Photo by Jr Korpa on Unsplash

Hi again,
Welcome to a new edition of the State of Charge newsletter. A concise monthly overview of the renewable energy transition and advent of electric mobility. This month we read about the carbon credit trade, Japanese EV market, and billionaire-backed projects to fight the climate crisis 🙌

Photo by Karsten Würth on Unsplash

Trading carbon credits began as part of the 1997 UN Kyoto Protocol. As major corporations look to buy carbon credits to offset emissions, critics are questioning the value of “legacy” credits from green projects that are a decade or more old. What’s needed, experts say, is to reform the credit system so it delivers actual carbon reductions.
 

These statistics only include 100% Electric Vehicles, no hybrids. Statistics are provided by our partner
 ev-volumes.com. The Electric Vehicle World Sales Database.

Photo by Taylor Vick on Unsplash

In 2010, Nissan Leaf became the first mass-produced electric car. But the NYT describes how, 11 years later, the Japanese manufacturer is still skeptical about battery electric vehicles. Japan as a whole is holding back as the world rushes toward electric cars protecting massive investments in gasoline-electric hybrids.

SoC Good Reads

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) underlined that emerging economies must partake in the energy transition for us to reach global climate goals. Energy demand will rise 30% by 2040, with the Asia-Pacific region contributing two-thirds of that demand. 

Will billionaires save the world? Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Yishan Wong and Bill Gates have all pledged part of their wealth to ambitious climate plans. Climate campaigners welcome these initiatives, but some believe they should also fund basic social needs; such as green space and disaster relief. But isn’t that a job for public institutions?

Nuclear energy is as always a hot topic. It's relatively clean and cheap, but some say it's dangerous. Considering the renewable alternatives, does it make sense to invest more money here? The editor of World Nuclear Industry Status Report, Mycle Schneide, offers his opinion. 

Photo by bert brrr on Unsplash

"Digitalization is expected to help keep the transmission grid stable by balancing reserves from intermittent sources like wind and solar, facilitate decarbonization of production and flexibility of demand and supply services" say Alliance for Internet of Things Innovation, ENTSO-E, InnoEnergy and SDA Bocconi Sustainability Lab.

The four organizations published a paper with policy recommendations for distributed digital infrastructures, data spaces and better connectivity. These will be crucial for scaling up European energy services in the coming years. 
 

SoC Other News

China and Europe are leaders in EV adoption. But YaleEnvironment360 explains why the US will catch up within the next two decades.

A global chip shortage is affecting pickup trucks in the USA, and other industries will also face issues in the coming weeks. 

Four British energy companies are trialing the potential of smart charging. So far, they show an 80% average reduction in charging demand during the 6-9 pm evening peak.

We’re seeing a global increase in plant-based food sales. But when this happens in China, a country with consistently high meat consumption, that's excellent news. 

• Stock price surge aids Chinese EV makers
• From Amazon to FedEx, the delivery truck is going electric
• British Labour Party calls for electric vehicle 'revolution' to boost UK car industry and create jobs
• Why are EV names so boring?

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