3 signs that the world is already fighting back against climate change

The document asserts that the fight against climate change is sustained by three primary drivers: the falling cost of renewables making them economically disruptive to fossil fuels, widespread public support for a stable environment regardless of political affiliation, and resilient leadership from national governments, cities, the private sector, and financial institutions. It highlights specific examples such as India's accelerated renewable targets, the Under2MOU commitment, and the growth of sustainable investing to demonstrate that economic growth is decoupling from greenhouse gas emissions.

• The economics of energy have shifted such that solar power is now the cheapest form of new energy, with unsubsidised records falling below $30 per megawatt hour. This economic trend is supported by the fact that 50% of new energy investment in 2015 was directed toward renewables.
• Public support for climate action persists across political divides, as evidenced by US citizens voting for over $200 billion in local measures on 8 November 2016 to reduce carbon pollution and improve quality of life.
• National and subnational leadership continues to expand: 47 developing countries increased their renewable energy plans following the 2016 US election, and India expects 57% of its electricity capacity to be non-fossil fuel based by 2027, surpassing its Paris target of 40% by 2030. Additionally, 165 states and regions in 33 countries have committed to the Under2MOU to stay under the 2°C limit.
• The private and financial sectors are integrating climate targets, with nearly 90 multi-national companies committing to 100% renewable energy and over 200 businesses setting science-based emission targets. In the financial sector, fossil fuel divestment has exceeded $5 trillion across 688 institutions in 76 countries, and sustainable investing assets in the US grew 33% in two years to $8.72 trillion.
• Global data indicates a decoupling of economic growth from emissions, with global GDP growing 3.1% while global carbon intensity fell by 2.8% in 2015.

APA

Figueres, C. (2017). 3 signs that the world is already fighting back against climate change. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/3-signs-that-the-world-is-already-fighting-back-against-climate-change/

Chicago

Figueres, Christiana. 3 signs that the world is already fighting back against climate change. World Economic Forum, 2017. https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/3-signs-that-the-world-is-already-fighting-back-against-climate-change/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Figueres |first1=Christiana |title=3 signs that the world is already fighting back against climate change |publisher=World Economic Forum |date=11 January 2017 |url=https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/3-signs-that-the-world-is-already-fighting-back-against-climate-change/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{figueres2017signs, author = {Figueres, Christiana}, title = {{3 signs that the world is already fighting back against climate change}}, publisher = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2017}, month = jan, url = {https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/3-signs-that-the-world-is-already-fighting-back-against-climate-change/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }