Abstract

Delivering on ambitious net-zero emissions goals by 2050 requires the expansion of our clean energy infrastructure at an unprecedented speed and scale. The From Ambition to Reality reports (see most recent report), authored in partnership between Worley (a global provider of professional services in the energy sector) and Princeton University’s Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment, highlight the urgent need to rethink infrastructure delivery practices to achieve global climate targets. The reports propose five fundamental shifts in how clean energy assets and infrastructure are conceived, developed, and delivered to bring the net-zero transition from ambition to reality. 

As part of the From Ambition to Reality effort, we want to hear from a broad range of stakeholders — asset owners, project developers, NGOs, financers, suppliers, regulators, affected communities, educators, researchers, policymakers, and labor organizations — about their perceptions regarding the progress of the clean energy transition.

As such, we invite you to join our Lunch & Learn webinars hosted by Andlinger Center’s Chris Greig and Elke Weber. In the first 15 minutes of these webinars, we will delve into the key shifts outlined in From Ambition to Reality, exploring how experts’ perceptions of these shifts have evolved over time. The last 15 minutes of each webinar will be dedicated to discussing and answering your questions. You are welcome to join the full 30-minute webinar or drop in at your convenience. 

Sign up for one of our interactive webinars:

• Lunch & Learn Europe: Monday, March 24, 7:00 am ET / 12:00 pm CET
• Lunch & Learn North America: Monday, March 24, 12:00 pm ET
• Lunch & Learn Asia Pacific: Tuesday, March 25, 7:00 pm ET / Wednesday, March 26, 10:00 am AEDT

Speakers

• Elke Weber – Gerhard R. Andlinger Professor in Energy and the Environment, Professor of Psychology and Public Affairs·Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment, Princeton University

  Elke Weber is the Gerhard R. Andlinger Professor in Energy and the Environment and Professor of Psychology and Public Affairs at Princeton University. She has a PhD in Psychology from Harvard University. Elke believes that psychological theory needs to interface with social problems in a two-way dialogue, proving itself with constructive solutions in real-world settings and being enriched and constrained by those settings. While much of Elke’s work draws distinctions between homo economicus and homo sapiens, she also examines individual, group, and cultural differences in time discounting or risk taking and how best to assess and model them. She then puts all of these insights to use by helping individuals or social planners design decision environments that capitalize on the full range of human capabilities and goals to make wise decisions.

• Chris Greig – Senior Research Scientist·Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment, Princeton University

  Chris Greig is the Theodora D. and William H. Walton III Senior Research Scientist at Princeton University’s Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment. He has a PhD in Chemical Engineering, is a fellow of the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering (ATSE) and holds an adjunct appointment at the University of Queensland. His ten-year academic career follows almost three decades of international experience in the private sector, firstly as a company founder, and then senior executive and non-executive director roles in major engineering and resources companies. These include CEO of ZeroGen (one of the early pioneer CCS ventures), Deputy Chair of Gladstone Ports Corp and Non-Executive Director of two ASX listed engineering firms. At Princeton, Chris spearheads the Rapid Switch Initiative at the Andlinger Center and is an Affiliated Faculty member of Princeton’s High Meadows Environmental Institute. His research combines, engineering, business and social sciences to explore the challenges of rapid decarbonization for different regions and sectors. He co-led Princeton’s ground-breaking Net-Zero America (2020) study which describes five net-zero emissions pathways for the United States at an unprecedented level of detail. Chris is also leading Princeton’s efforts on similar collaborative studies with universities in Australia, Asia and South America.