Can AI help tackle the climate challenge ahead of COP31?

Season Three of the Wolfe Power Club Podcast begins during New York Climate Week, with Alex Wolfe joined by Ambassador Patricia Espinosa, former Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, and former UK Energy Minister Chris Skidmore OBE.

They discuss the 1.5°C target, the prospect of the world temporarily moving beyond it, and whether the current approach to climate policy is still fit for purpose. They also discuss the role of the UN, energy costs and the politics around climate policy, including Chris’s argument that climate action needs to be seen as an opportunity for growth and new jobs.

They also look at AI and what it could mean for energy and emissions. The discussion covers AI's potential to reduce energy use across industry and transport, as well as the growing energy and water demands of data centres.

With COP31 ahead, they discuss what governments, businesses and international organisations need to address next.

Biographies

Ambassador Patricia Espinosa has over 40 years of experience in diplomacy, international relations and sustainable development. She has served as Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Mexico’s Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Ambassador to Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Slovenia and the UN in Vienna. She is now Founding Partner and CEO of onepoint5.

The Rt Hon Chris Skidmore OBE is a British historian, author and former Conservative MP for Kingswood. He served as Minister for Universities and Science and was the independent chair of the UK’s Net Zero Review, producing the Mission Zero Report. He is now Chair of the Climate Action Coalition, focusing on climate policy, higher education and international strategy. The Wolfe Power Club Podcast was the first public platform to share his UK Clean Power Taskforce Report.

About The Host

Alex Wolfe is CEO of the Renewable Transport Fuel Association and the founder and host of the Wolfe Power Club Podcast, which reaches 300,000 listeners weekly. He has over 20 years of experience in the energy industry, including senior roles at Certas Energy, responsibility for 900 fuel HGVs, and leading M&A activity within the UK fuel sector.

Alex also chairs The Spectator Energy Summit and brings extensive experience across energy, transport and fuel markets to the Wolfe Power Club Podcast.

Season Three is in Partnership with The Spectator

Tickets for the upcoming The Spectator Energy Summit, on Monday 30th November 2026, are available on sale. Use code: WPC50 for 50% off your purchase

If you would like to partner with The Spectator Energy Summit, please contact Alex on LinkedIn or emilia@wolfepowerclub.com

Follow Our Socials

Website: https://www.wolfepowerclub.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WolfePowerClub

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wolfe-power-club/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Wolfe-Power-Club-61564466454360/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wolfepowerclub/?hl=en

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wolfe.power.club

Wolfe Power Club Production Team

Director of Government Relations: Max Austin

Designer: Nick Pelekanos

Editor: Adam Woodward

Social Media Manager: Bella Carter

This episode was produced at Studio 55

What a season it's been!

Here's a look back at some of our favourite moments from Season Two of the Wolfe Power Club Podcast, covering the big stories and debates across the energy sector over the past year.

We've had some brilliant guests, plenty of strong opinions and some fascinating conversations about energy security, oil and gas, nuclear power, renewables, energy storage and transport.

Here are some of the best bits from Season 25/26. Enjoy.

About The Host

Host Alex Wolfe has over 20 years of experience in the energy industry, including previously serving as Commercial Director at Certas Energy and Director of the South, with responsibility for 900 fuel HGVs. In addition, he has led M&A activity, ran Hollies Truck Stop, and was a Director of the 5th largest fuel company in the UK. Currently, Alex not only hosts the Wolfe Power Club Podcast but also chairs The Spectator Energy Summit.

Season Three is in Partnership with The Spectator

Tickets for the upcoming The Spectator Energy Summit, on Monday 30th November 2026, are available on sale. Use code: WPC50 for 50% off your purchase

If you would like to partner with The Spectator Energy Summit, please contact Alex on LinkedIn or emilia@wolfepowerclub.com

Follow Our Socials

Website: https://www.wolfepowerclub.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WolfePowerClub

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wolfe-power-club/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Wolfe-Power-Club-61564466454360/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wolfepowerclub/?hl=en

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wolfe.power.club

Wolfe Power Club Production Team

Director of Government Relations: Max Austin

Designer: Nick Pelekanos

Editor: Adam Woodward

Social Media Manager: Bella Carter

This episode was produced at Studio 55

Today, there are over 47,000 fewer graduate jobs. So how do you break into energy?

Adzuna reports that there are around 47,000 fewer graduate job adverts compared with nine years ago, highlighting just how challenging today’s graduate job market has become.

That statistic triggered this episode of the Wolfe Power Club Podcast.

