Key Principles of Sustainable Energy Decision-Making

Updating Herman Daly's 3 simple rules for sustainability to a world in overshoot. Earlier this week the brilliant Marcus Feldthus shared a post about 3 simple rules for sustainability, written by the founding father of ecological economics, Herman Daly. However, these rules are no longer sufficient. We are living in a world that's already pushed past its limits. Six out of nine planetary "boundaries" have been crossed, meaning we can't just aim to "do no harm" anymore. Doing no harm in a system that's already harmful doesn't solve the problem. We can only achieve a truly sustainable, steady-state society through net positive, regenerative action deployed at a sufficient pace and scale, hand in hand with a necessary radical systems change. Therefore, I have tried to revise these three principles to better align with a world that has exceeded its social and ecological thresholds. Rule 1:  Original rule:  → For a renewable resource - soil, water, forest, fish - the sustainable rate of use can be no greater than the rate of regeneration of its source. New rule: Regenerate more than you consume: employ renewable resources in a manner that enhances their renewal rate. Example, implementing regenerative agriculture not only produces food but also increases soil fertility, sequesters carbon, and enhances biodiversity, leading to a net positive impact on the environment. Rule 2: Original rule:  → For a nonrenewable resource - fossil fuel, high-grade mineral ores, fossil groundwater - the sustainable rate of use can be no greater than the rate at which a renewable resource, used sustainability, can be substituted for it. New rule: Replace and enhance: Use non-renewables only as long as they are used to ensure the replacement of product or services that increase negative pressures on social and planetary boundaries Example: utilizing fossil fuel energy is permissible solely for the development and expansion of renewable energy infrastructure, like wind or solar power installations, provided that it results in a net reduction of fossil fuel dependence. Rule 3: Original rule:  → For a pollutant, the sustainable rate of emission can be no greater than the rate at which that pollutant can be recycled, absorbed, or rendered harmless in its sink.   New rule: Replace & transform pollutants into resources: Replace and convert pollutants into beneficial inputs for ecological or social systems. Example: organic packaging materials, instead of ending up in landfills, are processed into compost. This compost then serves as a natural fertilizer, enriching soil fertility and supporting the growth of healthier crops, thus closing the loop in a sustainable cycle.   This is not a critique of the amazing Herman Daly, but it's an attempt to explore and reshape how terms from thinkers like him can be applied in today's climate emergency conditions, where merely avoiding damage falls short of restoring climate equilibrium and rejuvenating ecosystems.

Day 23 of the conflict. Oil prices are up more than 40% since the war began.   At moments like this, it feels like the scale of the problem is bigger than the tools we have. But this is exactly when sustainability thinking matters most; not as an aspiration, but as a practical framework for building resilience.   The pathway forward looks different depending on where you are.   For 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗲𝘀, the priority is accelerating what is already in motion: faster permitting for renewables, grid modernisation, energy efficiency at scale, and strategic storage investment. The tools exist. The crisis has made the case for using them clearer than ever.   For 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗲𝘀, the transition requires targeted concessional funding, technology transfer, and South-South cooperation on solar and distributed energy. Getting this right means ensuring the transition is equitable, not just fast.   Across both contexts, a few principles from sustainability thinking apply:   🔹 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 reduces fragility. Every economy that has invested in a broader energy mix, whether through renewables, nuclear, efficiency, or storage, is more resilient to what is happening right now. This is not theoretical. It is visible in real time.   🔹 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗴-𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 pays dividends that short-term crisis management cannot. The countries and companies that made transition investments years ago are in a structurally different position today than those that deferred them.   🔹 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸 requires systemic responses. The current crisis is a reminder that 𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘤 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 are not separate issues. Sustainability frameworks that integrate these dependencies, rather than treating them in silos, are better equipped to identify vulnerabilities before they become crises.   The disruption we are living through is painful and the immediate human cost is real. But it also demonstrates why the transition matters and why the time to invest in it is not after the crisis, but right now. #sustainability #climateresilience #energytransition

Getting clean energy procurement right is a key requirement for making energy-intensive carbon removal approaches (like DAC) credible. Today, Frontier has published a set of buyer principles for responsible clean energy procurement: https://lnkd.in/g2jt55nN Principle #1: New, co-located procurement Clean energy must be truly incremental (new builds, power plant uprates, or CCS retrofits). It should be in the same grid region to ensure credible, local emissions reductions. Principle #2: Counterbalance facility grid emissions Annual volumetric matching alone isn’t enough. CDR projects should either match grid use on an hourly basis or do annual matching plus an “emissions screen” (i.e., over-procurement to cover actual emissions). The idea behind an "emissions screen" is to calculate extra clean energy needed to offset the project’s real grid emissions using historical hourly data. This is a stepping stone; by 2030, we expect more rigorous temporal or full emissions matching to be the norm. Principle #3: Ensure robust data sharing CDR developers must share energy use data and accounting methods with buyers, registries, and verifiers. Transparency builds trust in net removal claims and lays groundwork for more advanced matching in the future. Why it matters: These principles help ensure that energy-intensive CDR approaches deliver genuine climate impact now while preparing for stricter requirements ahead. Establishing these guardrails early helps the industry scale quickly but responsibly.

