Page 39

decarbonsing the energy sector to meet the goals of 2020 and beyond.This is why the World Energy Council presented the report at last year’s Clean Energy Ministerial, in San Francisco, in front of Ministers from countries including Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Europe, South Africa, the UAE and the U.S., in order to inform these discussions.These findings provided the foundations for intense dialogue at our 2016 World Energy Congress held in Istanbul.This year’s Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM8) in Beijing, featured a new Innovation Theater event to showcase potentially game-changing clean energy innovations and inspirations from China and around the world. The Innovation Theater featured innovators, scientists, and entrepreneurs presenting breakthrough products and emerging clean energy topics in front of clean energy professionals, financiers, and global and Chinese media.Policies and investments intended to change energy supply and demand at a national level will take time and will likely be disruptive; however, energy leaders must act now on each of these focus areas to progress on the trilemma to support a thriving energy sector, a competitive economy and a healthy society.The UN Climate Change Conference (COP23 Fiji) in Bonn comes at a time when it is no longer sufficient to maintain the momentum, and is the next step for governments to implement the Paris Climate Change Agreement and accelerate the transformation to sustainable, resilient and climate-safe development.The world is now on a trajectory where only a climate of innovation will allow us to navigate the way to a truly sustainable energy future for the greatest benefit of all. ■ABOUT THE AUTHORDr Christoph Frei became WEC’s fifth CEO & Secretary General in April 2009. He has led the further development of the world-renowned London-based organisation by strengthening its policy and strategic insight processes, including WEC’s on-going World Energy Scenarios. Under Dr Frei’s leadership WEC has achieved that the WEC’s annual Trilemma report has become a reference for governments in many of WEC’s over 90 member countries, for the UN, the Clean Energy Ministerial and in policy discussions with Multilateral Development Banks.He is also a Professor at the Swiss Federal Technical Institute in Lausanne and a member of the board of the energy blockchain focused Energy Web Foundation. Prior to joining WEC, Dr Frei was a member of the Executive Council of the World Economic Forum (WEF) and its Senior Director in charge of Energy.Dr Frei regularly stimulates board and strategy meetings for leading energy and technology companies around the world and has a track record as facilitator of dialogue on behalf of governments and at international events including the World Economic Forum or the Clean Energy Ministerial. In 2012, Dr Frei became a member of the high-level advisory group to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Sustainable Energy for all.Dr Frei has instigated projects including EPFL’s Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels, the South Africa based Energy Access Partnership, or the World Economic Forum’s Partnering Against Corruption Initiative, which in 2008 led Ethisphere to rank him among the 100 most influential people in business ethics (http://ethisphere.com/100-most-influential-people-in-business-ethics-2008/).Dr Frei received his PhD es sc. from EPFL. He holds a diploma in electrical engineering and masters in energy economics & management, in econometrics, and in applied ethics. His publications cover fields including energy scenarios, energy and climate policy, global energy governance, energy-water nexus, energy access and the future of utilities. “THE UN CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE (COP23 FIJI) IN BONN COMES AT A TIME WHEN IT IS NO LONGER SUFFICIENT TO MAINTAIN THE MOMENTUM ”Pictured: Dr Christoph FreiGLOBAL VOICES 039