National Aeronautics and Space Administration

The Energy Transition in Perspective

About the Talk The transition to a decarbonized energy system is gaining momentum, but the world is not yet on track for net zero by 2050. With ambition greatly outpacing reality, there is an increasing need for evidence-driven energy policy to meet the targets included in global climate pledges. In this presentation to the NASA Carbon Monitoring System, Jason Bordoff and Dr. Melissa Lott from the Center on Global Energy Policy will discuss the policies needed to avert the worst impacts of climate change, and how carbon emissions data can assist policymakers in this effort.

About the Speakers Jason Bordoff is Co-Founding Dean of the Columbia Climate School, Founding Director of the Center on Global Energy Policy, and Professor of Professional Practice in International and Public Relations at Columbia University SIPA. Bordoff joined the Columbia University faculty after serving until January 2013, as Special Assistant to President Barack Obama and Senior Director for Energy and Climate Change on the Staff of the National Security Council, and, prior to that, holding senior policy positions on the White House's National Economic Council and Council on Environmental Quality. One of the world's leading energy and climate policy experts, Bordoff's research and policy interests lie at the intersection of economics, energy, environment, and national security. He has written prolifically about how to address our greatest energy and climate change challenges and has developed innovative programs and tools to train future leaders to bridge the gap between academic research and policy, focused on delivering research insights in formats and timeframes that are accessible and useful to decision-makers outside of academia. He is a columnist for Foreign Policy magazine, a frequent commentator on TV and radio, including NPR, Bloomberg, CNBC and BBC, has appeared on the Colbert Report, and has published in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times and other leading news outlets. Prior to joining the White House, Bordoff was the Policy Director of the Hamilton Project, an economic policy initiative housed at the Brookings Institution. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the National Petroleum Council, a federally chartered advisory committee to the Secretary of Energy comprising representatives from academic, financial, research, Native American, and public interest organizations and institutions. Dr. Melissa C. Lott is a Senior Research Scholar and the Director of Research at Columbia University's SIPA Center on Global Energy Policy where she leads the center's Power Sector Research Initiative. She has worked as an engineer and researcher for more than 15 years in the USA, Europe, and Asia. Dr. Lott specializes in technology and policy research, working to increase our understanding of the impacts of our energy systems on air pollution and public health. She directly applies this understanding to help decision-makers mobilize technology and policy solutions to support the low-carbon transition. Internationally recognized for her work on electricity and transport, Dr. Lott has been featured as a Solar 100 Thought Leader, an IEEE Women in Power, and a Forbes 30 under 30 in Energy. She has authored more than 350 scientific articles, columns, op-eds, and reports on the energy sector and energy technology transition. Prior to joining CGEP, Dr. Lott was the Asst. Vice President of the Asia Pacific Energy Research Centre and held roles at the International Energy Agency and U.S. Department of Energy.

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