Rather than waiting for the perfect graduate job advert to appear, we look at 5 practical ways to build a career in the energy sector and create opportunities for yourself.

Whether you’re a graduate, student or early-career professional looking to break into energy, this episode explores different routes you can take to stand out, build experience and get your foot in the door.

Enjoy the penultimate episode of our 2025/2026 season!

Resources

Top 100 Energy Companies: https://powerfulwomen.org.uk/annual-state-of-the-nation/reportscreens/2026/PfW_2026_report.pdf

Energy Institute Young Professionals Network: https://www.energyinst.org/young-professionals-network

Young Energy Professionals Forum: https://www.energy-uk.org.uk/careers/young-energy-professionals/

POWERful Women: https://powerfulwomen.org.uk/

Solar & Storage Live: https://solarandstoragelive.com/

London Climate Action Week: https://londonclimateactionweek.org/

About The Host

Host Alex Wolfe has over 20 years of experience in the energy industry, including previously serving as Commercial Director at Certas Energy and Director of the South, with responsibility for 900 fuel HGVs. In addition, he has led M&A activity, ran Hollies Truck Stop, and was a Director of the 5th largest fuel company in the UK. Currently, Alex not only hosts the Wolfe Power Club Podcast but also chairs The Spectator Energy Summit.

Season Three is in Partnership with The Spectator

Tickets for the upcoming The Spectator Energy Summit, on Monday 30th November 2026, are available on sale. Use code: WPC50 for 50% off your purchase

If you would like to partner with The Spectator Energy Summit, please contact Alex on LinkedIn or emilia@wolfepowerclub.com

Follow Our Socials

Website: https://www.wolfepowerclub.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WolfePowerClub

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wolfe-power-club/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Wolfe-Power-Club-61564466454360/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wolfepowerclub/?hl=en

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wolfe.power.club

Wolfe Power Club Production Team

Director of Government Relations: Max Austin

Designer: Nick Pelekanos

Editor: Adam Woodward

Social Media Manager: Bella Carter

This episode was produced at Studio 55

This week, as the Energy World meets in Norway for ONS every two years, Norway says it plans to keep developing oil and gas resources in the Arctic regardless of the European Union’s position on new drilling. Energy Minister Terje Aasland argues that continued activity in the Barents Sea is important not only for Norway’s economy, but also for European energy security.

We unpack the growing tension between energy security and climate policy as Norway doubles down on Arctic oil and gas exploration.

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 reshaped Europe’s energy landscape, Norway has become Europe’s largest natural-gas supplier, providing roughly 30% of gas demand across the EU and Britain. But Norwegian production is expected to decline significantly after 2030 unless new resources are discovered and developed.

That puts the Barents Sea at the centre of a much bigger debate: Can Europe reduce its dependence on fossil fuels while simultaneously relying on Norway to keep its energy system secure?

Norway’s position highlights a contradiction at the heart of European energy policy. Europe wants to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels, but the geopolitical upheaval following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has also increased the strategic importance of reliable energy suppliers such as Norway. The result is a debate that goes far beyond a handful of Arctic drilling projects: How much new fossil-fuel infrastructure should Europe support today to guarantee energy security tomorrow and how does it avoid locking itself into assets it may no longer need?

About The Host

Host Alex Wolfe has over 20 years of experience in the energy industry, including previously serving as Commercial Director at Certas Energy and Director of the South, with responsibility for 900 fuel HGVs. In addition, he has led M&A activity, ran Hollies Truck Stop, and was a Director of the 5th largest fuel company in the UK. Currently, Alex not only hosts the Wolfe Power Club Podcast but also chairs The Spectator Energy Summit.

Season Three is in Partnership with The Spectator

Tickets for the upcoming The Spectator Energy Summit, on Monday 30th November 2026, are available on sale. Use code: WPC50 for 50% off your purchase

If you would like to partner with The Spectator Energy Summit, please contact Alex on LinkedIn or emilia@wolfepowerclub.com

Follow Our Socials

Website: https://www.wolfepowerclub.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WolfePowerClub

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wolfe-power-club/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Wolfe-Power-Club-61564466454360/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wolfepowerclub/?hl=en

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wolfe.power.club

Wolfe Power Club Production Team

Director of Government Relations: Max Austin

Designer: Nick Pelekanos

Editor: Adam Woodward

Social Media Manager: Bella Carter

This episode was produced at Studio 55

The Middle East’s energy map could be changing fast. Could Syria and Lebanon play a bigger role in what comes next?

