Episode Length 16 minutes
Episode Summary
The hosts catch up following a whirlwind 47-hour trip to Beijing, China, where they attended the CCUS Forum. The conversation covers their first-hand observations of China’s mobile-first ecosystem, the massive scale of infrastructure development, and the quiet prevalence of electric vehicles. They also discuss the “engineering mindset” driving China’s rapid project execution before diving into academic concepts regarding “Geological Net Zero” and the necessity of carbon sequestration.
Topics Covered
Travel Logistics in China: The challenges of navigating a mobile-dependent society without personal devices, including the necessity of WeChat Pay and Alipay for daily transactions.
Infrastructure & Scale: Observations on Beijing’s massive expansion, including six ring roads, clusters of high-rise apartments, and the rapid construction of venue-specific facilities.
The “Builder” Mindset: How China’s leadership, often possessing engineering backgrounds, prioritizes action and experimentation over prolonged planning.
Geological Net Zero: A discussion on Dr. Alan Miles’s presentation regarding the need to balance carbon extraction with sequestration, rather than just measuring emissions.
Key Takeaways
China is aggressive on Decarbonization: Despite public perception, China is scaling Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) rapidly, with over 120 projects currently underway.
EV Adoption is Palpable: The high volume of electric vehicles and electric scooters in Beijing has made the city streets noticeably quiet compared to other major urban centers.
The 2100 Net Zero Challenge: According to research discussed from Oxford’s Dr. Alan Miles, we are currently not on track to reach “geological net zero”—where every kilogram of carbon extracted is sequestered—by the year 2100.
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