Tangelic Talks – Season 02 | Episode 12
Too Little, Too Late? Climate Truths, Fossil Subsidies & the Fight for Renewables w/ Dr. Tsipouridis
10:30 minutes to read
Is it too little, too late to save the planet? In this bold episode we speak with Dr. Ioannis Tsipouridis, a global pioneer of renewable energy and longtime climate advocate, about the failures of fossil fuel policy, the urgency of action, and the future of clean energy in the Global South. With over 45 years of experience—from building Greece’s first wind farms to driving solar initiatives in Kenya—Dr. Tsipouridis shares hard truths about fossil fuel subsidies, greenwashing, and what we must do now to avert climate collapse.
A Career Sparked by Activism and Imagination
Dr. Tsipouridis attributes his career shift from fossil fuels to renewables to a Greenpeace cartoon and early books like Small is Beautiful and Future Shock. As a chemical engineer on track for a fossil fuel career, he pivoted after seeing the vast, untapped potential of solar power. “It wasn’t a technological question, it was a moral one,” he explains.
Back in the 1970s, the science already showed that a small area in the Sahara could power the world. Today, that potential remains largely unrealized, not due to technical limitations, but due to market resistance, fossil fuel subsidies, and political inaction.
Fossil Fuel Welfare: $7 Trillion in Subsidies
One of the most shocking truths Dr. Tsipouridis reveals is that fossil fuel industries receive up to $7 trillion in subsidies annually, according to the IMF. “That’s not activist data,” he emphasizes. “That’s from the horse’s mouth.”
He calls out the hypocrisy: corporations on welfare are protected, while individuals are blamed for environmental destruction. “We are told to recycle a can while oil companies drill with impunity.”
Climate Tipping Points and the Urgency of Now
Dr. Tsipouridis warns that 2024 exceeded the 1.5°C threshold, the symbolic limit set by the Paris Agreement. Scientists now agree we are on track for 2.5°C or higher, which he describes as “hell on Earth.” Yet fossil fuels continue to dominate global energy markets.
And it’s not just emissions. It’s a political and financial entrenchment that makes clean energy transitions feel impossible. “We could have done this 40 years ago,” he says. “If we start today, we can still do it in 10. But if we don’t start, we never will.”
The COP Illusion
Dr. Tsipouridis is a veteran of the UN climate summits, including the historic COP21 in Paris. Yet he offers a sobering reality check: global emissions have increased after every COP. “These are wishful thinking sessions,” he says. “There are more fossil fuel lobbyists at COP than actual country delegates.”
The Global North vs. Global South Divide
Now based in Kenya, Dr. Tsipouridis compares Europe’s large-scale renewable investments to Africa’s grassroots microgrids and rural electrification projects. He praises Kenya’s electricity grid, which is already 95% renewable, powered mainly by geothermal energy.
Yet, investment in Africa remains scarce. “Global South has the passion but not the means,” he says. Financial risk and political instability make it difficult for investors to commit. Even when renewable potential is massive, as in Kenya, debt and dependency on donor-driven systems stall progress.
The Real Promise of Renewables
Despite these obstacles, Dr. Tsipouridis remains committed to renewables because they are, in his words, “the only logical solution.”
-
They’re abundant, cheap, and environmentally sound.
-
They promote energy democracy, reducing the need for war over resources.
-
They are technologically sufficient to power 100% of the planet.
“If we started in 1991, the world could be 100% renewable by now. But it’s not too late—if we start seriously today.”
The Greenwashing Dilemma
Greenwashing isn’t new, he says. It’s the natural offspring of advertising and corporate manipulation. “They talk green and do black,” he warns. And without strong media literacy, public accountability, and science communication, people are easily misled.
He likens it to modern propaganda: social media influencers praising oil companies while real science is buried. “The ones who corrupt are more guilty than the ones who are corrupted,” he adds.
Nuclear Energy: A Dangerous Distraction
Dr. Tsipouridis is staunchly anti-nuclear. He argues that:
-
It’s expensive, complex, and dangerous.
-
Waste storage lasts 10,000 years, posing an intergenerational risk.
-
Modular reactors, despite hype, still rely on risky infrastructure.
He also reveals that nuclear plants must shut down during heatwaves, making them unreliable in a warming world. “If the sun is free and safe, why choose danger?”
Youth, Education, and Optimism
Despite the bleak trends, Dr. Tsipouridis finds hope in young people. His current work in Kenyan universities includes bringing in fully funded European research programs and mentoring students who are passionate and hungry to innovate.
He believes in teaching science plainly, and he urges youth to resist fossil fuel dominance: “You support your home football team even if they lose. Support renewables the same way—because it’s still the best team.”
Just Transition: A Misused Term?
“The people are already behind,” he says, questioning the political use of the term just transition. For him, renewables are the most equitable energy form. A single solar panel on a rural hut can power a phone and a light—transformative compared to fossil fuel grids that require centralized infrastructure.
Thought Provoking Q&A Session with Dr. Tsipouridis
Dr. Ioannis Tsipouridis
Renewable Energy Consultant Engineer and Climate Action Advocate
Dr Ioannis Tsipouridis began his distinguished career in renewables in 1978 at Leeds University, starting a Ph.D. on solar energy that even involved early research into hydrogen as a future energy carrier. Over 45 years, he has worked across the renewable energy sector—from installing wind and solar projects in the Greek islands in the 1980s to serving as CEO of the Public Power Corporation’s Renewables subsidiary and heading the Cabinet Office of Greece’s Deputy Minister for Environment, Energy, and Climate Change Prof Yannis Maniatis.
He has also chaired the Wind Energy Association of Greece and served as Vice Chairman of the European Wind Energy Association, advocating for accelerated renewable deployment. Professor Tsipouridis has participated in key global climate conferences from COP21 through to COP26.
Currently based in Kenya, he works as a renewable energy advisor and visiting professor at Technical University of Mombasa and Strathmore University, focusing on climate action and decarbonization in Sub-Saharan Africa.