In this episode of the Wolfe Power Club Podcast, Alex Wolfe questions Dr Dania Arayssi, the Program Head and Senior Analyst at New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy, about the energy opportunities emerging after Iran, and whether Syria and Lebanon could become important parts of a new regional energy network.

They discuss the Four Seas Project, Syria’s potential as an energy corridor, Türkiye’s role as a regional hub, and whether new routes could reduce reliance on the Strait of Hormuz, the Suez Canal and the Red Sea. Alex also asks who would finance the infrastructure, whether Syria’s energy resources could help fund reconstruction and what the US, China, Russia and Gulf states stand to gain.

The Four Seas Initiative report: https://newlinesinstitute.org/middle-east-center/the-four-seas-initiative-2/

Biography

Dr Dania Arayssi is a Program Head and Senior Analyst at the New Lines Institute, where she leads the Four Seas Project and Central Asia Center and researches political behavior, institutional trust, economic vulnerability, and remittances across the Middle East and beyond. She also teaches at Georgetown University and George Washington University and has previously worked with the World Bank, USAID, Oxfam America, and the U.S. Army War College. She holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Colorado-Boulder. Contact her further inquiries on Twitter (X) and email: darayssi@thenewlinesinstitute.org

About The Host

Host Alex Wolfe has over 20 years of experience in the energy industry, including previously serving as Commercial Director at Certas Energy and Director of the South, with responsibility for 900 fuel HGVs. In addition, he has led M&A activity, ran Hollies Truck Stop, and was a Director of the 5th largest fuel company in the UK. Currently, Alex not only hosts the Wolfe Power Club Podcast but also chairs The Spectator Energy Summit.

Season Three is in Partnership with The Spectator

Tickets for the upcoming The Spectator Energy Summit, on Monday 30th November 2026, are available on sale. Use code: WPC50 for 50% off your purchase

If you would like to partner with The Spectator Energy Summit, please contact Alex on LinkedIn or emilia@wolfepowerclub.com

Follow Our Socials

Website: https://www.wolfepowerclub.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WolfePowerClub

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wolfe-power-club/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Wolfe-Power-Club-61564466454360/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wolfepowerclub/?hl=en

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wolfe.power.club

Wolfe Power Club Production Team

Director of Government Relations: Max Austin

Designer: Nick Pelekanos

Editor: Adam Woodward

Social Media Manager: Bella Carter

This episode was produced at Studio 55

The next three months could be some of the most important in the history of the electric car.

In this episode of the Wolfe Power Club Podcast, Alex Wolfe looks at the latest EV market figures and asks whether electric car sales are really ready to move to the next level. With cars like the new BMW iX3 offering close to 500 miles of range, has the industry finally solved one of the biggest arguments against EVs?

Alex also looks at charging infrastructure, the UK’s EV mandate, energy prices, the cost of motoring and the reasons consumers are still choosing petrol and diesel cars. With the government targeting 52% electric new-car sales by 2028, the next few months could tell us a lot about whether that target is realistic.

Sources Used

EV mandate debate needs facts, not anti-industry fiction (SMMT) - https://www.smmt.co.uk/ev-mandate-debate-needs-facts-not-anti-industry-fiction/

Electric Car Markets in a Time of Uncertainty (IEA) - https://www.iea.org/reports/electric-car-markets-in-a-time-of-uncertainty

Living with a BMW iX3 for a WEEK! | FULL REVIEW & DRIVE (Nick O'Leary - YouTube) - https://youtu.be/8KiH8M26ZXU?is=kHCEXE0kTsEm92tY

About The Host

Host Alex Wolfe has over 20 years of experience in the energy industry, including previously serving as Commercial Director at Certas Energy and Director of the South, with responsibility for 900 fuel HGVs. In addition, he has led M&A activity, ran Hollies Truck Stop, and was a Director of the 5th largest fuel company in the UK. Currently, Alex not only hosts the Wolfe Power Club Podcast but also chairs The Spectator Energy Summit.

Season Three is in Partnership with The Spectator

Tickets for the upcoming The Spectator Energy Summit, on Monday 30th November 2026, are available on sale. Use code: WPC50 for 50% off your purchase

If you would like to partner with The Spectator Energy Summit, please contact Alex on LinkedIn or emilia@wolfepowerclub.com

Follow Our Socials

Website: https://www.wolfepowerclub.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WolfePowerClub

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wolfe-power-club/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Wolfe-Power-Club-61564466454360/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wolfepowerclub/?hl=en

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wolfe.power.club

Wolfe Power Club Production Team

Director of Government Relations: Max Austin

Designer: Nick Pelekanos

Editor: Adam Woodward

Social Media Manager: Bella Carter

This episode was produced at Studio 55

GB Energy was meant to be one of Labour's flagship energy policies. Two years on, we're asking a simple question: is it already over?

