Knowledge-Transfer Webinar: Global Outlook and Opportunities

This week, the Women in Wind Global Leadership Program conducted its second Knowledge-Transfer Webinar of 2021 on the topic of “Global Outlook and Opportunities.” The webinar brought together three topics which have grabbed the attention of the wind industry this year: wind energy’s role in net zero scenarios, wind and green hydrogen and corporate procurement of renewable energy. 

To guide the discussion, we welcomed three speakers for pre-recorded presentations and Q&A: Yasmine Arsalane,  Senior Energy Analyst, International Energy Agency (IEA), Rachael Garrett, Head, Offshore Wind and Hydrogen, RWE Renewables, and Aleksandra Klassen, Senior Impact Manager, RE100. 

The webcast began with opening remarks on the historic consensus of wind growth under IEA and IRENA scenarios, which chart the growth required for wind energy capacity out to 2050 in order to achieve carbon neutrality by mid-century and maintain a 1.5-degree pathway. Following this, Yasmine Arsalane provided a brief presentation on the facets of the IEA Net Zero by 2050 Roadmap, including the milestones for the electricity sector to decarbonise and the emerging risks which will accompany the pivot to renewable energy. 

There was a flood of questions throughout the webinar, with all three subject areas inciting interest from program participants. Mentees asked about how realistic net zero pathways were given the current policy and regulatory landscape, as well as the impact  and feasibility of large-scale growth on the wind supply chain and inputs such as critical minerals. They also asked questions related to cost and sustainability of hydrogen production, and growth of corporate PPAs in the wind sector of emerging economies.

This was one of the most engaging sessions of the Knowledge-Transfer Webinars to date, and captured the intense debate around net zero, hydrogen and cross-sector decarbonsiation. We are looking forward to delving into these three areas further in the program.