S2 Ep. 10 Q1 Climate Review: What Just Happened
This week’s episode takes a step back from individual topics to look at the bigger picture: a Q1 2026 review of the climate and energy stories that have defined the year so far — and what they mean for what comes next.
Hosted by Amy Rennison, the conversation brings together three returning perspectives spanning analysis, politics and capital. Lucy Shaw, energy analyst and advisor, breaks down the system-level dynamics shaping energy markets and infrastructure. Luke Shore, from Project Tempo, explores how these shifts are landing politically, and how voters are responding. And Max Bray, partner at Kindred Capital, offers a view from the investment side, tracking where capital is flowing and where confidence is changing.
Across five fast-moving topics, from AI-driven energy demand to US climate policy, capital flows, the Iran crisis, and UK energy strategy, the discussion builds a picture of a system under pressure from multiple directions at once.
What emerges is a transition no longer defined by a single narrative. Instead, it’s shaped by competing forces: rapid demand growth, geopolitical instability, political backlash, and uneven progress across technologies and regions.
At the centre is a familiar tension, now more visible than ever: the need to move quickly, and the growing risk that rising costs, infrastructure constraints, and political resistance could slow things down.
If the transition is no longer just about decarbonisation, but about affordability, security and public consent, the question becomes: can the system adapt fast enough to hold all three together?
In this episode you’ll learn:
Why AI has rapidly shifted from a tech story to an energy and infrastructure story
How Europe’s economic fundamentals are affecting its ability to scale climate technologies
Whether we are actually on track for net zero — and how that depends on how you define “on track”
Why electrification — not just clean power — is now the critical missing piece
How the Iran crisis is affecting global energy markets, supply chains and pricing
How high energy prices are affecting UK industry — from steel to ceramics
Why delivery — not just policy — is now the key challenge for governments
How crises like today’s energy shock compare to historical moments like the 1970s oil crisis
Why moments of disruption can either accelerate change — or be missed entirely
Resources & Links
Project Tempo – Research on public attitudes to climate and energy policy
Kindred Capital – Early-stage investment across deep tech and energy
Cornish Lithium – UK-based lithium extraction and geothermal development
Gridserve – UK EV charging and renewable energy infrastructure
Fuse Energy – Vertically integrated energy company model