Clean energy is inevitable despite Trump

Brexit, Donald Trump, COVID-19, Russia’s war on Ukraine, Trump 2.0: During the decade since the Paris climate agreement was signed, the debates about global warming have become both more heated and, too often, more dishonest. I witnessed this as head of Greenpeace International— working with environmental scientists and climate campaigners on the ground - and as Germany’s state secretary for climate policy and special envoy for international climate action.

- Jennifer Morgan

The Paris agreement is one that all countries — whether fossil-fuel producers, island states, or the world’s wealthiest economies — negotiated and ratified in record time. It combines effective measurement and monitoring with flexibility for countries to determine and devise their own plans to confront climate change. Every five years, all governments are asked to do more. So far, and to the surprise of many, the vast majority of governments have actually done that. To appreciate the Paris agreement's effectiveness, consider that renew-ables comprised 92.5% of all new installed electricity capacity in 2024, or that 75% of new wind and solar PV (photovoltaics) now offer cheaper power than existing coal, gas, and oil. All of this was unimaginable in 2015.