Stopping Climate Change: Technological Optimism or Political Realism?
News from Germany last week once again laid bare the deadlock in climate policy. Germany's Expert Council on Climate Change officially declared that the federal government will be unable to meet its 2030 and 2040 climate targets under current policies. Legally binding commitments sit on paper while the energy, transport, and buildings sectors fall persistently short. According to the independent council, an overshoot of between 60 and 100 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent is expected within the country's carbon budget. For many, the news came as no surprise. Germany has long positioned itself as a climate leader. Yet the CDU/CSU-SPD coalition formed after the 2025 elections has made economic recovery its priority and is seeking to roll back its predecessor's climate agenda. Voters were decisive in shaping that choice: high energy prices, industrial decline, and the perceived cost of the "green transition" translated into real electoral consequences. The German case...