Abbey Abramson

  Fossil fuel energy policy capture What the numbers do not show: social and narrative capture Not all capture is in budgets and contracts. Narrative capture, through well-funded campaigns that emphasize short-term price relief or job creation while downplaying disaster risk, can crowd out support for vital investments, such as higher-elevation culverts, pump operation and maintenance, and community mangrove stewardship. TI’s latest CPI commentary highlights how fossil interests use money and media to silence critics and weaken safeguards. The public is told the grid is in crisis, while broken drainage beneath their feet remains unfixed. Residents living with these systems express a different reality. One local community member remarked, 'Every rain leaves our streets flooded and impassable, yet they tell us new power plants are the priority. It's as if our daily struggles are invisible.' This grassroots view challenges fossil-funded narratives and highlights the urgency fo...

  Fossil fuels case snapshots Why this book focuses on the downstream  Upstream fights, such as subsidy reform or anti-lobbying rules, are essential but often unfold slowly. Meanwhile, billions are already being allocated for adaptation in developing countries. If procurement, build quality, maintenance, and monitoring are corrupted, even a perfect upstream policy won’t protect communities. Here is where rhetoric meets rebar: that is why later chapters focus on how money becomes protection, or does not, in flood control, shelters, forests, and social security (IPCC). Case snapshot: India—subsidy lock-ins and coal-system inertia India has set ambitious clean-energy goals, such as achieving 500 GW of non-fossil capacity by 2030, and clean-energy investment is rising rapidly. Yet coal still supplies about 70% of electricity, supported by entrenched interests, legacy PPAs, and cross-subsidies complicating price signals. This creates a dual reality: rapid renewable growth, but pers...

  Fossil fuel policy capture Why this chapter is short—and it still matters Before examining the integrity of public funds for adaptation and resilience, we must acknowledge the upstream obstacles, including subsidies, lobbying, revolving doors, and long-term contracts that favor the use of fossil fuels. These forces slow down decarbonization and distort budgets, crowding out essential investments such as flood control, resilient drainage, and early warning systems. For example, levee upgrades may be delayed and early-warning systems underfunded, leaving communities vulnerable. Think of these distortions as the gravity field around every climate project we will examine later (IPCC). Fossil subsidies are large, sticky, and politically defended Even after the 2022 price shock faded, fossil-fuel consumption subsidies remained enormous: the IEA estimates USD 1.1 trillion in 2023, down from a record USD 1.6 trillion in 2022 but still historically high. The OECD/IEA inventory confirms ...

  COP30 Missing Fossil Fuel Phase-out The Missing Fossil Fuel Phase-Out: How Oil & Gas Interests Shaped COP30’s Limits The 2025 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) held in Belém, Brazil, had many observers expecting a shift in the global energy paradigm. With increasing clarity that the climate crisis is driven by fossil fuels and growing demands from vulnerable countries, civil society, and a majority of parties pushed for a concrete roadmap to phase out coal, oil, and gas. Instead, COP30 concluded with no binding fossil-fuel phase-out language in its core text, revealing how entrenched oil and gas interests continue to influence international climate diplomacy. This outcome matters deeply — because without addressing the root cause of global warming, mitigation and adaptation initiatives face significant limits. The context: Why a fossil fuel phase-out matters Climate science is clear: unabated fossil-fuel extraction and use remain the most significant single ...

  Chapter 5: Renewable Energy Revolution: Powering a Sustainable Future Renewable energy resources power a sustainable future Renewable energy has become a cornerstone of the global effort to combat climate change, reduce environmental degradation, and promote sustainable development. Unlike fossil fuels, which are finite and polluting, renewable energy sources harness the natural, abundant forces of the Earth, such as sunlight, wind, and water, to produce clean and sustainable power. This section explores why transitioning to renewable energy is urgent and necessary for addressing the interconnected crises of climate change, energy insecurity, and environmental harm . Energy and Climate Change Energy production and consumption are the primary drivers of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, accounting for approximately 73% of global emissions (International Energy Agency [IEA], 2022). Fossil fuels—coal, oil, and natural gas—dominate the global energy mix, releasing vast amounts ...