The upside of down

The author reflects on the mixed progress of 2024, noting record renewable deployment alongside rising global emissions and a political shift toward anti-climate positions. To overcome these hurdles, the author proposes a strategy focused on the lowest-cost electricity mix, including 'clean firm' technologies like nuclear and geothermal, and the use of carbon capture in heavy industry. The document emphasizes the need for regionally differentiated policies and a realistic acknowledgment of the long-term role of fossil fuels to build durable coalitions for action.

• The year 2024 saw contradictory trends: record worldwide deployment of batteries, solar, and wind, and the commissioning of six new modern nuclear plants, yet global carbon emissions reached record levels and coal plant additions exceeded retirements.
• Traditional climate policy is facing a decline due to worsening geopolitical conflict, the breakdown of multilateralism, and a populist political shift in rich countries, including the U.S. and Europe, where leaders have run on anti-climate positions.
• To ensure energy security and reliability, the author advocates for a mix of weather-dependent technologies and 'clean firm' technologies that provide round-the-clock power, specifically naming nuclear energy, advanced geothermal, and carbon capture for power.
• Decarbonizing heavy industry (cement, steel, and plastics), which represents 25% of global emissions, will require low-carbon process innovations, electrification, and the use of carbon capture and hydrogen as bridge technologies.
• The author argues that the energy transition is a multi-decadal process for a $50 trillion sector and that policy must realistically address the continued role of fossil fuels rather than assuming they will be eliminated by 2030 or 2050.

APA

Cohen, A. (2024). The upside of down. Clean Air Task Force. https://www.catf.us/2024/12/the-upside-of-down/

Chicago

Cohen, Armond. The upside of down. Clean Air Task Force, 2024. https://www.catf.us/2024/12/the-upside-of-down/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Cohen |first1=Armond |title=The upside of down |publisher=Clean Air Task Force |date=18 December 2024 |url=https://www.catf.us/2024/12/the-upside-of-down/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{cohen2024upside, author = {Cohen, Armond}, title = {{The upside of down}}, publisher = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2024}, month = dec, url = {https://www.catf.us/2024/12/the-upside-of-down/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }