It's no secret that fossil fuel companies feel incentivized to fight against clean, renewable energy sources.
Unfortunately, it's working.
What's happening?
The Guardian reported on what the UN is calling a "massive mis- and disinformation campaign" aimed at green energy. This campaign, they explain, is being promoted by the fossil fuel industries hoping to delay emissions-cutting policies for as long as possible to avoid financial losses.
Selwin Hart, assistant secretary general of the UN, argued that this campaigning is convincing politicians that it would be politically beneficial for them to push back on climate policies, while in reality, the majority of civilians worldwide are in favor of them.
"There is this prevailing narrative — and a lot of it is being pushed by the fossil fuel industry and their enablers — that climate action is too difficult, it's too expensive," Hart said, per the Guardian. "It is absolutely critical that leaders, and all of us, push back and explain to people the value of climate action, but also the consequences of climate inaction."
He cited the world's largest climate survey, which found that 80% of people worldwide want their government to do more about climate change; 72% of people wanted a "quick transition" away from fossil fuels.
"This should alert political leaders — those that are ambitious are not only on the right side of history, they're on the side of their people as well," Hart said. "Climate appears to be dropping down the list of priorities of leaders. But we really need leaders now to deliver maximum ambition."
Why is this so important?
The higher that temperatures creep, the more devastating the effects will become — many of which are already being felt.
For example, many in the U.S. are struggling to insure their homes as insurance companies withdraw coverage in "high-risk" areas. For homeowners in states prone to climate-fueled weather, this could mean debilitating losses if even a natural disaster strikes. Yet politicians fail to act, in no small part because of the false narratives from by dirty energy.
"This is directly due to the climate crisis, and directly due to the use of fossil fuels," Hart said. "Ordinary people are having to pay the price of a climate crisis while the fossil fuel industry continues to reap excess profits and still receives massive government subsidies."
What's being done?
Fortunately, solutions are possible. Hart pointed out that "renewables are the cheapest they've ever been, the pace of the energy transition is accelerating."Â
To continue this momentum, the UN is calling for updated national determined contributions from each member country of the Paris Agreement, the Guardian reported.
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