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The quest for safe, sustainable and affordable energy

News and interviews • Sustainability

3 min read

The quest for safe, sustainable and affordable energy

The energy transition is one of the biggest structural changes of our time. Providing universal access to affordable, reliable, modern energy services is key to securing a sustainable future. By promoting investment in energy infrastructure, clean energy technologies and related research, the financial sector can help seize this tremendous opportunity and thus accelerate progress. On the occasion of EFG’s CRO conference Switzerland & Italy, Franco Polloni, EFG’s Head of Switzerland & Italy Region, has discussed this important topic with Prof. Dr. Lino Guzzella, one of the leading experts in the field.

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Franco Polloni: What are the challenges of the energy transition?
Prof. Dr. Lino Guzzella:
The scale of the necessary changes and improvements is enormous. Therefore, the biggest challenge will be providing the necessary economic resources. This is even more difficult as humanity is facing several other ESG challenges (poverty, hunger, health, etc.).

FP: How can the transition be turned into a business case and become investable?
Prof. Guzzella
: It must become a business, otherwise there is no chance that the required changes are realised. The key point will be to price the emission of carbon dioxide (and other greenhouse gases) such that their externalities are included. Once this is achieved, free markets and governmental regulators must find the necessary coordination to achieve on a global scale the necessary improvements.

FP: What are the prerequisites for this to be successful?
Prof. Guzzella
: A sober and fact-based analysis that avoids any ideological traps is key. There will be no silver bullet, only a plethora of approaches will make progress possible. Particularly, all sorts of non-fossil electricity generation must be included, and humanity also must prepare to adapt to unavoidable climate changes.

FP What are the opportunities for Switzerland specifically?
Prof. Guzzella
: Switzerland’s most important contributions are progress in science and technology and the commercialisation of these ideas. Understanding the climate system, providing mitigation solutions, and offering adaptation approaches for the world are the relevant levers.

 

Biography Prof. Dr. Lino Guzzella

Lino Guzzella has been full professor of thermotronics since 1999 and, in addition, from August 2012 to December 2014 Rector of ETH Zurich and from January 2015 to December 2018 President of ETH Zurich.
After receiving his mechanical engineering diploma in 1981 and his doctoral degree in 1986 from ETH, he held several positions in industry and academia. 
With his group he focuses in research on novel approaches in system dynamics and control of energy conversion systems. Control-oriented systems modelling, dynamic optimization and feedback control design methods are the main area of research. A particular emphasis is placed on the minimization of fuel consumption and pollutant emission of land vehicle propulsion systems. Among others he received the IEEE-MSC - Industry Award for Excellence in Translational Control Research, IEEE Control Systems Magazine Outstanding Paper Award, the SAE Arch T. Colwell Merit Award and the Ralph R. Teetor Educational Award, the IMechE Thomas Hawksley Medal and Crompton Lancaster Medal, the Energy Globe Award and the Golden Owl 2011 for Excellence in Teaching.

Prof. Guzzella is a fellow of IFAC and a fellow of IEEE and a member of the Swiss academy of engineering sciences (SATW). Prof. Guzzella is member of several international and national research committees and has been member of the board of governors of IFAC and member of the Swiss CTI Committee on Engineering Sciences.

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