- Jens, Thomas. Hi.
Jens, to you first.
Reaching our net zero goals will require
a change in the way that we produce and consume energy.
So what will the energy system need to look like
to reflect that?
- So a net zero energy system means
we need to phase out fossil fuels everywhere.
That means all energy consuming sectors
predominantly need to electrify a lot of cars, trucks,
building heat, industrial heat, all need to move to power.
Where we still need molecules,
those need to shift from fossil to non-fossil.
A lot of which are also based on power.
So we need to massively scale up our power infrastructure
while transforming that away
from coal and gas to renewables.
- Thomas, what about the role
and responsibilities of utilities in this transformation?
- Building on what Jens said,
we are just at the beginning of a journey.
If you take for example our continent, Europe,
we have just some 15% of primary energy based on renewables.
So there are still 85% to go at the end of the day.
And it's not only about ramping up the renewables,
not only about replacing fossil fuels,
it's making the right electron be at the right time,
at the right place, which is a huge distribution journey,
distribution grid journey.
It all happens in the distribution grids,
and it's all about the digitization of the energy system.
Bringing the central...
Bring the decentral supply and demand into balance
is a huge challenge for the digital systems of the future,
and that is a big role that we have to play
as utilities in the future.
- Jens, what are your hopes and expectations,
for this COP in terms of transformation,
accelerating that transformation?
- I think the one thing we need to understand
is that all this transformation that is ahead of us
is probably, for energy systems,
the most significant one since we introduced electricity.
That's possible.
The technologies for this are there.
What's still lacking is a lot of political will,
and in emerging economies also financial support.
On the financial support side, I think we can see progress.
If loss and damage comes, this will help
finance the transformation.
On political will, I have to say that I'm not sure
whether, at least on a global level,
political leaders have yet understood
the severity of the situation we're in.
- Do you agree with that, Thomas?
- Yeah, I'm a little bit at odds with the whole vibe,
the whole mindset here at COP27.
What I see is the whole spirit is basically driven
by the NGOs and by the industries,
and my big hope would be that this enthusiasm
also spills over to the politics,
to the politicians, and political decision makers,
and I guess the expectations for this COP
regarding political decisions,
political signals are not that high.
But again, we are on a journey.
We see a lot moving in the political landscape in Brazil.
We've got some good news quite recently from the US,
and I hope that we can take these dynamics
at least to the next COP.
- Thomas, Jens, thanks so much.