Scott Foster

Scott Foster, a Senior Fellow of the Boston University Institute for Global Sustainability (IGS), is a senior advisor working with private companies, governments, and international organizations on strategic decision-making, climate change, and investments. He was Director of the UN’s Sustainable Energy Division in Geneva from January 2011 until May 2022. During that time the program progressed on “energy for sustainable development” in real terms with work on high efficiency/low emissions technology, carbon capture and storage, methane management, sustainable resource management, buildings, and the built environment, enabling a hydrogen ecosystem, natural gas, renewables, industrial energy efficiency, carbon neutrality/pathways to sustainable energy, just transition, market design, and the like. What stood out about the program in the family of national and international organizations working on energy topics was that it was pragmatic, agnostic, and effective, and it delivered meaningful, ground-level results through a broad, global collaboration among private and public entities.

With more than 35 years of experience in the energy field, Foster led numerous strategy engagements with companies – notably on how to change investment portfolios and behavior in light of the science and the politics of climate change. Foster has worked extensively with governments and international organizations on energy policy, market design and regulation, climate change, investment promotion, and renewables technology and policy. He is an expert on energy market fundamentals, including analysis and assessment of the major forces shaping demand, supply, and price. More recently Foster has assisted policymakers, investors, energy producers, and consumers in addressing the critical challenges of sustainability, technology choice, and investment mobilization.

Before founding Nomad Energy Consulting in 2004, Foster was Vice President of Global Regulatory Affairs with AES Corporation, Senior Director for Global Power with Cambridge Energy Research Associates (CERA), Senior Expert on Electricity at the International Energy Agency, and hydroelectric engineer at PG&E.

Foster’s research interests lie in exploring cost-effective and culturally/socially responsive transitions to sustainable energy. These interests include the re-invention of energy as a service rather than the current commodity business and the examination of “well-to-wheel” alternatives across all sectors to accelerate movement towards a sustainable energy future.

Pronouns: he, him

Twitter: @fosternomad

LinkedIn: /scottbfoster