SciencesPo Energy Podcast

Banks play a crucial role in the climate story, but not in the way most people think. In this episode, we speak with Dr. Max Falkenberg, climate finance researcher and Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow, to talk about how big banks around the world are still pouring trillions into fossil fuels—and why that needs to change fast.

Tune in to learn:

What makes fossil fuel financing so hard to stop

Why just a few powerful banks could make a massive difference

How new rules (and global teamwork) could shift the system

Whether voluntary climate pledges by banks are actually working

What happens to oil and gas companies if the money dries up

And what changes he’d like to see next in the finance world

If you've ever wondered how your money, or your bank, might be connected to the climate crisis, this episode is for you. We recommend you to have a quick look at Dr. Max Falkenberg's paper entitled “The challenge of phasing-out fossil fuel finance in the banking sector” before listening to the podcast.

Today, we'll delve into the environmental impact of the highly anticipated 2024 Paris Olympics. Can the City of Lights reconcile athletic excellence with its unwavering commitment to carbon neutrality? Join us as we explore the challenges and potential solutions with Professor Michel Noussan, a leading expert in Sustainable Transport.

What is happening in the voluntary carbon market? Despite its growing prominence, purchasing carbon credits remains controversial. But can these concerns be addressed?



Join us as Anton Root, head of research at the innovative tech firm Allid Offsets, offers his insight on the trajectory of the voluntary carbon market. We discuss its latest developments, the impact of COP28, and even touch upon carbon removals.

In this episode, we discuss hydropower, the forgotten giant of low-carbon electricity. Despite being one of the oldest and largest power generation sources, hydropower still has untapped potential that can contribute to decarbonization.

Heymi Bahar, senior energy analyst at the IEA, shares his expertise on the topic providing an overview of hydropower's global outlook, its opportunities and challenges, and policy measures to support hydropower's role in clean energy transition.

Dr. Rachel Guyet is the Director of Global Energy Transition and Governance master’s at the European Institute (CIFE). She is a member of European network ENGAGER on energy poverty and of the research group Energy and Cohesion at CERI-Sciences Po, Paris. She also teaches Energy transitions and society at Sciences Po Dijon Campus

Today we will discuss current issues related to energy poverty in Europe which has significantly increased due to high energy prices due to series of events such as COVID-19, inflation and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This episode was recorded on December 2, 2022.