The diplomat leading a new effort to move countries away from fossil fuels explains what making that shift would take.

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At the 2023 UN climate summit in Dubai, countries reached a historic agreement calling for a transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems. But the agreement left a harder question unresolved: what does that transition mean in practice, and how can countries with very different economic circumstances act on it?

That question carried into last year’s climate summit in Brazil, which focused on moving from climate commitments toward implementation. But countries did not reach consensus on concrete steps to advance the transition away from fossil fuels. The Brazilian COP30 Presidency subsequently began developing a Roadmap for Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels, intended to carry that work into this month’s COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye.

Pedro Brancante is a Special Advisor to Brazil’s COP30 Presidency and coordinator of the roadmap’s development. He discusses what the roadmap is designed to accomplish, what “transitioning away” means for countries with very different energy and economic circumstances, and how the transition can work for countries whose revenues, jobs, and development remain tied to fossil fuels.

Pedro Brancante is a Special Advisor to Brazil's COP30 Presidency and head of energy & mining affairs with the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Itamaraty).

Related Content:

Mobile Energy Storage: Flexibility for the Energy Transition https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/mobile-energy-storage-flexibility-for-the-energy-transition/

Calculating Carbon Benefits of Urban Orchards https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/calculating-carbon-benefits-of-urban-orchards/

Energy Policy Now is produced by The Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. For all things energy policy, visit kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu.

The diplomat leading a new effort to move countries away from fossil fuels explains what making that shift would take.
---
At the 2023 UN climate summit in Dubai, countries reached a historic agreement calling for a transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems. But the agreement left a harder question unresolved: what does that transition mean in practice, and how can countries with very different economic circumstances act on it?
That question carried into last year&rsquo;s climate summit in Brazil, which focused on moving from climate commitments toward implementation. But countries did not reach consensus on concrete steps to advance the transition away from fossil fuels. The Brazilian COP30 Presidency subsequently began developing a Roadmap for Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels, intended to carry that work into this month&rsquo;s COP31 in Antalya, T&uuml;rkiye.
Pedro Brancante is a Special Advisor to Brazil&rsquo;s COP30 Presidency and coordinator of the roadmap&rsquo;s development. He discusses what the roadmap is designed to accomplish, what &ldquo;transitioning away&rdquo; means for countries with very different energy and economic circumstances, and how the transition can work for countries whose revenues, jobs, and development remain tied to fossil fuels.
Pedro Brancante is a Special Advisor to Brazil's COP30 Presidency and head of energy &amp; mining affairs with the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Itamaraty).
Related Content:
Mobile Energy Storage: Flexibility for the Energy Transition <a href="https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/mobile-energy-storage-flexibility-for-the-energy-transition/">https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/mobile-energy-storage-flexibility-for-the-energy-transition/</a>
Calculating Carbon Benefits of Urban Orchards <a href="https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/calculating-carbon-benefits-of-urban-orchards/">https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/calculating-carbon-benefits-of-urban-orchards/</a>
Energy Policy Now is produced by The Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. For all things energy policy, visit kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu.

Energy Policy Now offers clear talk on the policy issues that define our relationship to energy and its impact on society and the environment. The series is produced by the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania and hosted by energy journalist Andy Stone. Join Andy in conversation with leaders from industry, government, and academia as they shed light on today's pressing energy policy debates.

Energy Policy Now

Energy Policy Now offers clear talk on the policy issues that define our relationship to energy and its impact on society and the environment. The series is produced by <a href="https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/podcast/">the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy</a> at the University of Pennsylvania and hosted by energy journalist Andy Stone. Join Andy in conversation with leaders from industry, government, and academia as they shed light on today's pressing energy policy debates.

The diplomat leading a new effort to move countries away from fossil fuels explains what making that shift would take.

Turning the Global Promise to Move Away from Fossil Fuels into Action

Carnot Prize recipient John Kerry on what political will, markets and diplomacy mean for the next phase of climate action.

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John Kerry has served in the U.S. Senate, as Secretary of State and, most recently, as President Biden’s Special Presidential Envoy for Climate. One constant over his more than four decades of public life has been his commitment to the environment and, perhaps most prominently, his efforts to protect Earth’s climate. He was present at the launch of the first global climate framework in Brazil in 1992, and his diplomatic efforts as Secretary of State were central to making the Paris Agreement a reality in 2015.

In recognition of his leadership, in September the Kleinman Center awarded Secretary Kerry the 2026 Carnot Prize for his contributions to energy policy. On the podcast, Kerry discusses the U.S. role in the global effort to combat climate change, including its on-again, off-again relationship with the Paris framework and where that relationship stands today. He also shares his views on the future role of the U.S. in climate diplomacy, and on why advances in technology and the economics of clean energy have not yet been matched by political and diplomatic progress.

