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🤯 Net-zero or dying pensioners - seriously, how did we get to this point? 🤯
- sebmanhart
- Feb 23
- 2 min read
🎙️ And this clip is not some fringe outlet: The Diary Of A CEO is one of the world’s leading podcasts, with over a billion downloads/views to date.
🌍 I was fairly shocked by this episode with Konstantin Kisin. His discussion with host Steven Bartlett on global warming is yet another example of how we have moved from outright denying climate change to reframing it in misguided, binary outcomes:
❌ Net-zero means destroying our economy.
❌ Net-zero means killing pensioners.
❌ Net-zero means outsourcing emissions.
🔍 This is all based on the flawed assumption - prevalent across the world right now - that cheap energy is at odds with net-zero.
🔥 If you buy into that assumption, the only logical conclusion is to kill renewables while doubling down on fossil subsidies.
☀️ The reality couldn’t be more different: renewables are ALREADY cheaper than fossil energy. And that despite the trillions of subsidies that have been going into fossil energy for decades.
🌬️ According to IRENA, in 2024, Solar PV was ~41 % cheaper and onshore wind ~53 % cheaper than the cheapest fossil-fuel electricity sources.
🔒 Further, renewables offer energy security and autonomy, whereas fossil energy creates dependency on a handful of countries that dominate the market, including Russia.
🇨🇳 In an ever polarised world, we are seeing most countries clearly recognising this reality and investing heavily in renewables, with China at the front.
✅ Net-zero means strong industrial policy that will stand the test of time.
🇪🇺 At the same time, we are seeing other countries, unfortunately including most big European countries like the UK, Germany, and Italy (and of course the U.S) are starting to move in the exact opposite direction, with devastating long-term impacts on their economies.
🎤 It troubles me that opinions like these are increasingly platformed by huge podcasts such as DOAC, with hosts who are not able to challenge these positions.
💬 What’s your take? How did statements like these become so normalised? And what can we do about it?
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