The rise of solar power and China's staggering EV growth may have pushed global emissions into decline
The rise of solar power and China's staggering EV growth may have pushed global emissions into decline
Renewable technologies are gathering speed, putting the world within reach of falling greenhouse gas emissions. Climate experts say they "struggle to wrap their heads around" the sheer size, scale and speed of the current transition.
This graphic is a nice summary. If China continues its growth with EVs, they could reach >90% by 2030 or even earlier.
Can’t legacy automakers see data like this? Are they not global conglomerates? Do they not want a future?
At least here in the US, the legacy automakers still seem to be pushing back that EVs will ever happen. I don’t understand how they can’t see that EVs already have happened in many places and even here it’s a matter of time. The current trade wars and tariffs seem to be giving them some breathing room, but they’re just using it for more short term profit rather than do anything about their future amidst technology change. They still seem to be putting more into lobbying that EVs are impossible, rather than make any
Is your country ready to tell gas vehicle owners that they have to join a lottery for a slim chance to buy a numberplate that allows them to drive the non-electric car? Because that's what China needed to do to drive the EV sales (which has the dual benefit of cleaning up the air in their cities, and making them the leading exporter of new cars)
It's the best argument against those who say we don't need to do anything about our emissions because China pollutes more. China can turn around and be green in a couple of years because it's a dictatorship, can the western world do that? Fuck no.
Now they’ll just change arguments - “China has reduced their emissions so much that now there’s less urgency for us to lower ours”. Heads I win, tails you lose.
I'm not sure it's a very effective argument, since China has not actually reduced its emissions yet and emits as much per capita (consumption based) as most European countries. There's progress being made but we are a long, long fucking way from having fixed the problem, and that applies to China too