Prismvolt Review: TBI Report - The Climate Paradox

About a month or so ago, I spent the weekend reviewing the impressive Tony Blair Institute for Global Change report, The Climate Paradox. While I don’t agree with the assertion that current net-zero policies are “doomed to fail,” I do share many of the report’s key insights. Here are a few highlights:

🔍 Solar Radiation Management (SRM) deserves urgent global attention. There’s a real risk of unilateral deployment by a single country, with potentially severe transboundary climate effects. A global governance framework is urgently needed.

🔍 Production of fossil fuels and demand for them has risen, not fallen, and is set to rise further fuelled by several factors such as urbanisation, air travel, artificial intelligence, and—most significantly—the economic development of emerging markets.

🔍 As highlighted in our Sustainable Road Transport report, we need pragmatic, results-driven policies that are cost-effective and minimise economic disruption while still advancing sustainability goals.

It’s clear we need to rethink where and how we focus our efforts and investments to maximise real-world impact. That brings us to the question of solutions.

The technologies we adopt should be those capable of delivering the greatest benefits—especially in regions expected to see the most growth in emissions. If governed responsibly, Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) and Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) can play a pivotal role in reducing emissions while meeting future energy demands affordably and sustainably.

Finally, while ambition is vital, policies that risk significant economic harm with limited environmental benefit should be recalibrated—giving space for further research, innovation, and smarter implementation.

Want deeper insights? Discover how we can help you stay ahead in this rapidly evolving landscape.

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