Venture Capitalist, Vinod Khosla, one of the founders of Sun Microsystems, wrote the following in an Economist feature:
"There are 12 major areas to focus on in the coming decades: electricity, EVs, aviation, shipping, cement, steel, animal husbandry in agriculture, fertilisers, grid storage, high-temperature industrial heat from hydrogen or other technologies, water and “direct air capture” of carbon."
This was towards the end of an article where he questioned the need to rush for climate solutions by 2030. He asked:
"Is it more important to maximise reductions by 2030 or by 2050? Although we do not know when exactly certain climatic tipping points may be reached, I believe it is extremely important that net emissions zero out by 2050. But as an investor in many technologies, both developed and nascent, I know that hoping to deploy today’s innovations globally is unrealistic. Doing so could actually impede efforts to reach net zero by 2050, or lead to a backlash against climate action because of the expense involved. In a rush to cut emissions quickly, humanity might choose to do the wrong things and back the wrong initiatives."
Given where we are at the moment, a 2030 deadline seems an invitation to do rash things – and the UK has had more than its fair share of rashness recently. But a loss of focus on 2030 might also invite a loss of focus on the main aim. The point, perhaps, is that we're not going to be able to meet most of these 2030 targets – just as we have missed the 1.5 degree limit target. Realism is needed, perhaps, together with redoubled effort.
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