What Is Still Possible

The Cost Revolution

Technology	Cost Advantage	Trend
Solar PV	41% cheaper than fossil	91% of new projects cheaper
Onshore wind	53% cheaper than fossil	Record deployment
Battery storage	Down 93% in a decade	$2,571 → $192/kWh
Jobs per dollar	Renewables create 3x more	vs fossil fuel investment

Renewable Deployment Records (2024)

Metric	Value
New renewable capacity	585 GW
Share of new power capacity	92.5%
Global electricity from renewables	32%
Solar and wind growth vs demand (Q1–Q3 2025)	635 TWh vs 603 TWh
Clean energy investment (2024)	$2 trillion
EU wind + solar share (2025)	30% (surpassed fossil fuels)

Climate Litigation

Metric	Value
Total cases filed	3,099 across 55 jurisdictions
New cases in 2024	226
Global South share (since 2020)	59%
Bonaire ruling (2026)	Netherlands violated human rights
Swiss Climate Case (2024)	Climate = human rights obligation
Held v. Montana (2024)	First US state constitutional climate right
ICJ Advisory Opinion (2025)	1.5°C as legally binding target

The Gap

Current policies put us on track for ~2.8°C by 2100. Current NDCs target 52–58 Gt in 2030, but 1.5°C requires 25–30 Gt. The US withdrew from the Paris Agreement in January 2026. But China invested $625 billion in clean energy in 2024 alone.

Conservation Victories

The High Seas Treaty entered force January 2026. French Polynesia created the world’s largest MPA. Melanesia established a 6-million-km² reserve. Green sea turtles were upgraded from Endangered. Brazil saw an 80% decline in deforestation fires.

Indigenous-Led Conservation

Research shows Indigenous-led programs match or exceed non-indigenous outcomes when properly funded. Canada committed $202 million to 94 communities. The NWT reached a $380 million landmark agreement. The Klinse-Za caribou herd grew from 38 animals (2013) to 200+ (2023).