Leaders | A shock to the system

A new answer to the biggest climate conundrum

Will electrification of industry live up to its promise?

A plug floating above two smoking chimneys.
Illustration: Ricardo Tomás

One of the more robust reasons for hope about the future of the climate comes from two simple facts and a delightful kicker. The facts are that electricity is a wonderfully versatile way of powering all sorts of things, and that lots of technologies can now generate it without emitting greenhouse gases. The kicker is that one of these technologies, solar power, is both very cheap and getting cheaper.

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This article appeared in the Leaders section of the print edition under the headline “A shock to the system ”

From the February 17th 2024 edition

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