The ‘Green Energy Transition’ That Wasn’t

Copenhagen Consensus president slams political leaders for blocking smart environmental concepts that will help alleviate climate pain on 'Varney & Co.'

There is not one single climate activist in sight here at the climate summit venue in Le Bourget on the outskirts of Paris. Understandably, the area is effectively sealed off so there’s not much of an audience.

While many planned marches have been cancelled for security reasons, there are still many protestors in the media and elsewhere, who are passionately pushing those inside the climate talks to push for a more drastic treaty.

At 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, in the U.S. and around the world, around one billion people are expected to switch off their lights for one hour as a political statement against climate change and fossil fuels, and in support of carbon cuts and renewable energy.

This feel-good exercise not only does absolutely nothing for the planet, but it ignores the reality that what the world’s poorest need right now is more light and energy, much of which will be powered by fossil fuels, not darkness.