Blog
Climate: Where Technology, Infrastructure, and Policy Meet
A review of the new Bill Gates book “How to Avoid a Climate Disaster”
Jules Kortenhorst is the Chief Executive Officer of Rocky Mountain Institute. He is a recognized leader on global energy issues and climate change. His background spans business, government, entrepreneurial, and nonprofit leadership.
Since 1982, Rocky Mountain Institute has advanced market-based solutions that transform global energy use to create a clean, prosperous and secure future. An independent, nonprofit think-and-do tank, RMI engages with businesses, communities and institutions to accelerate and scale replicable solutions that drive the cost-effective shift from fossil fuels to efficiency and renewables.
Background
Prior to RMI, Jules was the founding CEO of the European Climate Foundation, the largest philanthropic organization dedicated to policy development and advocacy on climate change in Europe. Before launching ECF, he served as a member of the Dutch parliament for the Christian Democratic Party.
During the first 20 years of his career, Jules worked in the business world. He was the CEO for International Operations of ClientLogic Corporation, a global leader in outsourced customer relationship management (CRM) solutions. He worked for almost 10 years for Royal Dutch/Shell, among others as managing director of Shell Bulgaria, and he began his career as an analyst at McKinsey & Co.
Jules currently serves on the Energy Transition Commission, and is the co-chair of the WEF Future Council on Energy. He also is a non-executive board member of the Energy Web Foundation and of Solidia Technologies, Inc. and an advisory board member of Land Life Company. Jules is married to Searl Vetter and has four children.
Education
Masters of Business Administration, Harvard Business School, Baker Scholar
Masters in Economics, Erasmus University, Netherlands
Location
Boulder, CO
Bio and Picture
Jules Kortenhorst’s Downloadable Bio
Jules Kortenhorst’s Downloadable Picture
Authored Works
Blog
A New Dawn
Today, the inauguration of the Biden-Harris Administration begins a new chapter in history, with the opportunity to look toward the far horizon of potential progress. As one of his first executive orders, President Biden has recommitted the United States to the Paris Agreement. Federal leadership in Washington, D.C., will now…
Blog
An Equitable, Low-Carbon Way to End Global Energy Poverty
Today, a third of the world’s population still has unreliable power, or no access to electricity at all. As economies seek to recover from the prolonged impacts of COVID-19, distributed renewable energy offers an opportunity to reach the underserved and to power development. The Electrifying Economies project, released today…
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California’s Ban on Gas Vehicles is Also Good News for the Grid and the Auto Sector
California Governor Gavin Newsom showed bold leadership in issuing an executive order on Wednesday September 23 instructing the California Air Resources Board to establish rules for phasing out internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles by 2035. This is a significant step in moving towards the goal of net zero emissions statewide by 2045.
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Net Zero by 2050 Is Achievable, Affordable, and Will Improve Lives
A net-zero global economy is technically and economically possible by the middle of this century. The technologies and business solutions needed to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero are already available or close to being brought to market. That is the encouraging conclusion of the latest report, Making…
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Google Shows the Path to a Clean Energy Future
At RMI we believe that corporate leadership on the climate crisis can help accelerate progress toward a carbon-free future, and have been inspired by leadership from corporations that have helped prove out the business case for clean energy. Among these leaders, Google has consistently set the standard for clean energy;…
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RMI Tribute to Ted Halstead, Founder of the Climate Leadership Council
At RMI, we are deeply saddened to learn of Ted Halstead’s tragic death from a recent hiking accident in Spain, where he often spent time with his family. Ted was a visionary leader in addressing the climate crisis, bringing together people from across the United States and around the world…
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RMI Joins Major Oil and Gas Companies to Support Methane Monitoring
At Rocky Mountain Institute, it is not often that we agree with major players in the oil and gas industry, including BP, Equinor, Exxon, and Shell. However, today we must forcefully support the industry in condemning the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) decision to end methane…
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Tackling Methane Leakage from Oil and Gas
Having lived the last seven years in the United States, I am still Dutch and European at heart. During the past few months, I have watched with growing excitement as Europe has been gathering momentum around the European Green Deal. Europe’s progressive politics, buffeted by mass social movements across the…
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Knowns and Unknowns of the Energy Transition
We live in times of great uncertainty. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought suffering, indescribable loss, and suffering all around the world. It also has shown us just how quickly our whole world can change, but it is not the only big change that we are facing in the early 21st…