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Energy Explained
Get the latest as our experts share their insights on global energy policy.
Six Key Issues That Defined Climate Week 2025
CGEP scholars reflect on some of the standout issues of the day during this year's Climate Week
Blog
by Erica Downs, Dave Turk, Kate Guy, Gautam Jain, Luisa Palacios, David Sandalow, Vivek Shastry & Jack Andreasen Cavanaugh • October 10, 2025
Podcasts
Hear in-depth conversations with the world’s top energy and climate leaders from government, business, academia, and civil society.
Building a New Energy Industrial Strategy
Industrial policy, supply chain security, and economic competitiveness are central to how we think about clean energy deployment. As the Trump administration pulls back federal support for the...
Events
Find out more about our upcoming and past events.
October 16, 2025
• 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
edt
Careers at the United Nations
Join us for a virtual information session focused on career pathways at the United Nations.
Event
This is the first episode of a five-part series exploring the European energy crisis in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In this season, we ask the trillion dollar question: Will this crisis speed or slow down the energy transition in Europe? And what does that mean for the rest of the world?
Unpacking the history behind Europe’s dependence on Russian energy
Putin’s assault on Ukraine triggered an energy crisis that sent Europe’s economies into a tailspin and put the European energy transition to the test. But how did the European Union, a leader in climate action, become so dependent on Russian oil and gas to begin with?
This season, we look at the energy systems of Germany and Poland. Both have very different energy systems, but both became dependent on Russian energy for heating homes, firing power plants, and fueling businesses.
In this episode, we look at the immediate impact of the Ukraine invasion on that dependency and the historical influences behind it– from Germany’s pursuit of natural gas to Poland’s centuries-long relationship with coal.
Then we ask whether Europe’s initial response to the crisis– leaning more heavily on fossil fuels– will accelerate or slow down Europe’s push toward green energy.
More Episodes
The Battery Recycling Dilemma
So far over this season we've traced the global lithium-ion battery supply chain from mining to processing to manufacturing. And we've put it all into a geopolitical and economic context.
The Big Switch Podcast
• March 27, 2024
The Great Battery Manufacturing Race
China has been the world's biggest battery manufacturer for over a decade. By 2022, according to the IEA, China manufactured 76% of the world's batteries. But that's changing.
The Big Switch Podcast
• March 20, 2024
The High Stakes for Battery Ingredients
Batteries can replace gasoline in our cars, or diesel in our generators with electricity. But batteries and petroleum-based fuels share something in common: they both rely on energy-intensive processes to turn extracted materials into something useful.
The Big Switch Podcast
• March 13, 2024
The Mining Conundrum For Critical Minerals
To produce enough batteries to reach global net-zero goals, the International Energy Agency says we'll need to increase production of critical minerals by six fold by 2040. It's a monumental task.
The Big Switch Podcast
• March 6, 2024
Relevant
Publications
Six Key Issues That Defined Climate Week 2025
CGEP scholars reflect on some of the standout issues of the day during this year's Climate Week
Blog
by Erica Downs, Dave Turk, Kate Guy, Gautam Jain, Luisa Palacios, David Sandalow, Vivek Shastry & Jack Andreasen Cavanaugh • October 10, 2025
Put the Quad to Work On Energy Security
Each country in the alliance offers distinct strengths.
What the Conflict in the Middle East Means for China’s Natural Gas Supply Security
China’s dependence on the energy supplies that move through the Strait of Hormuz makes it especially vulnerable to any possible closure of the waterway by Iran in retaliation for attacks by Israel and the United States.
China’s Oil Demand, Imports and Supply Security
Testimonies & Speeches
by Erica Downs • April 30, 2025
