Recharge
Lima was another painfully fought incremental advance in the long course of the carbon war. But below the surface, fundamental changes are taking place in the balance of power between the renewables insurgency and the carbon-fuel incumbency.
They auger well for the all-important Paris summit in December 2015, where governments have pledged to deliver a climate treaty capable of keeping global warming below a danger ceiling of 2°C.
The summit witnessed an all-too-rare fighting alliance among the renewables industries. The Global Wind Energy Council gave a joint press conference with the European Photovoltaic Industry Association. Steve Sawyer and I, representing the two trade bodies, had the mission of sending a signal to negotiators that they could be confident of a target of total decarbonisation in the energy sector by 2050. More than 100 governments want to set such a goal in Paris. They understand well that scientists are saying it is essential for a fair chance of hitting the 2°C target.
