In the midst of the largely pessimistic review of progress on climate change since COP 21 in Paris in 2015, the article in the url below contains a ray of sunshine:
"It took almost 70 years from the invention of the solar cell, in 1954, for the world to install its first terawatt of solar power, in 2022. The second one came two years later. The third? Perhaps later this year. In 2024, renewables provided more than 40 percent of the world's electricity, and twice as much money was invested in them than in fossil fuels — even though renewables offer, generally speaking, less return on investment. Ninety-three percent of new power worldwide came from clean sources, meaning that for every new unit of dirty capacity brought online in 2024, there were 24 units of the good, clean stuff. This is not yet enough to push global emissions downward. But in a battle between old energy and new, it represents an obliterating margin. As soon as next year, it is estimated, renewables will be the world's largest source of electricity."
The article suggests that, in spite of the current political climate that discourages some of the scientific rhetoric around the threats posed by climate change, progress on the transition to carbon free energy sources continues:
"… global leaders may be talking less about the risks of warming and the necessity of limiting it, these days, but on the ground, decarbonization is nevertheless racing ahead."
Nevertheless, the article also concludes something that seemed obvious even a decade ago:
"In certain ways, the story is one that moderates and skeptics long predicted: that decarbonization could not be reliably imposed from above on moralistic terms and would have to be powered instead by market forces, private investment and the informed consensus of a price-conscious public."
Or, in other words:
"Polls show that voters don't actually prioritize decarbonization and, crucially, aren't willing to pay much to bring it about."
Take care
David
David Chandler
© Sage Publications, 2023
Strategic CSR Simulation: http://www.strategiccsrsim.com/
The library of CSR Newsletters are archived at: https://strategiccsr-sage.blogspot.com/
It Isn't Just the U.S. The Whole World Has Soured on Climate Politics
By David Wallace-Wells
September 16, 2025
The New York Times
