Theme: From being a frontier technology just a couple of decades ago, Offshore Wind has emerged as a key technology solution for reaching Net Zero targets, with international organisations expecting at least 2TW of capacity by 2050. An increasing number of governments are looking to kick-start or scale up their offshore wind sectors, as the technology provides one of the few available options for many countries to add large scale zero-carbon generation capacity at competitive costs. However, offshore wind will face significant challenges - from inadequate policy and market frameworks to managing biodiversity and social acceptance - if it is to fulfill its expected role. This lecture takes place on the occasion of the launch in New York of the Global Offshore Wind Alliance, an multi-stakeholder alliance made up of governments and the private sector which aims to significantly increase ambition and accelerate implementation of offshore wind.
Speaker: Ben Backwell, CEO Global Wind Energy Council
Ben Backwell is the CEO of the Global Wind Energy Council, the organisation that represents the private sector wind industry globally. Mr Backwell is a strategist and thought leader who has been involved in global energy markets for over 20 years, as a journalist, analyst, advisor and government affairs specialist. He is the author of "Wind Power: the struggle for a new global industry (Taylor and Francis, 2017) and a frequent media commentator. He sits on a number of advisory boards and committees in the renewable energy space.
This event is part of Climate Week NYC. The Climate Group has selected the Columbia Climate School as its university partner for this year’s Climate Week NYC. Running from September 19 - 25, Climate Week NYC convenes key climate leaders to accelerate climate action and is the biggest global climate event of its kind. Check out all of the Columbia Climate School’s Climate Week events and content on our website: https://www.climate.columbia.edu/climate-week
