Green protectionism will slow the energy transition

If the world is to decarbonise, then more clean energy is needed, fast. Nearly everyone at the un’s annual climate summit, which is being held in Dubai, seems to agree with the sentiment: delegates from 118 countries have pledged to raise global renewable-energy capacity to 11,000 gigawatts (GW) by 2030, up from 3,400GW last year. But the task of adding roughly 1,000GW every year—almost as much as the entire generating capacity of America—looks increasingly daunting.