Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, we have seen an energy crisis unfold in Europe – and particularly in Germany given its heavy reliance on energy from Russia. The looming threat of Russia suspending gas deliveries to Germany or Germany ending the procurement as part of a sanctions package, respectively, could lead to a drastic increase in energy prices and shortage in gas supply. What are the challenges of being energy independent in an interconnected global economy? What does the war in Ukraine mean for energy security in Europe? What are the short-, mid-, and long-term consequences? And, how are governments and citizens reacting?
Join ACG and 1014 for another discussion as part of their virtual series Democracies und Pressure: Challenges for the Global Liberal Order. We will be joined by Samantha Gross, Director of the Energy Security and Climate Initiative at the Brookings Institution, and Dr. Rainer Quitzow from the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS).
Samantha Gross is a Fellow at the Brookings Institution, where she also directs the Energy Security and Climate Initiative. Her work is focused on the intersection of energy, environment, and policy, including climate policy and international cooperation, energy efficiency, unconventional oil and gas development, regional and global natural gas trade, and the energy-water nexus.
Ms. Gross has more than 20 years of experience in energy and environmental affairs. She has been a visiting fellow at the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center, where she authored work on clean energy cooperation and on post-Paris climate policy. She was director of the Office of International Climate and Clean Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy. In that role, she directed U.S. activities under the Clean Energy Ministerial, including the secretariat and initiatives focusing on clean energy implementation and access and energy efficiency. Prior to her time at the Department of Energy, Gross was director of integrated research at IHS CERA. She managed the IHS CERA Climate Change and Clean Energy forum and the IHS relationship with the World Economic Forum. She also authored numerous papers on energy and environment topics and was a frequent speaker on these topics. She has also worked at the Government Accountability Office on the Natural Resources and Environment team and as an engineer directing environmental assessment and remediation projects.
Ms. Gross holds a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering from the University of Illinois, a Master of Science in environmental engineering from Stanford, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of California at Berkeley.
Dr. Rainer Quitzow joined the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) in December 2014. His research focuses on sustainable innovation, industrial policy, and governance of the energy transition in Germany and beyond. In particular, he has focused on the internationalization of emerging renewable energy industries and the changing role of emerging economies in this context. He regularly engages in policy-oriented advisory work for both German and international clients.
Before his career as a researcher, Rainer Quitzow worked in the field of international development with a focus on governance and environmental and trade policy. At the World Bank in Washington, D.C., he conducted governance and policy impact analyses for development programs in Latin America and Africa.
