How are businesses rethinking energy and sustainability? COP30 starts in Belem as climate action falters

Nov 11, 2025

Susan Uthayakumar, Chief Energy and Sustainability Officer at Prologis, discusses how the company optimizes logistics with rooftop solar and microgrids to enhance supply chain resilience. Meanwhile, Holly Paeper, President of Commercial HVAC for Trane, explains innovative cooling solutions for data centers and the importance of heat reuse. They highlight the growing demand for energy amidst sustainability goals and share insights on AI’s role in optimizing systems, showcasing how businesses adapt to the evolving energy landscape.

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INSIGHT

Microgrids Versus Grid Economics

Islanded microgrids can provide resilience but tend to be costlier than grid-connected solar-plus-storage.
Energy economics evolve rapidly, so solutions that were uneconomic yesterday may make sense tomorrow.

INSIGHT

Practical Mix Beats Purist Switching

Meeting rising power demand requires a mix of generation and efficiency; it's not just a swap from gray to green.
Companies must prioritize economically viable decarbonization that aligns with customer needs.

ADVICE

Monetize Energy To Scale Projects

Treat energy as a revenue-generating asset to scale investments in renewables and resilience.
Design projects to deliver investor returns while also decarbonizing real estate portfolios.

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COP30, now getting under way in Belem, Brazil, has been billed as “the implementation COP”, which means a focus on governments taking real steps to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement. We will be examining all the key issues for government negotiators in the talks very soon. But for this show, we are looking at the role of business. At New York Climate Week in September, the discussion was all about how businesses are facing up to the challenges of meeting growing demand for energy while also curbing emissions. With the rise of AI and broader electrification trends driving up power demand in some places at rates not seen for decades, sustainability goals are under pressure. Will companies abandon them? Or are they just finding new ways to decarbonise while keeping things going?

Two companies in very different industries but both focused on similar goals, are Prologis and Trane. First up, host Ed Crooks speaks to Susan Uthayakumar, Chief Energy and Sustainability Officer at Prologis. She explains how the world’s largest logistics real estate company is turning its vast rooftop space into a decentralized power network. It is building on-site solar, storage, and microgrids to keep global supply chains resilient, while generating new revenue streams.

Then, Holly Paeper, President of Commercial HVAC for the Americas at Trane, describes how cooling systems are becoming a cornerstone of sustainable infrastructure. From AI-driven optimisation to data centres that can heat Olympic swimming pools, Holly talks about ways to reinvent thermal systems to reduce energy waste, enable grid flexibility, and turn buildings into active contributors to their communities.

For all the breaking news and insight from COP30, follow Energy Gang wherever you get your podcasts. Expect our top team of energy experts, plus leaders from the worlds of business, finance and policy, as we break down what you need to know from the opening week of the talks.

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