In this episode, Alex Wolfe asks what has happened to Great British Energy. With just a fraction of the promised jobs created in Aberdeen, little public activity from the organisation and no recent mention in the Government's biggest energy announcements, has the project quietly lost momentum?

Alex looks at what's changed since GB Energy launched, why Juergen Maier's departure matters, and whether the Government's priorities have shifted towards energy bills, North Sea oil and gas, defence spending and wider energy security.

About The Host

Host Alex Wolfe has over 20 years of experience in the energy industry, including previously serving as Commercial Director at Certas Energy and Director of the South, with responsibility for 900 fuel HGVs. In addition, he has led M&A activity, ran Hollies Truck Stop, and was a Director of the 5th largest fuel company in the UK. Currently, Alex not only hosts the Wolfe Power Club Podcast but also chairs The Spectator Energy Summit.

Season Three is in Partnership with The Spectator

Tickets for the upcoming The Spectator Energy Summit, on Monday 30th November 2026, are available on sale. Use code: WPC50 for 50% off your purchase

If you would like to partner with The Spectator Energy Summit, please contact Alex on LinkedIn or emilia@wolfepowerclub.com

Follow Our Socials

Website: https://www.wolfepowerclub.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WolfePowerClub

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wolfe-power-club/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Wolfe-Power-Club-61564466454360/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wolfepowerclub/?hl=en

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wolfe.power.club

Wolfe Power Club Production Team

Director of Government Relations: Max Austin

Designer: Nick Pelekanos

Editor: Adam Woodward

Social Media Manager: Bella Carter

This episode was produced at Studio 55

Electric flight is moving from concept to reality.

Recorded at Farnborough International Airshow 2026, this episode explores the technology, engineering challenges and energy infrastructure behind the next generation of aviation, two years on from our first visit.

Alex speaks with Vertical Aerospace's Sergio Minguela about their electric aircraft programme, battery systems, charging challenges, certification and the journey towards commercial operations. With more than 1,500 pre-orders announced, the Bristol-based company is aiming to bring electric and hybrid aircraft into service by the end of the decade.

The episode also features the Shadow Chancellor, Mel Stride, discussing the UK's defence sector, industrial opportunities, regulation and how emerging technologies could support economic growth.

GIVEAWAY!

To celebrate our 100th episode, we're giving away a 45-47 MAGA hat! To enter, please:

• Leave a comment on any of our social platforms, telling us what your favourite episode or moment from our back catalogue is.

Please see links to our socials at the bottom of the description. We will inform you if you have won. Good luck!

Biographies

Sergio Minguela is an aerospace and electronics engineering professional currently serving as the Head of Power & BMS (Battery Management Systems) at Vertical Aerospace. Based in Bristol, United Kingdom, he plays a key role in developing and certifying electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.

Mel Stride is a British Conservative Party politician who has been serving as Kemi Badenoch's Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer since November 2024. He has continually been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Central Devon since May 2010.

About The Host

Host Alex Wolfe has over 20 years of experience in the energy industry, including previously serving as Commercial Director at Certas Energy and Director of the South, with responsibility for 900 fuel HGVs. In addition, he has led M&A activity, ran Hollies Truck Stop, and was a Director of the 5th largest fuel company in the UK. Currently, Alex not only hosts the Wolfe Power Club Podcast but also chairs The Spectator Energy Summit.

Season Three is in Partnership with The Spectator

Tickets for the upcoming The Spectator Energy Summit, on Monday 30th November 2026, are available on sale. Use code: WPC50 for 50% off your purchase

If you would like to partner with The Spectator Energy Summit, please contact Alex on LinkedIn or emilia@wolfepowerclub.com

Follow Our Socials

Website: https://www.wolfepowerclub.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WolfePowerClub

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wolfe-power-club/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Wolfe-Power-Club-61564466454360/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wolfepowerclub/?hl=en

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wolfe.power.club

Wolfe Power Club Production Team

Director of Government Relations: Max Austin

Designer: Nick Pelekanos

Editor: Adam Woodward

Social Media Manager: Bella Carter

This episode was produced at Studio 55