On climate, we need to run fast — but not run scared

Believe it or not, there is some real good news on the climate front. This week, approximately 100 countries announced an agreement to cut methane emissions 30 percent by 2030, closing a glaring gap in climate policy. They also reached a broad agreement to end deforestation in the same time frame, including pledging funds to back it up. (Deforestation produces about 10 percent of the world’s carbon emissions.) The private sector has committed to align $130 trillion with the goal of net zero emissions in their investments by 2050, in an effort to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Positive technological trends are also accelerating. Between 2009 and 2019, the cost of solar and wind power has declined by 89 percent and 70 percent, respectively. And over the past three decades, lithium-ion battery prices have gone down about 97 percent. Thanks to clean energy and efficiency, it is now possible for countries to grow their economies without increasing carbon emissions.

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