The Global Leadership and Technology Exchange (GLTE) met in Singapore last week to explore  “Engines of Growth: Innovative Cities in the Wider World”, with a host of important businesses and  leaders on hand to provide case studies, actions and answers towards a cleaner, low carbon future for the world.  This was one of three platforms for Rock Mountain Institute’s Amory Lovins, who delighted – and astounded – audiences with his eloquent exposition of well-researched opportunities to make the world a better fossil free place. Read More

News from GLTE and Xyntea:

The Global Leadership and Technology Exchange (GLTE) met in Singapore on 14-15 November 2012 to explore the theme “Engines of Growth: Innovative Cities in the Wider World”, with a host of important business and business leaders on hand to provide case studies, actions and answers towards a cleaner, low carbon future for the world.

Osvald Bjelland, Chairman and CEO, Xyntéo had this to say to get the high powered collection of delegates from around the world to focus and act:

It doesn’t matter…

We live in increasingly complex times. Our economy is adrift, with unemployment rising across the developed world – threatening to create a lost generation. And our climate is adrift, threatening widespread damage and volatility worldwide.

At the same time, access to many essential resources is tightening, consumer trends are harder to understand, and policy frameworks are shifting.

In the face of this complexity, it is vitally important to focus on what truly matters.

It doesn’t matter if some still question the causes of our changing climate. Our work with Statkraft on the “Frontiers of Climate Science” clearly demonstrates the risks of inaction. The Earth is approaching critical climate tipping points,
with extreme weather events, like Hurricane Sandy, threatening to become the new norm.

It doesn’t matter if some are slow to react to these changes. Some will always be blinded by the cheap thrill of short-term wins. But as our thought leadership series with TCS reinforces, embedding smart use of resources, clean energy and environmental protection into business strategies is now essential for minimising risks.

What matters is that we are heading in the wrong direction. What we need, what we really need, is leadership to set us on the right course. Leadership can inspire a constellation of business leaders, policymakers, big thinkers and “wisdom keepers” to work together. Leadership can open our minds to new ways of thinking. And most importantly, leadership can motivate us to act.

The Global Leadership and Technology Exchange, with its global partners positioned across disciplines, geographies and sectors, does lead and it does act.

Our method is simple. We draw
on our extensive community to develop deep insights, leading to collaborative projects that we scale to create a new kind of growth.

I am so pleased that we are meeting in Singapore to discuss these critical issues and forge a practical path forward. And I am very grateful to our Singaporean partners and friends for their vision, commitment and leadership. We have much to learn from you.

Over the next two days, let this city inspire our thoughts, challenge our convictions and motivate our actions. Because in the end, in these increasingly complex times, it doesn’t matter what we say. It matters what we do.

Xyntéo is an international advisory firm that equips business leaders to unlock low-carbon growth. Working strategically and practically with some of the world’s leading companies from across a range of industries, Xyntéo delivers tailored analysis, inspiring arenas and collaborative projects.

Xyntéo founded and runs the Global Leadership and Technology Exchange (GLTE), a partnership created to help companies navigate the risks and opportunities of a resource-constrained economy.

GLTE

The Global Leadership and Technology Exchange (GLTE) is a partnership created to help companies navigate the risks and opportunities of a resource-constrained economy. Through GLTE business leaders build their knowledge of the changing economic landscape, forge strategic networks and pursue practical collaborative projects. GLTE partners span a multitude of key industries and operate in virtually every country around the world.

The GLTE partnership currently includes ABB, Constellation Energy, Det Norske Veritas (DNV), Deutsche Bank, the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), Ericsson, Eni, Gazprom, Hess Corporation, Royal Dutch Shell, Siemens, Statoil, Stena, Subsea 7, Tata Consultancy Services, Tata Sons and Unilever.

Source: www.xynteo.com/glte

Driving the efficient and restorative use of resources

Ken Hickson meets a man on a mission: Amory Lovins

His book might be called “Reinventing fire” but listening to Amory Lovins, of the Rocky Mountain Institute, you quickly get the idea that what he’s come up with amounts to reinventing the way the world works, particularly in the way energy is used and wasted.  He spoke at three different events in Singapore last week.

He is a man with limitless energy himself, full of innovations and soundly researched ideas.  To get a measure of the man, here’s a glimpse at what he had to say on four important areas – automobiles, buildings, renewable energy and energy efficiency:

Automobiles:

Amory is an advocate of lighter weight vehicles running on renewable energy. Carbon fibre, which is strong enough for aircraft, is so light it significantly reduces the weight of a vehicle – cars, trucks or buses – that so much less fuel is needed to move them along. Fuel use can be cut by 44%. They also require far less tooling along with reduced number of parts, which means they are much cheaper to make. And combined with electric, hybrid or hydrogen, can turn the whole automobile industry on its head and turn our cities and roads into much cleaner, pollution free places.  It is an example of industrial transformation – and without oil!

Buildings:

While it might be tempting to pull an old building down and start afresh, Amory says we should think again.  For him, a retrofit can mean a 75% saving in energy use – actually making old buildings better than new. He gave the example of retrofitting the Empire State Building in New York, which the Rocky Mountain Institute was involved in.  It incorporated super windows which pass light but block heat and cold. Getting the right chiller size can also make a big difference. Overall, a three year payback on retrofitting costs can be achieved through energy savings. In the US, buildings use 75% of electricity produced and to him the disruptive technology is integrated design.

Renewable energy:

He wants to world to wean itself off fossil fuels. To Amory, wind and solar are the best and most cost effective renewable energy options. There are companies operating in Europe and the United States, which are installing solar photo voltaic (PV) for homes and businesses with no upfront costs to the customer. It is paid for in the same way you would pay a utility bill. He is impressed with the remarkable progress Germany has made to introduce wind and solar and wean itself off fossils fuels and nuclear. Four German states are generating between 43-52% of the energy they need from wind power. Of Germany’s total energy usage, 26% is now coming from renewables and Germany is a net energy exporter.

Energy efficiency:

There is a lot of wastage in the way energy is produced and distributed, according to Amory. He estimated that about 90% of all energy produced – oil, coal and gas – is lost before it gets to the energy user. We must deal with wastage and be more efficient in the way we use energy. Smart grids and localized production renewables – with wind and solar for example – leads to “triple efficiency” and lower costs. Utilities can work with investors, regulators and the consumer, so home-owners and businesses can be rewarded for reducing their energy use.

Amory Lovins has shown through his work and his book “Reinventing Fire” that the US can be weaned off its total dependence on coal and oil by 2050. This is without contemplating no growth or low growth. Business and the economy can still grow. But the emphasis is on energy security and dealing with climate change by dramatically reducing emissions from fossil fuels. It can also be achieved without resorting to nuclear energy.

The world needs to promote “Flameless Fire”.  Energy from the sun and wind, which is a free resource. Its capture doesn’t involve damaging the environment or pollution of the atmosphere. The smart, clean and efficient way to go.

Source: www.abccarbon.com and www.rmi.org