Episodes 5-8 of the ELEEP network podcast present insights from a conference organized by the Atlantic Council and Ecologic Institute, which took place June 21-22 in Washington DC. Under the heading “Tipping Points: Finding the Energy-Climate Balance,” the conference brought together decision-makers, civil society, business leaders and scholars to reflect on the nexus of energy and climate policy in the United States, Europe and the international arena. The conference agenda covered a range of different topics and included talks by some of the brightest minds in the field.
In this episode, we present a discussion with former US Secretary of Energy, the honorable Dr. Ernest Moniz. The discussion is moderated by Dr. Ali Ahmad, Director of the Energy Policy and Security Program at the American University of Beirut (and a Millennium Fellow at the Atlantic Council). Dr. Ernest Moniz has been at the forefront of US energy policy development for over two decades. During his time as energy secretary under president Barack Obama from 2013-2017 he played a key role in hammering out the nuclear deal with Iran. The energetic discussion concentrates first on the role of science denial and skepticism in the current political climate and how the Trump administration has handled climate change — displayed most prominently by the recent withdrawal of the US from the Paris Agreement. Dr. Moniz points out that despite inertia in federal policy, regional solutions in innovation bring about revival and opportunities for local communities otherwise struggling. The discussion concludes with a lively question and answer session with the audience.
The episode can be listened to on SoundCloud using the embedded frame below.
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