreign policy priorities and challenges for the new president including Russia, the Middle East and Asia; the link between energy, international security and international development; how the reduction of hydrocarbon demand as a result of climate change initiatives will influence geopolitics.
Following COP22 in Marrakech where global leaders were overcome with uncertainly about the United States' commitment to greenhouse gas reduction under a new Trump Administration, host Bill Loveless speaks with Carl Pope, former executive director and chairman of The Sierra Club, about the path forward against climate change through both international and local initiatives. Pope is also a senior climate adviser to former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the U.N. Secretary General’s special envoy for cities and climate change. They discuss: Reactions to Donald Trump’s election and other challenges and opportunities coming out of the Marrakech Climate Summit; The heightened roles for cities, states, investors and business in providing U.S. direction for climate initiatives; A sneak peek at the upcoming book by Carl and Michael Bloomberg called, “Overheated: How Cooler Heads Can Cool the World” that seeks to reset the conversation about climate change.
India's energy challenges are diverse and compounded by a growing global commitment to climate change, which has serious implications for India’s reliance on cheap coal to power its cities and villages alike. On this episode, host Jason Bordoff talks with Sunita Narain, Director General of the Center for Science and Environment, one of India’s leading environment NGOs based in Delhi, and one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People for her work on climate change and the poor. They discuss: The role energy access and energy poverty play in India's energy narrative; How to prevent fossil-fuel addiction among India's citizens; The challenge of transitioning India off of cheap coal and the role of natural gas in the developing world; The need for smart fuel subsidies; Whether the Paris Agreement is a good deal for India and other developing nations.
For many years, the petroleum industry has had the reputation of being a male club. With far more men than women occupying jobs and running the business, the sector faces the challenge of bridging the gender gap. On this episode of the Columbia Energy Exchange, host Bill Loveless speaks with Hosnia Hashim, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Kuwait's Petrochemical Industries Company, who has more than 25 years of experience in the sector. Their conversation followed a Women in Energy event at the Center on Global Energy Policy in New York where Hashim was a guest speaker. Among the topics they discussed include: How Hashim arrived in Kuwait's petroleum industry and her path through the ranks; Opportunities for women in Kuwait's petroleum sector compared to other Middle East nations; Steps taken by Kuwait's government to promote education of women in science, technology, engineering and math; Hashim's advice for women interested in entering the petroleum industry; Changes in Kuwait's oil and gas industry.