Climate news today paints a picture of mixed progress, with stories that both inspire hope and incite concern, write Nives Dolsak and Aseem Prakash for Forbes.
The Global Electricity Review states that renewables generated a record 30% of global electricity in 2023, thanks to surges in solar and wind power. This achievement, authors argue, marks a pivotal moment with the potential to reduce fossil fuel dependence and cut emissions in the power sector.
On the other hand, to fully grasp the progress in climate policy, one must consider sector-specific achievements and challenges. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the U.S. saw a 3% decline in energy-related CO2 emissions in 2023, with significant reductions in the electric power sector (115 million metric tons) and smaller decreases in the residential and commercial sectors. However, emissions in the industrial and transportation sectors rose slightly.
For climate advocates, delays and regressions in policy implementation are frustrating. Understanding why these happen and how to counter them is crucial. Historically, Dolsak and Prasak argue, climate action has been stymied by climate denialism, often funded by the fossil fuel industry, which hampers public acknowledgment of human-caused climate change and its local impacts.
However, climate opposition take into account some other political and socio-economic factors. The prevailing climate narrative frames decarbonization as universally beneficial, but this overlooks the concentrated costs on specific, often marginalized, communities. The backlash against climate policies, evident in the 2016 U.S. Presidential elections and the rise of the Far Right in Europe, highlights this disconnect. Climate policies are sometimes seen as reflecting elite and urban preferences, disregarding rural and economically disadvantaged groups.
This backlash manifests in various forms. Recent research of Inhwan Ko reveals that about one-fourth of U.S. counties have passed local ordinances against renewable projects. Offshore wind projects face resistance from the fishing industry and calls for a moratorium by the National Congress of American Indians. Environmental groups also sometimes oppose specific climate policies, such as mining for critical minerals and new transmission lines. Autoworkers express discontent over subsidies for electric vehicles (EVs).
In Europe, climate policy resistance is equally palpable. The Scottish government recently resigned, citing economic challenges in meeting the Green party’s climate demands. Farmers in Germany, France, Belgium, and Italy have staged protests against climate policies they view as harmful to their livelihoods.
While there are significant strides in renewable energy and emission reductions in some sectors, there are also substantial obstacles and resistance, Forbes piece argues. Balancing optimism about technological progress with realism about political and socio-economic challenges is pivotal in today’s fight with the climate change.
