{
  "id": 19687660,
  "title": "Economics, not climate summits, will dictate the net-zero transition",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/12/economics-not-climate-summits-will-dictate-the-net-zero-transition",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-11-12T18:20:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Scientist",
    "slug": "new-scientist",
    "url": "https://www.newscientist.com/article/2598706-economics-not-climate-summits-will-dictate-the-net-zero-transition/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "At the COP31 summit in Turkey, hypocrisy is evident as UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham seeks to demonstrate British leadership on climate action while his government green-lights numerous fossil fuel projects. Turkey and Australia, the summit's hosts, push for a clean energy revolution, yet Turkey announced new oilfields that could boost production by 30% and Australia approved a coal mine extension with substantial carbon emissions. Meanwhile, the US boycotts the climate summit once again. Despite these actions, there is a silver lining: fossil fuel emissions are expected to slightly decline in 2026 due to the growth of cheap solar, wind, and electric vehicles. This trend, rather than politics, is propelling the clean energy transition forward. Solar power now provides 10 times more energy than in 2015, and wind is the second-fastest-growing electricity source. In the US, Texas, a state led by climate denier Donald Trump, has become the top producer of both solar and wind power. In developing nations, people are bypassing traditional power grids by installing solar panels on their roofs. While early government subsidies and regulations created market conditions for renewables, the biggest obstacle to the energy transition remains expanding the grid, which governments could accelerate by reducing bureaucracy and offering financial support.",
  "summary": "World leaders at COP31 show little enthusiasm for phasing out fossil fuels, but the plummeting costs of renewable energy will be the key factor in how quickly we can rein in global warming",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}