The global green transition is being pushed by geopolitical tensions, notably the oil and LNG bottleneck in the Strait of Hormuz, which has accelerated a clean‑energy boom that was already underway.

In March‑June 2026, China’s exports of solar panels, batteries and electric vehicles rose 47 % by value – Detecting $84.9bn – signalling a surge in demand for low‑carbon technologies.

Individual self‑interest can only take the transition so far. While rooftop solar and EVs are driven by short‑term payback, large‑scale clean‑heavy‑industry pensions, such as Atome’s $665 mn ammonia plant in Paraguay and Stegra’s $1.65 bn hydrogen‑steel project in Sweden, need fiscal and policy support.

Carbon removal is a public‑good that no market can deliver alone. Today the world removes only about 2 megatonnes of CO₂ a year, whereas keeping warming below 2 °C will require gigatonnes of removal by mid‑century.

Hence, states must eventually mandate fossil‑fuel shutdowns and carbon‑removal programmes to complement market‑driven gains.