Many of us have wish lists or resolutions as we get towards the end of one year and think about what we want out of next year.

So I decided to do a top of the mind wish list for the Energy Transition

Now we all can add to this but here are my nineteen wishes for kicking off 2022 in a focused way for the Energy Transition we all need to gather momentum, in really serious ways. Can you improve on this wish list?

Some of the ideas or thoughts are in the links provided. Happy holiday reading!

1. Let us stop talking “Net Zero” let’s make a new target of “Net Positive.” Net Positive is a way of doing business that puts back more into society, the environment and the global economy than it takes out.

2. Stop all the talking about Carbon Removal and show some real scaling progress on proving carbon removal is actually going to make a real impact.

3. The current technology talk is about “technology-ready” but let’s be honest 42 out of 48 technologies are not at scale, at all (IEA)

4. When are we going to have a decent set of debates, financial wizards are mandatory to be in the room, about having a clear derisking strategy and stranded asset assessment for each project that continues to promote anything but clean energy solutions’

5. Making real on all those Glasgow CoP26 pledges. Really?

6. Go way beyond the talk of mobilizing capital for the Energy Transaction with so many strings attached, and get our global institutions to turn on the “Clean Energy Tap” to mobilize industry, governments and all involved to break the old habits, and create the new habits of nothing but clean energy

7. Recognizing there are many developing countries in real need and energy dependency, that need support so the world, not our narrow, wrong thinking of just “our” country can simply survive.

8. Talking about the coal game- how are “we” going to seriously talk to India, China, Australia, South Africa and Brazil about digging and using coal? Stop buying products that are proven to be made within the extended supply chain with coal first (or gas or oil in later years)? Coal is Providing 37% of the world’s energy, coal is the single largest source of electricity generation globally. It is projected to remain the leading energy source into the 2030s, particularly because its use in India in China is still growing.  No mitigation without aid.

9. Do we develop clean air and product sanctions and apply them to those countries that keep ignoring science and the facts of the realities that are staring us all in the face from natural disasters?

10. How can we really have a visible supply chain that covers all scope, 1, 2 and 3 in real terms. not theoretical reporting? We do need what we are buying and what energy went into making and distributing it.

11. Methane emissions and the recent pledges were like the lottery prize pulled out of the CoP26 bag of goodies, was not the first prize, no one won that! Will we see pledges, promises and plans actually materialize next year to get greater global support here?

12. Is next year going to be the year Nuclear gets put back on the Energy considerations and the SMR makes good on all its talk and promise?

13. Everyone talks about the sustainability game. I think it is time to really call out the ones that talk about it, for shareholder leverage and those seriously making it a core need of their business- It needs to become embedded in all organizations objectives. Sustainable energy can be defined as a form of energy that can be utilized again and again without putting a source in danger of getting depleted, expired, or vanishing.

14. The cost of not collaborating, be it China and the USA, Russia and the EU is going to mess with any timescale of 2030 or even 2050. can we not find another way to collaborate on Energy in a world falling apart in one disaster after another or that lack of trust and collaboration we all need to have to turn this planet around?.

15. The inequality, injustices we have around Energy, in energy poverty or no basic security of electricity in developing countries, or they are not able to obtain clean energy solutions due to finance or political reasons, does need changing.

16. Not just “propose but dispose of” when it comes to money to make clean energy the only ‘currency’ of any energy project from 2022 onwards available to those that have scalable solutions, not more “bright ideas” that can quantify the capital investments.

17. As we enter 2022, we aim to have achieved a 45% decarbonized world by 2030, only EIGHT years away, why don’t we declare a climate emergency in 2022 and find scalable solutions that chase beyond this target?

18. Coal, gas and oil may be around for some time to come but let’s treat them as truly sunset fuels (oil and gas really?) that belong to the last century not this one in any future discussion, totally supporting the renewable push. Why not set a global standard so every dollar spent on coal, gas or oil is on a ratio of 1 to 5 for spending on renewables. Or, for every dollar of electricity generated by coal, oil and gas that is GIVEN UP, there is available 10 cents in fresh financing renewables and let the scaling effect on renewable costs also kick in.

19. Finally to stop talking about the Energy Transition and finally roll up our sleeves and get on with it. The pressure to perform and reduce our carbon emissions needs even more of real momentum in actual “deed”, not words!

So any other thoughts as we enter 2023, what would be your Number 20?