Energy Evolution – Details, episodes & analysis

This is episode 2 of All Things Aviation, a special six-part series focusing on the dynamics, trends, and outlooks in the aviation sector.

In this episode, Marie-Louise Du Bois, head of the global carbon pricing team is joined by S&P Global Commodity Insights experts Dana Agrotti, low carbon market lead analyst, Agamoni Ghosh, managing editor, global compliance carbon pricing and Eklavya Gupte, editorial lead, carbon news.

They delve into the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), discussing its role in reducing emissions and the challenges surrounding carbon credit availability. They also explore how CORSIA is shaping the aviation industry's approach to sustainability, looking at the big changes ahead for this hybrid carbon market.

This is episode 1 of All Things Aviation, a special six-part series focusing on the dynamics, trends and outlooks in the aviation sector. 

In the first episode of this Future Energy miniseries, S&P Global Commodity Insights scenarios and aviation experts Roman Kramarchuk, Paul McConnell and James Simpson set the stage, discussing the global state of aviation demand, fuel supply and Commodity Insights scenario outlooks for 2024 and beyond. What is the importance of emissions from the aviation sector in meeting (or not meeting) net-zero targets? How has the coronavirus pandemic impacted the sector? What drives demand for flying? What are the latest trends in aircraft fleets, and what are the policy constructs driving efficiency and alternative low-carbon fuels? Tune in next week for episode two of All Things Aviation, which will focus on the carbon market mechanisms that have been designed and implemented around the globe to constrain aviation emissions. 

Waste feedstocks in the form of Used Cooking Oil and Palm Oil Mill Effluent have been hitting headlines in the biofuels sphere – touted as the next generation of energy feedstocks. Feedstock flexibility appears to be a dominant trend over the next few years, and legislations across many countries look set to propel demand of waste-based feedstocks.

In this podcast, Asia’s managing editor Takmila Shahid, markets editor Nurul Darni, together with Head of Asia agriculture and metals news team, Rohan Somwanshi, and biofuels analyst Chua Wei Jun, discuss the rising appeal of UCO and POME as the coveted biodiesel feedstocks, recent market trends, trade flows and legislations that drive demand for these feedstocks.

The growing use of renewable energy and the phasing out of fossil fuels is creating a large flexibility gap that needs to be filled by clean technologies such as energy storage. Long-term storage technologies are critical to solar and wind power, addressing the challenge of intermittency.

While lithium-ion stands as the incumbent, scaling it for extended durations proves costly. Alternative solutions poised to fill this role will need to demonstrate scalable manufacturing and large-scale deployments to meet soaring demand.

In this special miniseries of the Platts Future Energy podcast, metals engagement lead Jesline Tang and energy storage analyst Susan Taylor join metals markets reporter Euan Sadden to discuss the evolving landscape of alternative long-term storage technologies, their impact on the battery sector, and how they compare to existing lithium-ion battery systems.

For more information, visit https://www.spglobal.com/commodityinsights/en

Article 6 of the Paris Agreement is seen as an essential enabler of international emissions trading, providing countries and businesses with a key pathway to meet and accelerate their climate goals.

However, many key decisions and rules around the use of Article 6.2 and Article 6.4 need to be clarified at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai in order to move carbon markets forward.

S&P Global Commodity Insights' experts Dana Agrotti, Vandana Sebastian and Eklavya Gupte explore some of the complexities of Article 6 and its implications for both the compliance and voluntary carbon markets.

Related price assessments: CNHDD00 - Platts Household Devices ANBAA00 - Platts Nature-Based Avoidance CNRED00 - Platts Renewable Energy

Related podcasts: ESG Insider: What to expect from COP28, the UN’s big climate change conference, with president Saugata Saha. Future Energy: Carbon credits seek to regain credibility amid growing scrutiny

Video series: What is the voluntary carbon market?

Further reading: Conversations at COP28 (Vandana Sebastian) UN Article 6.4 body fails to finalize carbon trade text, new meetings planned (Eklavya Gupte) Crunch time for UN carbon body to deliver clarity on Article 6.4 (Eklavya Gupte) COP28 presidency working to drive demand for high-quality carbon credits (Eklavya Gupte) INTERVIEW: COP28 director-general says progress on carbon markets needed to accelerate climate action (Eklavya Gupte)

In this series of podcasts, we explore and compare different battery chemistries against the dominant lithium-ion battery sector.  Sodium-ion batteries have emerged as a strong competitor to lithium-ion batteries, particularly in the energy storage sector. Some have even hailed it as a game-changer in the entry-level or low-cost EV segment, and that it could threaten the long-standing dominance of lithium-ion batteries in the EV sector. In this episode, battery metals experts Euan Sadden, Leah Chen and Henrique Ribeiro explore the technical differences between sodium-ion and lithium-ion batteries, the pros and cons of sodium-ion batteries, and whether it ultimately plays a competitive or complementary role to lithium-ion batteries.

