Conclusion: Speaking With One Voice

Summary

It is accepted on every continent that we must transition the global economy to net zero. Other than widespread targetsetting, there is not much coherence in global policy-making. Every time we pick up a book on climate change we go straight to the section on what to do about it. Our typical reaction is disappointment. Recommendations range from banal suggestions that we should “find our individual purpose” to implausible ambitions for a complex global carbon tax. A frustration with these proposals helped to motivate us.

This book is all about what to do. We don't need to convince anyone of the urgency. All the major economies of the world are trying to reduce emissions. There is also a clear and emerging consensus on what needs to be done. It doesn't involve a complete overhaul of every individual's lifestyle. It doesn't involve the end of capitalism, reductions in incomes, or huge taxes. We need to start by making two things happen quickly: make electricity sustainable, and run everything off electricity. Everyone should know this, and help make it happen.

Our critique is directed at a lack of realism in the current tactics. Realism about human psychology, business and politics. Human beings only change behaviour if their options are cheaper, more convenient and socially normalized. Businesses only change behaviour if they make more money, or if it's made illegal. Policies should follow the golden rules: effective, simple and non-partisan. Far too much energy in climate mitigation is going into efforts that misconstrue these realities.

Supercharge Me is a manual to rapidly collapse emissions. Currently, we are not investing fast enough to halve emissions by 2030 and prevent an increase in global temperatures above 1.5°C. If the policies we describe are implemented, this goal is within range, and shorter timelines are realistic. We are not saying it is easy to electrify everything. It requires huge global investment to overhaul the capital base of the global economy. What we are saying is that it is very doable and already happening, in some cases quite quickly. We have most of the technology we need.

An investment boom on this scale is very likely to make most of the global population better off, and the states that fund it will be wealthier. Given the scale of the threat, and the vast ancillary benefits, we need to move much faster.