Payne Institute Director Morgan Bazilian and Communications Associate Gregory Wischer write about how minerals play a crucial role in bolstering a state’s military capabilities, defining its “mineral power.” This study assesses a state’s mineral power by evaluating its access to secure mineral supplies from four key sources: domestic production, government stockpiles, overseas production by domestic companies, and imports from aligned states. March 12, 2024.
Umut Mete Saka, Payne Institute Faculty Fellow Sebnem Düzgün, and Director Morgan Bazilian write about how utilizing machine learning to help the integration of supply chains worldwide and the establishment of resilient material flows emphasize the significance of transparency on mineral supplies. As regulations and policies around mineral supply become more stringent, organizations are actively seeking effective tools to assess the transparency of their supply chains. January 13, 2024.
Centre for Climate Finance & Investment at Imperial College Business School led a team, including the Payne Institute Sustainable Finance Lab Program Manager Brad Handler, to write “Vietnam Renewables: Investment Priorities”, a review of prospects and challenges to deploy more renewable energy in the country. The report offers specific steps for further renewable power deployment in Vietnam in the context of its economic growth and incredible resource potential (solar and wind), through a combination of policy and market mechanisms. December 6, 2023.
Payne Institute Earth Observation Group Christopher D. Elvidge and others write about how rapid implementation of human mobility restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic dramatically reduced maritime activity in early 2020. However, maritime activity in 2020 was more complex than previously reported, as activity were industry and area specific. Passenger vessels were less active in 97% of Mediterranean Sea coastal states, and ceclines in fishing vessel presence were localised and short-lived. November 25, 2023.
Payne Institute Director Morgan Bazilian, Macdonald Amoah, Gregory Wischer, and Juliet Akamboe write about how minerals still undergird warfighting technology, including defense platforms and munitions. Like previous junctions in human history, the current period will be defined by minerals and the warfighting technology that they enable. November 10, 2023.
Payne Institute Director Morgan Bazilian, Sustainable Finance Lab Program Manager Brad Handler, and Responsible Gas Program Manager Simon Lomax write about how methane is a powerful greenhouse gas, and fast reductions will help stabilize the climate more than any other action we can take in the short term. November 9, 2023.
Ashvin Dayal, Andrew Herscowitz, and Payne Institute Fellow Todd Moss write about how we need an unambiguous agreement that everyone on the planet deserves abundant energy. While higher energy consumption might sound counterproductive to climate goals, the two things can – in fact, must – coexist. At the COP28 Summit later this year, world leaders must commit to a new Modern Energy Minimum of 1,000 kilowatt-hours per person per year. November 7, 2023.
Payne Institute Fellow Arvind P. Ravikumar, Erin E. Tullos, David T. Allen, Ben Cahill, Steven P. Hamburg, Daniel Zimmerle, Thomas A. Fox, Manfredi Caltagirone, Lara Owens, Robert Stout, Andrew J. Grimes, Tania M. Fernandez, Carrie Jenks, Riley Duren, Antoine Halff, Payne Institute Director Morgan D. Bazilian, and Stefanie Rucker write about how a differentiated natural gas market is emerging as a key mechanism to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across global natural gas supply chains. Trust in such voluntary markets across civil society, industry and governments depends on a transparent framework for reporting independently verifiable and accurate emissions data. November 2, 2023.
Payne Institute Sustainable Finance Lab Program Manager Brad Handler writes about the 8th World Investment Forum focused on spurring sustainable development across low and middle income economies. The challenges loomed large, as speakers noted that not only were absolute spending levels far short of what was needed to be “on track” to meet energy transition and SDG targets, but that recent spending in the developing world was far too concentrated in select economies. October 25, 2023.
Payne Institute Earth Observation Group Researchers Namrata Chatterjee, Tilottama Ghosh, Christopher D Elvidge, Mikhail Zhizhin, and Tamara Sparks write about how the VIIRS Boat Detection (VBD) product offers real-time insights into the movements of fishing vessels. This study highlights the utility of VIIRS boat detection data in monitoring fishing activity and its response to seasonal and regulatory influences in the Indian Ocean, ultimately contributing to more effective fisheries management and conservation efforts. October 12, 2023.