Early stage investor Rockstart and sustainable energy company Ørsted to launch an accelerator programme in the Netherlands. Plus, G7 ministers commit to phasing out coal-fired power generation
Rockstart, an early stage investor backing purpose-driven founders in the energy, agrifood and tech sectors, is partnering with sustainable energy company Ørsted to identify and accelerate innovative startups offering renewable energy solutions.
Under the partnership, announced earlier this month, the two companies will launch an accelerator programme focused on energy system integration, as part of Ørsted’s new innovation hub in the Netherlands.
“Ørsted is a leader in the transition to clean energy which is urgently needed both from a climate and security perspective and we are proud to partner with them. By partnering with Ørsted we aim to empower more purpose driven founders to develop renewable energy solutions and build a sustainable and resilient energy system
,” said Rune Theill, CEO and co-founder at Rockstart.
Rasmus Errboe, head of continental Europe at Ørsted added: “We are facing major challenges in the transition to a Netherlands that runs entirely on green energy. Think of solutions for electricity surpluses and shortages, network instability and bottlenecks. We look forward to further helping the Netherlands in achieving all climate objectives with our new Innovation Hub, especially for promising companies and initiatives
.”
G7 commit to coal phase-out
Following their meeting in Berlin last week, the climate, energy and environment minister of the G7 group of advanced economies, released a joint communiqué condemning the war in Ukraine and setting out a range of actions to take climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.
In the statement, the ministers representing the US, the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan, stressed the need for mobilising and aligning financial flows.
“We recognise that combating climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution requires mobilising private and public, domestic and international financial resources,” the communiqué said, reinforcing the ministers’ commitment to implement “Paris-aligned and nature-positive COVID-19 recovery measures”.
Achieving a mostly decarbonised electricity sector by 2035 and phasing-out coal power generation are key takeaways from the agreement.
Vice-chancellor and federal minister for economic affairs and climate action Robert Habeck, said: “The G7 have made a first-time commitment to the goal of predominantly decarbonised electricity sectors by 2035. Beyond that, they have committed for the first time to phasing out coal-fired power generation. This is enormous progress, which is more important than ever in times like these and in view of Russia’s terrible war of aggression against Ukraine. Climate action, the coal phase-out and the expansion of renewable energies are matters of national, European and international energy security. We have to take resolute action on them together.”
