Why 24/7 Clean Energy Is the New Business Standard

Jan de Vries · 2026-10-13

Running a business on clean energy every single hour of the year sounds almost impossible. Dr. Jan Rosenow, though, calls it one of the most exciting areas of innovation in cutting carbon emissions today. He's an energy and climate policy specialist who has advised the International Energy Agency, the United Nations, and the European Parliament. In this exclusive interview, he explains why he stays optimistic about the energy transition and where businesses can actually make progress. From round-the-clock clean energy to electrification and the European Green Deal, he walks through the opportunities on the table and the first steps companies can take to cut their reliance on fossil fuels. ### The Shift From Paper Offsets to Real Abatement For years, businesses bought certificates that let them claim, "We are carbon neutral. We've offset our emissions." Rosenow is blunt about that approach. That's the old world of carbon abatement. What's replacing it is real abatement. Companies now want to prove they're not just reducing emissions across a year, but running on clean energy every hour of that year. "We're seeing a lot of companies moving into that space of 24/7 clean energy, and that is where a lot of the innovation is happening," he says. "It's hugely challenging, but also very exciting." ### Why He Stays Optimistic Rosenow has heard the skeptics his whole career. Too difficult. Won't work. Too expensive. Then you fast forward a decade or two, and the transition has moved faster than almost anyone predicted. It's been cheaper, too, with costs falling further than expected. He credits learning effects and innovation, and within that, businesses play a pivotal role. ### The First Step Is a Commitment So where should a company start? Rosenow keeps it simple. The first step is to commit to moving away from fossil fuels and toward clean energy carriers. After that, bring in people who know exactly how to do it, experts who can build a road map toward that ambition. - Make a clear public commitment to transition - Bring in specialists who've done it before - Build a practical road map with milestones ### Businesses Are the Engine of the Transition Here's the part Rosenow wants people to grasp. The energy transition isn't delivered by governments alone. It's delivered by businesses. They build the infrastructure. They create ways for clean energy technologies to reach consumers. They develop the financial models that make the investments possible. "There's a huge role for business in the energy transition," he says. "I see so much innovation coming out of companies small and large that I personally believe we are already pretty far ahead." ### What the European Green Deal Offers For companies operating in Europe, the Green Deal is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to move away from fossil fuels. The incentives are real, whether for building out renewables or decarbonizing the energy supply. > "The Green Deal will provide an immense platform and accelerator for the transition in Europe." Businesses that position themselves early stand to benefit most from those incentives. ### Electrification: The Biggest Lever Why does electrification matter so much? Because it's the most important lever for lowering emissions in the global economy. Analysis from the International Energy Agency and others backs this up. Swap fossil-fueled processes for electric ones, and you open the door to powering everything with clean energy. ### The Bottom Line The companies making real progress aren't waiting for perfect conditions. They're committing, bringing in experts, and chasing 24/7 clean energy one hour at a time. That's the new standard, and the businesses that move first will have the edge.