Political economy of energy articles from across Nature Portfolio

Large-scale use of renewable hydrogen in industry could affect the geography of production. This Perspective examines factors related to the production of renewable hydrogen and the potential changes in industrial production.

PROLONG, a data-driven probabilistic model of technology growth, projects wind and solar expansion consistent with 2 °C pathways and faster than current policy scenarios. The 1.5 °C pathway lies beyond the 95th percentile of projections and meeting this target would require major effort.

As electric vehicle adoption rises, governments face shrinking fuel tax revenues without clear replacement policies. This study estimates this revenue loss across 168 countries and finds that lower-income nations are the most exposed and may need international support to manage the fiscal risks.

This study identifies 95 interrelated barriers to building decarbonization, showing that social, political, and behavioral factors, alongside technical ones, inhibit the adoption of low carbon solutions across the sector.

Governments worldwide collected US$923 billion in fuel taxes in 2023, revenues at risk with the transition to electric vehicles, especially in lower-income countries. Policymakers should anticipate and assess their own domestic exposure and develop policies to recover enough revenues from electric vehicles as the transition progresses.

Effective policies to move companies towards global climate change goals require lifting the corporate veil to connect CO₂-emitting assets with their owners. A study now provides a first step by identifying the firms responsible for power-sector emissions.

Despite its prominence in public discourse, economic growth does not translate into lasting improvements in well-being. To improve people’s lives, policymakers should shift their focus from economic growth to well-being. We provide example policies that could foster thriving, sustainable and inclusive societies.