Global warming poses an existential threat to the planet, so we make no apologies for taking a fresh look at the progress being made towards net zero.
Our focus is not on the big picture – few still question the imperative of tackling climate change – but on the difficult, detailed decisions that decarbonisation entails for policymakers, companies and investors.
The consequences of phasing out fossil fuels will vary from one sector to another, but Frontier has developed a common framework to help clients navigate the shifts in consumer expectations, government policy and technology that the pursuit of net zero will trigger. Our advice to business leaders is to set targets, identify risks and opportunities, invest in innovation and prepare for uncertainty.
We examine the importance of beefing up Europe’s cross-border energy infrastructure so that power can flow as needed from one country to another. The EU selects ”projects of common interest” to help forge a unified energy market, but we argue that the scheme is far from perfect and suggest how it can be improved. Another policy-related piece asks whether recent guidance from competition authorities – otherwise hostile to any hint of corporate collusion - will encourage firms to work with rivals to foster environmental sustainability. And because the choice of the most efficient green technologies to adapt will vary from one location to another, we make the case that more place-based policymaking can speed up the energy transition.
Finally, did you know that data centres are expected to consume almost a third of Ireland’s electricity supply by 2030? With data use growing at an exponential rate, in part because of the roll-out of generative AI, we look at how energy system planners can sate this hunger for power.