Industry sustainability from an energy perspective is crucial for a mission like Viksit Bharat @2047, which aims to create a developed India by 2047. Here are some key aspects to focus on: 1. Renewable Energy: Transition to renewable energy sources like solar, wind, hydro, and geothermal to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. 2. Energy Efficiency: Implement energy-efficient technologies and practices to minimize energy waste and reduce consumption. 3. Green Hydrogen: Promote the use of green hydrogen as a clean energy carrier for industrial processes and transportation. 4. Electrification: Encourage electrification of industries, like electric arc furnaces in steel production, to reduce energy intensity. 5. Carbon Capture: Implement carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technologies to reduce emissions. 6. Sustainable Supply Chains: Foster sustainable supply chains by promoting responsible sourcing, recycling, and waste reduction. 7. Research & Development: Continuously invest in R&D to develop new sustainable energy technologies and processes. 8. Policy Framework: Establish a supportive policy framework to incentivize industries to adopt sustainable energy practices. 9. Workforce Development: Train and upskill the workforce to adapt to the changing energy landscape. 10. Collaboration & Partnerships: Foster collaboration among industries, academia, and government to achieve common sustainability goals. By focusing on these aspects, India can achieve significant progress in industry sustainability from an energy perspective, contributing to a developed and sustainable nation by 2047. #GreenHydrogen #Viksitbharat2047 #Energy

Putting a price on sustainability can help - and hurt! In our new comment for 'Nature Sustainability' we therefore propose eight guiding principles which ensure that valuation serves sustainability rather than distort it. Translating social and environmental effects (e.g., carbon emissions or employee well-being) into financial terms holds promise: it can boost transparency, align sustainability with financial decision-making, and guide resource allocation. But it also carries many risks, from ethical concerns and oversimplification to greenwashing and policy displacement. Our eight principles - spanning ethics, the strategic design of valuation, and information integrity - help to navigate through this minefield. 👉 The principles are a reminder that the goal is not to reduce sustainability to money, but to make it actionable without losing its complexity, plurality, or intrinsic value. Thanks to the brilliant team of co-authors for pushing this agenda! Laura Marie Edinger-Schons, Judith Stroehle, Ali Aslan Gümüsay, Florian Berg, Marya Hill-Popper Besharov, Dror Etzion, Karim Harji, Nien-hê Hsieh, Andrew King, Giovanna Michelon, Juliane Reinecke, Florian Hoos. === Link: https://lnkd.in/d_FzBrCX SSRN version (open): https://lnkd.in/dJE2UdyK

📣 Earlier in September, the UN released 7 Guiding Principles and 5 Actionable Recommendations to build a future where minerals extracted, processed and manufactured into renewable energy technologies do not create or exacerbate social, environmental and political harm. "The increase in renewable energy has come with significant risks, including environmental degradation, human rights abuses, crime, and conflicts." When thinking of unsustainable critical minerals, Quartz in China, Rare Earth Elements in Myanmar, Cobalt in the DRC, and Nickel in Indonesia spring to mind. Unfortunately the list is much longer. The 7 Guiding Principles: 1️⃣ Human rights must be at the core of all mineral value chains. 2️⃣ The integrity of the planet, its environment and biodiversity must be safeguarded. 3️⃣ Justice and equity must underpin mineral value chains. 4️⃣ Development must be fostered through benefit sharing, value addition and economic diversification. 5️⃣ Investments, finance and trade must be responsible and fair. 6️⃣ Transparency, accountability and anti-corruption measures are necessary to ensure good governance. 7️⃣ Multilateral and international cooperation must underpin global action and promote peace and security. The 5 Actionable Recommendations are centered around: 1️⃣ Accelerating greater benefit-sharing, value addition and economic diversification. 2️⃣ Developing a global traceability, transparency and accountability framework. 3️⃣ Launching a Global Mining Legacy Fund to address derelict, ownerless or abandoned mines, mine closures and rehabilitation. 4️⃣ An initiative to empower artisanal and small-scale miners towards responsibility. 5️⃣ Reaching material efficiency and circularity targets to balance consumptions and production environmental impacts. Flick through the slides to take a deeper dive into what “Principle 1: Human rights must be at the core of all mineral value chains” means.

Despite commitments to reach net-zero emissions, progress has been slow. The share of renewable energy, for example, has only increased from 8% in 2010 to 12% in 2021. If emissions continue as they are, net zero may not be achieved by the end of the century. A successful net-zero transition will require achieving not one objective but four interdependent ones: emissions reduction, affordability, reliability, and industrial competitiveness. New research from my colleagues identified seven principles to navigate this transition. For example, deploying lower-cost solutions and driving down the cost of more expensive ones could bolster affordability. Managing existing and emerging energy systems in parallel could make access to energy more reliable. Seeking opportunities by using comparative advantage as a guide could help countries bolster their competitiveness. Following those principles could substantially improve the world’s current trajectory. See how in the report: https://lnkd.in/gbMfhVQE