Abbey Abramson

  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...

  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 ...