Pierre Boutin, President and CEO of Volkswagen Group Canada, joined the podcast in late November 2023 for a conversation about electric mobility. We talk about the Canadian EV market, supply chains, how we compare with Scandinavia, EV mandates, the promotion of e-mobility, customer interest and acceptance, and what the future may look like for range and price of EVs. We also talk about VW investments in battery development and manufacturing, and other aspects of the electric mobility ecosystem. We close out our conversation with a great recommendation for an addition to the Flux Capacitor Book Club. Links: Volkswagen Group Canada: https://www.vw.ca/en/about-volkswagen.html Pierre Boutin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pierreboutin/?originalSubdomain=ca News of departure from VW Canada: https://canadianautodealer.ca/2023/11/pierre-boutin-steps-down-from-volkswagen-canada-as-president-ceo/
Michael Bernstein, Executive Director of Clean Prosperity, and Advisory Board Chair of Carbon Removal Canada joined the podcast in November 2023 for a conversation about carbon policy and management. We talk about the importance of good modeling of net zero pathways, carbon markets and the need for carbon contracts for difference, and carbon management, both carbon capture and direct air capture. We also talk about the politics of climate policy and the need for support across the political spectrum for climate action. We end the conversation with Michael’s recommendation for an addition to the Flux Capacitor Book Club.Links:Clean Prosperity: https://cleanprosperity.ca/Carbon Removal Canada: https://carbonremoval.ca/Michael Bernstein at Clean Prosperity: https://cleanprosperity.ca/team/michael-bernstein/Michael Bernstein on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-bernstein-47b61b7/Primer on Carbon Contracts for Difference (CCFD): https://climateinstitute.ca/what-are-contracts-for-difference/
Harneet Panesar, Chief Operating Officer of the Ontario Energy Board, joined the podcast in November 2023 for a conversation about the changing world of the energy regulator. We talk about the modernization of the Ontario Energy Board, their increased use of delegated decision making, the importance of speed in decisions, and the move to more customer-centric models. He also shares perspectives on regulation as we move into a net zero paradigm drawing from his experience at the OEB, at Hydro One, and from his academic perch. We end the conversation with a seemingly timeless book recommendation for an addition to the Flux Capacitor Book Club.Links:Ontario Energy Board: https://www.oeb.ca/Harneet Panesar at the OEB: https://www.oeb.ca/about-us/who-we-are/executive-leadership/harneet-panesarHarneet Panesar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harneetp/?originalSubdomain=caElectricity Canada report: Back to Bonbright: Economic Regulation Fundamentals can Enable Net Zero: https://issuu.com/canadianelectricityassociation/docs/ec_sel_frame_-_2023_21_Book recommendation The Psychology of Judgment and Decision Making, Scott Plous: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/226665.The_Psychology_of_Judgment_and_Decision_Making
Lisa DeMarco, Senior Partner and CEO of Resilient LLP, and Chair of the International Emission Trading Association (IETA) joined the podcast in November 2023 for a deep dive into the world of international climate negotiations and how they inform domestic policy. We talk about the Canada’s climate commitments, federal/provincial dynamics, how Canada is performing relative to our international commitments, what to except at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) 2023 Conference of the Parties (COP28) in Dubai, and what a typical day at a COP looks like for Lisa and her team. We also touch on IETA and emissions trading, and the work her firm does with Indigenous Canadians. We wrap things up with Lisa’s recommendation for an addition to the Flux Capacitor Book Club.Links: Resilient LLP: https://resilientllp.com/ Lisa DeMarco at Resilient LLP: https://resilientllp.com/professionals/lisa-demarco/ COP28: https://unfccc.int/cop28 IETA: https://www.ieta.org/ Book recommendation Wait Softly Brother, Kathryn Kuitenbrouwer: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/119198026-wait-softly-brother
Philippe Dunsky, the President and Chief Accelerator of Dunsky Energy + Climate Advisors, and Chair of the Electricity Advisory Council joined the podcast in mid-October 2023 to talk about the work of his firm in energy efficiency, transportation, industry and energy. We talk about the Electricity Advisory Council, which he chairs, the pending Clean Electricity Regulations, and the prospects for the Atlantic Loop now that the Government of Nova Scotia has announced a different path. We close the discussion with his book recommendation.