Notes #9/2023
On the Global Digital Compact, IPCC AR6, smart grids, the Barkley Marathons, and more.
My notes are just that: Short, informal messages, or brief records of points or ideas written down. The topics included in notes are related but not limited to the policy and politics of (and research on) sustainability - with a focus on the energy transition (in The Netherlands).
Editorial note: Starting with this issue of notes, the regular section about the energy transition in The Netherlands (i.e. my current line of work) will be in Dutch only. This sections will always be at the end of my notes. Of course I will write in English still about local energy transition news that could be of relevance to a broader international audience, like the note on a local smart grid study below.
Last week, the IPCC released AR6. Tremendous hard work by thousands of dedicated scientists. But let’s stop with the reports and reposition all the intellectual energy and creativity towards developing policy solutions. Let’s start closing the gap between knowledge and actual impact. No need for an AR7 to tell us that the gap is growing - but a tremendous need for more effective, fair, and feasible solutions. As usual, excellent coverage of the approval session of the summary report, 13–19 March 2023 (58th Session of the IPCC) by ENB.
Reading recommendation (German): “Der ganz formale Wahnsinn. 111 Einsichten in die Welt der Organisationen“ by Stefan Kühl.
Now also on Mastodon: @RZondervan@mastodon.green
Leading to the Summit of the Future in 2024, the UN proposes a Global Digital Compact. This pact is expected to “outline shared principles for an open, free and secure digital future for all.” Digital technologies offer tremendous opportunities, including the potential to contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. At the same time, however, they also can pose harms to societies and the environment. Recognizing this dichotomy, the United Nations adopted a Declaration in 2020, pledging to “improve digital cooperation,” and to provide “a platform for all stakeholders to participate in such deliberations.” I doubt that the UN will be able to generate impact on this topic.
From the day-job
Staying on the topic of digitalisation and sustainability: Last Wednesday, I attended a presentation of a study and simulation by Aug-e of a smart energy grid at a local commercial area (Molletjesveer / Noorderveld). This study was commissioned jointly by the local energy cooperation SAENZ and my sustainability team at Zaanstad.
Aim of the study was to explore if a local smart grid could be economically feasible, help solve the severe capacity issues of the main electricity grid, support economic development of the area, and enable acceleration of the energy transition by the more than 100 companies that are members of SAENZ - and eventually all 700 companies in the area.
The answer in short: Yes to all the above - and on top of that, there even is an earning potential which could keep the profits from energy systems, usually flowing away to shareholders of multinational companies, to benefit the local collective of companies.
As a nerd, I like the depth of the analysis, the ingenuity of using software solutions to optimize generation and usage of electricity in combination with a sophisticated prizing mechanism. As a choreographer of sustainability, I like the challenge in the next step: How to organize the consortium of partners to take this from analysis and simulation to implementation.
On a different note
The reason for only few notes in recent weeks: This year’s edition of the Barkley Marathons two weeks ago. Probably the hardest and certainly the weirdest of the ultrarunning races. This year with 3 finishers (that is close to 3 more than on average). Since the documentary The Barkley Marathons: The Race That Eats Its Young, the race has become a bit too famous. But due to the lack of proper media coverage, the sparse #BM100 social media updates keep a small number of people including me glued to our phones for a 60 hours enjoying the in parts absurd updates from the yellow gate at Frozen Head in Tennessee.
The Dutch Energy Transition Corner
(As mentioned above, from now on just in Dutch)
Kamerbrief over aanbieding eindrapport 'Scherpe doelen, scherpe keuzes: IBO aanvullend normerend en beprijzend nationaal klimaatbeleid voor 2030 en 2050'. In de meest recente aflevering van de podcast Voetnoten wordt de IBO in detail besproken - een aanrader.
Kamerbrief over beleidsagenda Klimaatneutraal Nederland
Column Inhoud wint! van Laetitia Ouillet in Energeia.