Related Content:

2026 Carnot Prize Policy Lecture and Award Ceremony https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/events/2026-carnot-prize-policy-lecture-and-award-ceremony/

Breaking Down or Charging Up? Local Political Repercussions from Clean-Energy Manufacturing Investments https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/breaking-down-or-charging-up-local-political-repercussions-from-clean-energy-manufacturing-investments/

Policy Design Issues for Border Carbon Adjustments https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/policy-design-issues-for-border-carbon-adjustments/

Energy Policy Now is produced by The Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. For all things energy policy, visit kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu.

Carnot Prize recipient John Kerry on what political will, markets and diplomacy mean for the next phase of climate action.
---
John Kerry has served in the U.S. Senate, as Secretary of State and, most recently, as President Biden&rsquo;s Special Presidential Envoy for Climate. One constant over his more than four decades of public life has been his commitment to the environment and, perhaps most prominently, his efforts to protect Earth&rsquo;s climate. He was present at the launch of the first global climate framework in Brazil in 1992, and his diplomatic efforts as Secretary of State were central to making the Paris Agreement a reality in 2015.
In recognition of his leadership, in September the Kleinman Center awarded Secretary Kerry the 2026 Carnot Prize for his contributions to energy policy. On the podcast, Kerry discusses the U.S. role in the global effort to combat climate change, including its on-again, off-again relationship with the Paris framework and where that relationship stands today. He also shares his views on the future role of the U.S. in climate diplomacy, and on why advances in technology and the economics of clean energy have not yet been matched by political and diplomatic progress.
Related Content:
2026 Carnot Prize Policy Lecture and Award Ceremony <a href="https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/events/2026-carnot-prize-policy-lecture-and-award-ceremony/">https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/events/2026-carnot-prize-policy-lecture-and-award-ceremony/</a>
Breaking Down or Charging Up? Local Political Repercussions from Clean-Energy Manufacturing Investments&nbsp;<a href="https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/breaking-down-or-charging-up-local-political-repercussions-from-clean-energy-manufacturing-investments/">https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/breaking-down-or-charging-up-local-political-repercussions-from-clean-energy-manufacturing-investments/</a>
Policy Design Issues for Border Carbon Adjustments <a href="https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/policy-design-issues-for-border-carbon-adjustments/">https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/policy-design-issues-for-border-carbon-adjustments/</a>
Energy Policy Now is produced by The Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. For all things energy policy, visit kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu.

Carnot Prize recipient John Kerry on what political will, markets and diplomacy mean for the next phase of climate action.

John Kerry on Climate Diplomacy Without U.S. Leadership

As home gas use declines, rising infrastructure costs are pushing consumer gas bills higher.

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Americans are using less natural gas at home, yet their gas bills continue to rise. A growing share of those bills now reflects the cost of maintaining and upgrading gas distribution networks, even as electrification and state climate policies raise questions about the long-term role of gas in buildings.

James Van Nostrand, a senior fellow with the Kleinman Center and policy director at the Future of Heat Initiative, discusses how rising infrastructure spending has reshaped household gas costs and why extensive pipeline replacement has not necessarily produced better safety outcomes. He also examines a growing challenge for utility regulation: how to manage increasingly overlapping gas and electric systems that can provide many of the same household services.

Van Nostrand, former chairman of the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities, explores when continued investment in gas infrastructure may become uneconomic, whether targeted electrification could offer a lower-cost alternative to replacing aging pipelines, and what regulators and policymakers can do to ensure that the transition is both reliable and affordable.

James Van Nostrand is a senior fellow with the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy, and policy director at the Future of Heat Initiative.

Related Content:

Coping Under Strain: How Climate, Utility Disconnections, and LIHEAP Shaped Household Energy Strategies During the Pandemic https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/coping-under-strain-how-climate-utility-disconnections-and-liheap-shaped-household-energy-strategies-during-the-pandemic/

Energy and the Economics of Affordability https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/commentary/podcast/energy-and-the-economics-of-affordability/

Energy Policy Now is produced by The Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. For all things energy policy, visit kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu.