Further reading Lithium price rally opens door for sodium-ion batteries Lithium demand destruction looms as project delays, cost pressures mount

Related price assessments BATHY04 - Lithium Hydroxide DDP China Yuan/mt BATCA04 - Lithium Carbonate DDP China Yuan/mt BATLH04 - Lithium Hydroxide CIF North Asia $/mt BATLC04 - Lithium Carbonate CIF North Asia $/mt

Against the backdrop of Europe’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism and a self-imposed deadline for a US Global Arrangement on Sustainable Steel and Aluminum, American steelmakers are stepping up investments in clean energy and working to ensure efforts to produce lower-emissions steel are recognized on the global stage. So how will policymakers view their initiatives, and will end-users be willing to pay more for material with a reduced-CO2 profile? 

S&P Global Commodity Insights' Christopher Davis, regional pricing director for metals in the Americas, talks with head of Americas metals news Justine Coyne and low-carbon electricity analyst Danylo Babkov about these topics and more.

Related prices: Platts European HR Carbon-Accounted Steel Premium Eur/mt (EHRSA00) Platts Northwest Europe HRC Carbon-Accounted Steel Price Eur/mt (EHRSC00) Platts Ni-Co black mass DDP US $/mt (NBNED00)

Related podcasts: How is Europe’s steel industry rising to the challenge of energy transition Decarbonization efforts in India: how ready is the steel industry? How will the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism affect global trade and carbon pricing?

Voluntary carbon markets are facing a critical moment in their short history. Questions about the integrity and effectiveness of many carbon projects have led to a sharp fall in prices and liquidity. However, a series of quality and transparency initiatives are being adopted to restore confidence in offsets.

S&P Global Commodity Insights' experts Eklavya Gupte, Dana Agrotti and Silvia Favasuli discuss the road to recovery for the VCM as it seeks to rebuild credibility and trust.

Related price assessments:

1. Platts Household Devices Current Year CNHDD00
2. Platts Nature-based Avoidance Current Year ANBAA00
3. Platts Natural Carbon Capture Current Year ANCCA00

Hear more on the latest developments in the carbon markets by attending the Global Carbon Markets Conference taking place on November 6-9, 2023 in Paris.

And you can watch our latest videos explaining what determines the price of a carbon credit and the pricing structure in the VCM.

The hefty premiums paid by BP and TotalEnergies in Germany’s latest offshore wind auction reflect the value these companies place on diversification – but do the economics stack up? Competition for offshore concessions has been fierce, but the sector is also under extreme cost pressure from stressed supply chains and rising inflation. S&P Global Commodity Insights’ news editors Henry Edwardes-Evans, Andreas Franke and Alex Blackburne discuss these issues with S&P Global analyst director colleague Coralie Laurencin.

Explore our interactive Renewable Energy Price calculator

Related price assessment: WDETF00 - German Offshore Wind Renewable Capture Price

Related stories: Germany sells four offshore wind concessions for $14 bil to BP, TotalEnergies Germany awards 1.8 GW offshore wind concessions for Eur784 million Offshore wind industry weighs consequences of 'seismic' German auction

Renewable Natural Gas – also known as RNG or biomethane — has gained attention in recent years as a lower-carbon replacement for conventional fossil natural gas. Rising demand for RNG has helped push prices for the associated environmental attributes up to anywhere from five to forty times the price of physical natural gas. As the market has grown, so has the need for transparent pricing. In response, S&P Global Commodity Insights launched first-of-kind pricing for landfill gas RNG for the California and outside-of-California markets in May. 

What supports those premiums for RNG and how does S&P Global see demand for this low-carbon gas alternative developing in the future? Kelsey Hallahan, team lead for low carbon commodities, discusses with low carbon pricing analyst Hope Raymond, senior biofuels analyst Jamie Dorner, and senior director for the S&P Global Hydrogen and Renewable Gas Forum Alex Klaessig.

Inflation Reduction Act: A Pragmatist's Guide

Prices in this episode: North America Renewable Natural Gas Premium (California) - AEWAA00 EU Biomass Guarantees of Origin (GO) Current Yr Eur/MWh -- EBGY200  Low Carbon Fuel Standard Carbon Credits Front Quarter -- AAXYA00