The green transition was once mostly the preoccupation of activists and scientists. One result of Vladimir Putin’s weaponisation of energy in his war on Ukraine has been to thrust it to the heart of the geosecurity agenda, at least in advanced democracies. Soaring prices have finally prompted determined efforts by governments to cut reliance on fossil fuel, even if, short-term, some are having to use more coal. Rather than a setback for climate action, the International Energy Agency says, the energy crisis can be a “historic turning point”.That is one positive element in a backdrop to the COP27 summit now under way in Sharm el-Sheikh that otherwise looks grim. Inflation and economic slowdown hardly provide a propitious environment. Extreme weather events this year such as the appalling floods in Pakistan have highlighted the damage done even by 1.1C of global warming to date. A UN report has warned, meanwhile, that “woefully insufficient” climate efforts mean the world is still on track for at least 2.4C of warming — well above the 2C, or ideally 1.5C, goal in the 2015 Paris agreement.
曾經，綠色轉型基本上是隻有社運人士和科學家才關心的事情。弗拉迪米爾•普丁(Vladimir Putin)在入侵烏克蘭後將能源供應武器化的結果之一，就是使綠色轉型進入地緣安全議程的核心，至少在發達民主國家是這樣。飆升的價格終於促使各國政府下決心減少對化石燃料的依賴，即使其中一些國家在短期內不得不使用更多煤炭。國際能源署(IEA)表示，當前的能源危機非但不是氣候行動的挫折，而且可以成爲一個「歷史性轉折點」。