As home gas use declines, rising infrastructure costs are pushing consumer gas bills higher.
---
Americans are using less natural gas at home, yet their gas bills continue to rise. A growing share of those bills now reflects the cost of maintaining and upgrading gas distribution networks, even as electrification and state climate policies raise questions about the long-term role of gas in buildings.
James Van Nostrand, a senior fellow with the Kleinman Center and policy director at the Future of Heat Initiative, discusses how rising infrastructure spending has reshaped household gas costs and why extensive pipeline replacement has not necessarily produced better safety outcomes. He also examines a growing challenge for utility regulation: how to manage increasingly overlapping gas and electric systems that can provide many of the same household services.
Van Nostrand, former chairman of the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities, explores when continued investment in gas infrastructure may become uneconomic, whether targeted electrification could offer a lower-cost alternative to replacing aging pipelines, and what regulators and policymakers can do to ensure that the transition is both reliable and affordable.
James Van Nostrand is a senior fellow with the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy, and policy director at the Future of Heat Initiative.
Related Content:
Coping Under Strain: How Climate, Utility Disconnections, and LIHEAP Shaped Household Energy Strategies During the Pandemic <a href="https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/coping-under-strain-how-climate-utility-disconnections-and-liheap-shaped-household-energy-strategies-during-the-pandemic/">https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/coping-under-strain-how-climate-utility-disconnections-and-liheap-shaped-household-energy-strategies-during-the-pandemic/</a>
Energy and the Economics of Affordability <a href="https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/commentary/podcast/energy-and-the-economics-of-affordability/">https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/commentary/podcast/energy-and-the-economics-of-affordability/</a>
Energy Policy Now is produced by The Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. For all things energy policy, visit kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu.

As home gas use declines, rising infrastructure costs are pushing consumer gas bills higher.

Paying More for Less: The Rising Cost of Home Gas

PJM is under pressure to overhaul how it makes decisions. The harder question is whether the market can reform itself, and what meaningful change would require.

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The PJM Interconnection, the nation’s largest electricity market, is under growing pressure to reform the way it makes decisions. FERC’s push for change follows years of mounting concern over PJM’s ability to respond to challenges ranging from electricity supply and rising costs to rapidly growing data-center demand. Those concerns have now culminated in a broader question: whether the way PJM is governed is itself making the market’s problems harder to solve, and whether PJM can reform that system from within.

Seth Blumsack, director of the Center for Energy Law and Policy at Penn State University, explains how PJM makes decisions, why power is divided among its leadership, members and other stakeholders, and where that system can break down. He discusses the relatively limited role of states and consumers, how PJM compares with other regional electricity markets, and how much of its current predicament can really be blamed on governance.

Blumsack also looks at FERC’s unusual effort to broker governance reform through mediation, the changes now being considered, and what may happen if PJM and its stakeholders cannot agree on a path forward.

Related Content:

Breaking Down or Charging Up? Local Political Repercussions from Clean-Energy Manufacturing Investments https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/breaking-down-or-charging-up-local-political-repercussions-from-clean-energy-manufacturing-investments/ 

Data Center Regulation (Or Not) in Pennsylvania: Part 1 https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/commentary/blog/data-center-regulation-or-not-in-pennsylvania-part-1/ 

Energy Policy Now is produced by The Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. For all things energy policy, visit kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu.

PJM is under pressure to overhaul how it makes decisions. The harder question is whether the market can reform itself, and what meaningful change would require.
---
The PJM Interconnection, the nation&rsquo;s largest electricity market, is under growing pressure to reform the way it makes decisions. FERC&rsquo;s push for change follows years of mounting concern over PJM&rsquo;s ability to respond to challenges ranging from electricity supply and rising costs to rapidly growing data-center demand. Those concerns have now culminated in a broader question: whether the way PJM is governed is itself making the market&rsquo;s problems harder to solve, and whether PJM can reform that system from within.
Seth Blumsack, director of the Center for Energy Law and Policy at Penn State University, explains how PJM makes decisions, why power is divided among its leadership, members and other stakeholders, and where that system can break down. He discusses the relatively limited role of states and consumers, how PJM compares with other regional electricity markets, and how much of its current predicament can really be blamed on governance.
Blumsack also looks at FERC&rsquo;s unusual effort to broker governance reform through mediation, the changes now being considered, and what may happen if PJM and its stakeholders cannot agree on a path forward.
Related Content:
Breaking Down or Charging Up? Local Political Repercussions from Clean-Energy Manufacturing Investments <a href="https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/breaking-down-or-charging-up-local-political-repercussions-from-clean-energy-manufacturing-investments/">https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/breaking-down-or-charging-up-local-political-repercussions-from-clean-energy-manufacturing-investments/</a>&nbsp;
Data Center Regulation (Or Not) in Pennsylvania: Part 1 <a href="https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/commentary/blog/data-center-regulation-or-not-in-pennsylvania-part-1/">https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/commentary/blog/data-center-regulation-or-not-in-pennsylvania-part-1/</a>&nbsp;
Energy Policy Now is produced by The Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. For all things energy policy, visit kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu.

PJM is under pressure to overhaul how it makes decisions. The harder question is whether the market can reform itself, and what meaningful change would require.

Turning the Global Promise to Move Away from Fossil Fuels into Action

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