Energy and Environment | Council on Foreign Relations

Responsible for powering the country and its economy, the U.S. energy grid has come under increasing strain due to climate change, and the threat of cyberattacks looms.

Backgrounder by James McBride and Anshu Siripurapu Jul 5, 2022

Batteries Not Included

A green future will depend on a vast supply of advanced batteries. As a result, global demand for lithium is outpacing supply.

Podcast by Gabrielle Sierra, Frank Fannon, Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran, Asher Ross, Markus Zakaria, and Rafaela Siewert Feb 16, 2022

Climate Change

A Conversation With Amy Pope

Amy Pope discusses her work as director general of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the UN role in addressing climate mobility, legal frameworks for migration, and the present humanitarian crisis. The Silberstein Family Annual Lecture on Refugee and Migration Policy was established in 2019 through a generous gift from Alan M. Silberstein and the Silberstein family. The lecture provides CFR with an annual forum to explore emerging challenges in refugee and migration policy in the United States and around the world.

Virtual Event by Amy Pope and Jeremy Robbins March 11, 2024
Brazil

Brazil and the World

Brazil plays a pivotal role on the global stage as a top ten economy, a leading democracy, and the dominant steward of the Amazon. A founding member of the BRICS, the country holds the 2024 G20 presidency and will host the United Nations climate summit in 2025. Experts from CFR and elsewhere examined Brazil’s current political, economic, and social opportunities and challenges, its evolving role in the world, and the decisive role it could play in combatting climate change. This event was made possible by the generous support of the Hauser Foundation.

Virtual Event by Matias Spektor, Natalie Unterstell, Patricia Campos Mello, Otaviano Canuto, Monica de Bolle, Monica de Bolle, Luisa Palacios, Bruna Santos, Oliver Stuenkel, Brian Winter, Ricardo Zuniga, Somini Sengupta, Kellie Meiman Hock and Arthur M. Rubin March 6, 2024 Latin America Studies Program
Haiti

Haiti’s Troubled Path to Development

Hobbled by foreign interventions, political instability, and natural disasters, the former French colony is paralyzed by multiple crises.

Backgrounder by Diana Roy and Rocio Cara Labrador March 4, 2024

Climate Change

A Conversation With John Kerry

John Kerry discusses his work as U.S. special presidential envoy for climate, the challenges the United States faces, and the Biden administration’s priorities as it continues to address climate change.

Virtual Event by John F. Kerry and Michael Froman March 1, 2024
Renewable Energy

Academic Webinar: Energy Security

Meghan L. O’Sullivan, director of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs and the Jeane Kirkpatrick professor of the practice of international affairs at Harvard University, leads the…

Webinar by Meghan L. O'Sullivan and Irina A. Faskianos February 28, 2024 Renewing America
Energy and Environment

Financing the Clean Industrial Revolution

Panelists discuss private capital’s role in leading the clean energy transition and what it takes to establish a redeployment of steady capital investing in decarbonization.

Virtual Event by Kassia J. Yanosek, David G. Victor, Mark K. Wiedman and Carolyn Kissane February 27, 2024 Renewing America

Chile

Chile’s Inferno, NATO Ramps Up Security Exercises, Indonesia’s Presidential Election, and More

Chile works to recover from the devastating wildfire in its central Valparaíso region; the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) continues with its 2024 Steadfast Defender exercise, the largest since the Cold War, while uncertainty over members’ commitment grows; Indonesia, the world’s third-largest democracy, holds vast general elections; and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken attempts to reach a deal for a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip and hostage release.

Podcast with Robert McMahon and Carla Anne Robbins February 8, 2024 The World Next Week
Climate Change

CEO Speaker Series With Rob Fauber of Moody’s

Moody's Corporation President and CEO Rob Fauber discusses the evolution of risk management and how seemingly isolated issues, including economic instability, geopolitical uncertainty, extreme weather events, and other global challenges, intersect to create an increasingly interconnected and complex risk environment. The CEO Speaker Series is a unique forum for leading global CEOs to share their insights on issues at the center of commerce and foreign policy, and to discuss the changing role of business globally. ZOOM LOG-IN INFORMATION: https://cfr.zoom.us/j/86966858228 Meeting ID: 869 6685 8228 Passcode: 859344 Back-up Dial-in: +1.646.558.8656

Virtual Event by Robert Fauber and Michael Froman January 24, 2024 CEO Speaker Series
Latin America

Amazon Deforestation Down But Little to Show for COP28, Plus Venezuela-Guyana Tensions

Region will struggle to maintain progress on deforestation. In Dubai, pledges don’t match financial commitments for Latin America. Maduro uses self-manufactured Essequibo crisis to crack down on the opposition.

Blog Post by Shannon K. O'Neil and Will Freeman December 22, 2023 Latin America Studies Program
2023 in Review

The World Next Year: Stories to Watch in 2024

In this special, year-end episode, Nahal Toosi, Politico’s senior correspondent for foreign affairs and national security, joins Robert McMahon and Carla Anne Robbins to review the biggest events of 2023 and the stories to keep an eye on in the coming year. They discuss instability caused by the Israel-Hamas war and Russia’s war in Ukraine, the global push for a greener future, challenges to immigration policy, the numerous elections of 2024, U.S. global leadership, and more.

Podcast with Robert McMahon , Carla Anne Robbins and Nahal Toosi December 21, 2023 The World Next Week
Energy and Environment

New Ideas to Fund our Planet’s Future: Finance-Based Strategies for Curbing Climate Change

At COP28 in Dubai, negotiators once again focus on increasing climate finance as the world struggles to manage rising temperatures, historic natural disasters, and environmental depletion. Panelists explore innovative finance-based solutions to protect and take account of the economic value of natural capital to advance the goals of the Paris agreement and other key international efforts.

Virtual Event by Jason Bordoff, Paula DiPerna, Adam R. Wolfensohn and Nili E.M. Gilbert December 14, 2023 Renewing America
Climate Change

Did the COP28 Summit Give a Boost to Renewable Energy Plans?

Leaders at the UN climate meeting in Dubai signaled a crucial pivot away from fossil fuel use, but significant hurdles remain for a speedy transition to emission-free energy.

Article by Zongyuan Zoe Liu December 13, 2023
Energy and Environment

CEO Speaker Series With Mike Wirth of Chevron

Chevron Chairman and CEO Mike Wirth discusses the current state of energy, including the role of fossil fuels and the energy transition to renewable and low-carbon sources, and how geopolitical crises affect global energy security. The CEO Speaker Series is a unique forum for leading global CEOs to share their insights on issues at the center of commerce and foreign policy, and to discuss the changing role of business globally.

Virtual Event by Michael K. Wirth and Daniel H. Yergin December 11, 2023 Renewing America
Climate Change

Ten Most Significant World Events in 2023

As 2023 comes to a close, here are the top ten most notable world events of the year.

Blog Post by James M. Lindsay December 8, 2023 The Water's Edge
China

Ten Most Significant World Events in 2023

2023 was a tumultuous year, marked by violent conflicts, democratic erosion, and record-high temperatures. This year, experts at the Council on Foreign Relations, along with visiting world leaders and thinkers, unpacked these issues and more. Join CFR’s director of studies, Jim Lindsay, in looking back at his list of the ten most impactful events of the year.

Explainer Video December 7, 2023