• CERAWEEK 2025 | March 10-14, 2025
  • CERAWEEK
  • March 10 - 14, 2025

Scott W. Tinker

Switch Energy Alliance, Chairman

Tinker Energy Associates, Chief Executive Officer; Bureau of Economic Geology, Director Emeritus

Scott Tinker brings industry, government, academia, and nongovernmental organizations together to address major societal challenges in energy, the environment, and the economy. Dr. Tinker is Director Emeritus of the Bureau of Economic Geology, the former State Geologist of Texas, and a professor holding the Allday Endowed Chair in the Jackson School of Geosciences at The University of Texas at Austin. With Director Harry Lynch, Tinker co-produced the award-winning documentary films Switch and Switch On, which have been screened in over 50 countries. Dr. Tinker founded the nonprofit Switch Energy Alliance, whose educational materials appear from schools to board rooms globally. Tinker is the host of PBS Energy Switch, an energy and climate talk show appearing on over 200 PBS stations nationwide, and Earth Date, featured weekly on over 450 public radio stations in all 50 United States. In his visits to some 60 countries, Scott has given over 1000 keynote and invited lectures. Dr. Tinker presented a TEDx talk on The Dual Challenge: Energy and Environment. Scott serves on public company boards and science councils, Trinity University’s Board of Trustees, and is an angel investor who has helped bring companies from startup to acquisition. His writing has appeared from Forbes to Fortune to Scientific American. Dr. Tinker has served as president of several international professional associations and is an AGI Campbell Medalist, AAPG Halbouty Medalist, GCAGS Boyd Medalist, American Institute of Professional Geologists (AIPG) Parker Medalist, and a Geological Society of America (GSA) Fellow.

Sessions With Scott W. Tinker

Wednesday, 20 March

  • 02:30pm - 03:10pm (CST) / 20/mar/2024 07:30 pm - 20/mar/2024 08:10 pm

    Strategic Roundtable | Rethinking Energy and Climate Scenarios?

    Long-term scenarios for global energy demand, energy supply and GHG emissions provide important tools for policymakers, companies and investors alike. While scenarios have been used since the 1970s, their role has never been more critical, or more contentious. And the variations across scenarios have never been more pronounced due to major uncertainties in future climate policy actions and the pace of clean energy technology development and deployment. Furthermore, fault lines in the global consensus are appearing as countries in the “Global South” prioritize energy access and economic development and are keen to develop indigenous fossil fuel resources. Are current scenarios fit for purpose? Do they adequately capture the complexities and trade-offs of a multidimensional energy transition? What should be the key characteristics of any new scenarios? 

Thursday, 21 March

  • 03:30pm - 04:10pm (CST) / 21/mar/2024 08:30 pm - 21/mar/2024 09:10 pm

    Voices of Innovation: Scott Tinker

    Engage in a data rich conversation with one of world’s leading experts on multidimensional transition in the Global North and the Global South.   What is the “Radical Middle”?  Is there Is no such thing as “renewable energy”?  How do we navigate trade-offs? How do we create a rational conversation about energy and climate change? And much more …

Friday, 22 March

  • 10:00am - 10:40am (CST) / 22/mar/2024 03:00 pm - 22/mar/2024 03:40 pm

    Multidimensional Energy Transitions: Lessons and challenges
    Energy Transition

    Developments over the last three years have shaken expectations of a linear global transition as climate goals compete with economic development, energy access, energy security and affordability. The events of the last few years have made it clear that there cannot be an energy transition without energy security. We are beginning a multidimensional transition: a multispeed, multifueled and multi-technology transition with different road maps and end points for different countries. How can the deployment and scaling of new technologies be accelerated?  What will be the approaches to implementing the COP 28 commitments?