IICEC Webinar on Energy and Climate Relations Held with Broad Participation
IICEC’s 6th online event within its webinar series entitled “A New Era in Global Energy and Climate Policies: What is Next with the New U.S. Administration?”1 was held on February 23 with a large audience (around 2000) from a wide range of stakeholders. Moderated by
Prof. Fuat Keyman, Vice President of Sabancı University, the webinar hosted Güler Sabancı, Founding Chair of Sabancı University Board of Trustees, Dr. Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA) and Prof. Ernest J. Moniz, 13th U.S. Secretary of Energy
(under the Obama Administration) at the opening session, followed by a business panel hosting three high-level sector representatives: Ahmet Erdem, Country Chair of Shell Turkey, Erkan Kafadar, CEO of Borusan Holding, and Kıvanç Zaimler, President of the Energy Working Group of TÜSİAD.
Güler Sabancı: “Energy and climate topics have long been a special priority for us.”
Güler Sabancı said that energy and climate were among special and priority interests of Sabancı University, which was why IICEC was established 10 years ago to act as a common platform for policymakers, the industry and academia to take consistent steps towards a better future. Reminding IICEC’s work in a "Triangle of Success" with policymakers, the industry and academics to launch the Turkey Energy Outlook report, Güler Sabancı said: “This report met a crucial need in the Turkish energy sector and became a work of reference for all stakeholders. I am delighted to see IICEC grow and gain influence. Another ambitious project by IICEC this year will be the Turkey Electric Vehicles Outlook. The report, planned to be launched in this fall, will provide a comprehensive analytical perspective into electric vehicles and the e-mobility ecosystem and growth potential in Turkey.”
Güler Sabancı thanked Prof. Moniz, Dr. Fatih Birol, Prof. Keyman and all speakers joining the Webinar: “I owe personal thanks to Secretary Moniz, who is with us here today, for inviting me to the forward-looking MIT Energy Initiative founded under his distinguished academic leadership. His tenure as US Secretary of Energy in the Obama Administration was illustrious: has had extraordinary success in propagating clean energy, science, innovation and technology, while also earning strategic wins. I would like to thank Secretary Moniz for his support in Sabancı University and IICEC,
and for joining us from the United States at a very early time for him to avail us of his extraordinary wisdom and observations on a critical subject that is high on the agenda of the new US administration.”
Güler Sabancı emphasized the leading role that the IEA has been playing under the Directorship of Dr. Birol including the transformation to clean energy across the world, continuing, “Just recently, Dr. Birol announced the first comprehensive roadmap that the International Energy Agency would prepare for the global energy industry to show the path to achieving net zero emissions by 2050. This special IICEC webinar is doubly important because it comes right after Dr. Fatih Birol’s address to the US Senate’s Energy and Natural Resources Commission.”
Just recently, Dr. Birol announced the first comprehensive roadmap that the International Energy Agency would prepare for the global energy industry to show the path to achieving net zero emissions by 2050.
Güler Sabancı