DuPont Hosts a Global Collaboratory on Energy

DuPont News, March 22, 2012

DuPont Hosts a Global Collaboratory on Energy

(left to right) Adam Shaw, Eduardo Wanick, Felipe Faria, José Goldemberg and Marcos Jank.

By 2035, global demand for energy will increase by almost 40%, and already more than 1.5 billion people worldwide are without access to electricity.  Defining a future energy path was the focus of a recent debate in Sao Paulo with DuPont and key global partners, moderated by BBC World News host Adam Shaw.

In 2010, almost 45% of Brazil’s energy needs were supplied from renewable sources, which is considerably higher than the 13% globally.  In the next decade, demand for energy is expected to increase by about 60% in Brazil. 

“I cannot think of a better place to discuss and debate the global challenge of securing our energy future,” said Tom Connelly, executive vice president and chief innovation officer for DuPont.  “We have to work right now to gain grid parity for solar and wind power, and to make biofuels fully competitive with oil-based fuels globally, as is already the case in Brazil.  We must transform these energy sources from the margins to the mainstream.”

DuPont set the stage in Sao Paulo, bringing together a panel of distinguished experts – all of whom believe that working together, we can address one of the most important challenges our generation faces – a world that can adequately meet its energy needs now and in the future.  Panelists included:

• Eduardo Wanick, president for DuPont Latin America
• Marcos Jank, CEO for the Brazilian Sugarcane Association
• José Goldemberg, professor emeritus of the Sao Paulo University and former secretary of the environment
• Felipe Faria, Governmental & Institutional Relations, Green Building Council Brazil

“The tremendous opportunities around biofuels, photovoltaic and wind energy in Brazil motivate us to collaborate with customers and partners to develop innovative and sustainable market-driven solutions that will address important challenges of the present and the future,” said Eduardo Wanick, president for DuPont Latin America.

DuPont also marked its sponsorship of the upcoming second series of the BBC World News program Horizons, presented by award-winning BBC business journalist and tonight’s host, Adam Shaw.  This series of Horizons continues the journey across the globe in search of the ideas and businesses that may succeed over the next decade in tackling the planet’s biggest challenges.  The new season of Horizons will air on BBC World News, in more than 200 countries and territories around the world beginning on April 7.

For information on the program, visit http://www.horizonsbusiness.com, Facebook.com/horizonsTVseries and on Twitter at @horizonsbiz and @adamshaw_biz