The current administration has made the preservation of the internal combustion engine (ICE) a key aspect of its re-industrialization policy, illustrating a direct conflict between the immediate need for economic stability and the European Union’s long-term climate objectives.Germany experienced a significant policy shift in 2025 when Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) took office. The nation is...
France’s main challenge is no longer technical, but political: aligning climate action with an economic model that delivers visible benefits to citizens in the short and long term.France faces a growing tension between economic development priorities and climate mitigation efforts. While the country maintains ambitious climate targets, rising living costs, energy price volatility, and concerns...
Europe’s experience shows that the conflict between climate mitigation and economic development is neither inevitable nor easily resolved.Europe faces a fundamental policy tension between climate mitigation ambitions and economic development priorities. While the European Union has committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030 and achieving net-zero by 2050, member states simultaneously pursue...
The cost of a total, immediate transition to renewables remains prohibitive for the heavy industries, such as steel, cement, and chemicals, that still underpin the national GDP.As China enters the inaugural year of its 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030), the world’s second-largest economy finds itself at a defining crossroads. The tension between maintaining robust economic development...
Tensions between economic development and climate mitigation policies reflect climate mitigation’s changing status as a national policy priority. Most countries face a policy and cost tension between investments in climate change versus economic development. Canada is no different. On November 7, Prime Minister Carney confirmed that Canada’s economic development priorities involve over $1 trillion over the...
The Brazilian economy benefits when the climate agenda is treated as an ally of growth—not as an obstacle. Brazil is experiencing a structural tension between two agendas that, although complementary, frequently clash: accelerated economic development and climate change mitigation. In a country with high inequality, significant social needs, and a strong reliance on resource-intensive sectors, urgent...
Climate mitigation can support, rather than hinder, Australia’s long-term economic development if policies are more tightly integrated.Australia faces a clear policy tension between investing in climate mitigation and economic development. On the one hand, climate policy seeks accelerated reductions in emissions, the deployment of clean energy, and a transition away from fossil fuel dependence. On...
