The Guardian view on the green transition: renewables are the future – but countries’ actions must catch up with their promises | Editorial

WZero net policies that are attacked by elected far -right populists as well as autocratic petostats, and another summer of record temperatures in Europe, not to decarbonize global food is as seriously worrying as ever. But UN secretary general António Guterres struck an optimistic note in a recent speech in New York. The world, he said, “is at the dawn of a new era … The sun rises in the clean energy age.” Point towards falls in the cost of terrestrial wind and solar energy, and the risk of new shocks at the price of gas in the future, it has called large technological companies – whose data is one of the reasons for energy consumption – to adopt a 100% gigantic electricity objective by 2030.

Given the personal hostility of US President Donald Trump to renewable energies, Mr. Guterres may be fair that it is more logical to demand the action of American companies at this stage. In Scotland earlier this week, Trump launched his last misleading tirade, urging European leaders to “stop the windmills”.

His repeated attacks against wind energy, as well as the recent cancellation of billions of dollars in green energy investment, make Trump a destructive aberrant value. But populist parties in other countries also increase their opposition to climatic objectives. In the United Kingdom, such positions were once confined to the political fringe. Now, the conservative chief, Kemi Badenoch, is a net zero skeptic that has launched the possibility of a future government which leaves the Paris Agreement, while its acting ghost energy secretary Andrew Bowie accused the highest officials of the UN bias climate.

This worrying change caused a strong response from the government. In July, Ed Miliband called Ms. Badenoch’s party for her irresponsible and anti-scope position. With the United Nations deadline for countries to present their climatic plans (known as the contributions determined on a national level), Mr. Miliband deserves praise for his commitment. Climate diplomacy depends on politicians who have the courage to face adversaries – and to convince the public that a safe and secure energy future is at hand.

This is the prospect that Mr. Guterres, who hopes that this will galvanize the essential actions. The objective, agreed two years ago, to triple the global capacity for renewable energies by 2030, is far from being reached. With the top of the United Nations climate, all eyes are on China – the key actor in the global arrow of renewable energies and the fight to stay within the climatic limits.

Internationally and at national level, renewable energies are the right choice. Colonial domination has seen the carbon in short, classifying the United Kingdom as the fourth world historical transmitter, behind the United States, China and Russia. To keep British public support for green policies, energy ministers – notably Mr. Miliband – must ensure a well -planned green transition to reduce prices. The grids need upgrades to manage the growth of wind turbines. The bottlenecks of the supply chain and the concerns concerning human rights in critical minerals must be treated.

In Great Britain, the proposals of labor deputies to the reform of energy billing – reducing the costs of low -income households which use less power – are not only a drop in inflation. They raise a question of deeper equity and deserve serious attention as a step towards a more equal energy system, potentially through a social rate. In the end, the reforms should reduce the swing of gas on electricity prices and torque optimism on renewable energies with honesty on challenges.

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