Steve Sawyer

From Beijing to Houston

GWECs intrepid secretary general heads back to china for two high profile events, and peers into the muddy waters obscuring chinas long term energy vision.

No bed of roses for Brazilian wind plans

JUST BACK from Brazil Windpower, Steve Sawyer, Secretary General of the Global Wind Energy Council, gives us an overview of the market, stressing its not all a bed of roses…

Cancún: a modest success?

WITH THE backdrop of the COP15 failure in Copenhagen, expectations going into the recent UNFCCC COP16 talks in Cancun, Mexico, were extremely low, with few believing there would be a significant outcome. And after the chaotic failure in Copenhagen the year before, many observers had already pronounced the multilateral approach to combating climate change ‘dead’, and did not think it could be revived.

“Yes to RES”: wind industry rallies in Chicago

STEVE SAWYER REPORTS BACK FROM SOME NOTABLE EVENTS, INCLUDING THE SECOND (OF 6) NEGOTIATING SESSIONS LEADING UP TO THE UNFCCC COP 15 IN COPENHAGEN, WHERE THE WORLD IS SUPPOSED TO AGREE A NEW COMPREHENSIVE GLOBAL AGREEMENT TO COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE…

IRENA comes into being

STEVE SAWYER PIECES TOGETHER THE FRENETIC EVENTS THAT TOOK PLACE IN JUNE IN EGYPT, WHICH SAW THE OFFICIAL CREATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY AGENCY (IRENA).

Renewables take centre stage

AT THE FIRST WORLD FUTURE ENERGY SUMMIT (WFES) IN ABU DHABI, EARLY 2008, THE AGENDA WAS DOMINATED BY FOSSIL FUEL COMPANIES SEEKING TO PAINT THEMSELVES GREEN – WHILE MAINTAINING THE STATUS QUO WITH A FEW TWEAKS AND SOME CARBON CAPTURE AND STORAGE (CCS). STEVE SAWYER RETURNED FOR THE SECOND WFES IN JANUARY 2009, AND FOUND THE OIL COMPANIES STILL THERE, BUT NOW COMPETING WITH RENEWABLES FOR THE SPOTLIGHT.

Climate: urgent action required

Its been another busy period for GWECs Steve Sawyer, who has attended an eye-watering number of international events on the circuit. Here, he brings us up to date with a view from the front line of the climate change debate…

A year to remember

After digesting the contents of the first events of the year, Steve sawyer hopes that 2008 can live up to the promise of 2007.

The headlines say it all

STEVE SAWYER CONTINUES HIS TOUR OF HIGH-LEVEL MEETINGS AROUND THE WORLD IN HIS ROLE AS AMBASSADOR FOR GWEC, AND REMAINS FRUSTRATED BY THE INTRANSIGENCE OF MANY WHO SHOULD BY NOW KNOW BETTER.

Around the world in 90 days

In the first of a regular column for renewable energy focus, global wind energy council (gwec) secretary general steve sawyer adjusts to his new life “inside” the renewable energy industry, and learns his bingos from his tungos at the 26th session of the UNFCCC.