A flood-prone region of Malawi. The world’s poorest are likely to be hardest hit by climate change
Letter from Europe: The trouble with the trilemma
Pursuing three different goals as part of the same package may mean achieving none of them
The transition away from fossil fuels is often framed as part of an ‘energy trilemma’, with lowering carbon emissions packaged with ensuring affordability and maintaining security of supply. Wrapping several goals together is generally a bad idea. It tends to be a result of negotiations among many diverse parties, each one with somewhat different objectives. The outcome is a compromise with a number of goals, each one of them usually challenging in its own right. The UN-endorsed sustainable development goals (SDGs) are a good example of this. There are 17 of them, and while there is nothing wrong with making efforts to achieve them all, what is problematic is believing they can all be achiev
Also in this section
4 December 2025
Time is running out for Lukoil and Rosneft to divest international assets that will be mostly rendered useless to them when the US sanctions deadline arrives in mid-December
3 December 2025
Aramco’s pursuit of $30b in US gas partnerships marks a strategic pivot. The US gains capital and certainty; Saudi Arabia gains access, flexibility and a new export future
2 December 2025
The interplay between OPEC+, China and the US will define oil markets throughout 2026
1 December 2025
The North African producer’s first bidding round in almost two decades is an important milestone but the recent extension suggests a degree of trepidation
