In Short : Using biogas for cooking has the potential to contribute to sustainable and environmentally friendly energy practices. It aligns with the broader goal of reducing reliance on traditional cooking methods that involve burning solid fuels, which can lead to deforestation, air pollution, and health issues.
In Detail : Leaders from Mars, Google, JPMorgan Chase and elsewhere discuss what they got from the COP28 climate conference in Dubai
As the nearly 100,000 attendees at the 28th climate conference settle back into their routines, business leaders have had time to reflect on the event and its impact.
There were important headline outcomes from the official process and some progress on financing the transition. WSJ Pro spoke to several executives about their takeaways from the days spent networking up a storm.
Mars Chief Procurement and Sustainability Officer Barry Parkin:
“Our message is that this is perfectly possible with current science and technology…and it’s also perfectly affordable, so let’s get on with it…the only number that the planet cares about is the percentage reduction in greenhouse gas emissions across all scopes, nothing left out.”
“I came away with four or five really powerful ideas to follow up on that will help accelerate our road map and hopefully we influenced some others—gave them ideas about how they can accelerate their road map.”
JP Morgan Chase Global Head of Sustainability Heather Zichal:
“We are focused on supporting our clients on their decarbonization journeys and scaling clean energy. As we move forward, we’re hopeful this is a turning point for the public and private sectors to work together and realize the collective intent of these agreements.”
Amazon Vice President, Worldwide Sustainability Kara Hurst:
“There can no longer be silos between industries when it comes to climate action…We all need to think long-term while acting with extreme urgency, and the conversation is already moving on from simply talking about investments and the potential they bring, to deploying the available capital and making changes.”
SSE Chief Executive Alistair Phillips-Davies:
“Codifying and securing international endorsement for ambitions like these [tripling renewables, transitioning from fossil fuels] is very welcome; however, the challenge now is to deliver the tangible actions needed to make them a reality…At COP28 there was no shortage of businesses willing to invest but there was a common frustration at the pace of progress on the ground, and this is something we need to address for all our sakes.”
PepsiCo Chief Sustainability Officer Jim Andrew:
“The COP28 deal sends a pivotal signal to keep 1.5C alive. To make it a reality, there must be follow through on tripling Renewable Electricity capacity…Sustainable food systems making it onto the table at COP28 was another major breakthrough, along with the recognition that regenerative agriculture must be part of the solution in combating climate change.”
Google Chief Sustainability Officer Kate Brandt:
“Meaningful progress was made such as the commitment to tripling renewable energy capacity globally and doubling the global average annual rate of energy efficiency improvements by 2030. In addition, the launch of the AI Innovation Grand Challenge to support climate action in developing countries is a positive development. However, there is still a lot of work to be done across the public and private sectors in order to facilitate the transition to a decarbonized global economy at the speed and scale required in this decisive decade.”
GFG Alliance Global Head of Risk & Sustainability Marian D’Auria:
“Yes we need policy makers at the table, but this will be driven by business activity and economic drivers as much as COP agreements. This COP28 brought together more people than ever before…the variety, quality and seniority of people I met who are now working full time on making this happen is leaps and bounds from where we were even two years ago.”
Harvard Professor of Energy & Economic Development Robert Stavins:
“One thing that was striking at COP28 was the degree to which methane received increased attention, not necessarily in the negotiations, but in the plethora of side agreements forged and publicized among governments and—more importantly—among diverse members of civil society…More broadly, participating in Dubai confirmed for me what I already thought, namely that U.S.-China cooperation in these international forums is essential for meaningful progress.”
Bayer, Consumer Health, Senior Vice President & Global Head of Public Affairs, Science & Sustainability Daniella Foster:
“During COP, billions of dollars were pledged and hundreds of countries signed various declarations. At face value, these are big wins for the world. But we need to make sure these aren’t empty promises and hold actors accountable…And this goes beyond government. Corporations have a role to play and we need to raise the bar in terms of holding companies accountable for their commitments and actions.”
Octopus Energy founder Greg Jackson:
“Whilst the final communique’s commitment to transitioning from fossil fuels was welcome, this COP was pivotal in finally seeing some fossil fuel companies acknowledging they can’t deliver the transition. We’re building a new energy system — fundamentally built on electrification and renewables, in which many oil majors are startups, if they participate at all.”