Gernot Wagner
Austrian-American climate economist at Columbia Business School. Co-author with Martin Weitzman of Climate Shock (2015) and author of Geoengineering: The Gamble (2021); writes columns for Project Syndicate.
Gernot Wagner did not write this page.
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Their wordsClean-energy technologies still have decisive physical advantages over the alternatives, and economic common sense will eventually win out.
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Their wordsNonetheless, even as the US government moves in the wrong direction, trends in science, economics, and increasingly local politics indicate that the pendulum will swing back in due course.
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Their wordsWhile some Republicans and members of Donald Trump's incoming administration want to cut this program, doing so would only hurt US competitiveness.
- 2 months earlier
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Their wordsThus, basis physics dictates that any attempt by Trump to stand in the way of the EV transition is bound to fail.
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Their wordsThe US is a laggard, and Trump's victory all but ensures that it will remain one for some time to come.
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Their wordsTrump's efforts to halt the low-carbon transition may be even more futile when it comes to solar, wind, and other low-carbon technologies.
- 3 months earlier
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Their wordsthe key to a successful, politically sustainable climate policy is to ensure that the benefits precede the costs.
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Our reading
Solar is currently the cheapest source of electricity ever and is expected to become even cheaper.
Their wordsIn fact, solar is now the cheapest source of electricity ever - yes, even accounting for the fact that the sun doesn't shine at night - and it is bound to become even cheaper.
- 3 months earlier
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Their wordsNothing short of a clean-energy revolution, complete with clean transport systems and industry, will turn the climate ship around.
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Their wordsMoreover, achieving net-zero emissions requires trillions of dollars in investment, which will add to, not subtract from, economic growth.
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Their wordsStaving off climate catastrophe will require more growth, not because ever-increasing GDP - itself a fundamentally inadequate metric - is the end goal, but because it is the result of cutting emissions fast enough.
- 4 weeks earlier
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Our reading
Punitive tariffs that raise electric vehicle prices and reduce competition are counterproductive.
Their wordsBut a punitive tariff that raises the prices of EVs and reduces competition is counterproductive.
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Our reading
A subsidy race combined with stronger carbon pricing efforts is superior to a tariff war.
Their wordsA subsidy race, together with stronger efforts at pricing carbon dioxide emissions, is vastly superior to a tariff war.
- 8 months earlier
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Our reading
US policymakers may unintentionally extend the life of coal plants through CCS subsidies.
Their wordsBut especially in connection with generous IRA subsidies for CCS technology, US policymakers may be unwittingly throwing a lifeline to coal plants that would otherwise be economically unviable.
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Their wordsWhen faced with new CCS mandates and accompanying subsidies, they may simply see an opportunity to maintain coal-plant profitability for longer.
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Their wordsBroadly speaking, the focus should be on pushing cheaper solar and wind power into the system, as that will force coal- and gas-plant operators' hands.