Fossil Fuels Spell Economic Self-Destruction, Warns Economist Stern

According to a report published on 2025-10-13T12:21:54+00:00, renowned economist Nicholas Stern warns that growth fueled by fossil fuels is a futile endeavor, as the damage it causes ultimately leads to economic self-destruction. Stern, who led a landmark 2006 review on climate change, says the plummeting costs of clean technologies, from renewable energy to electric cars, present a significant economic opportunity in the 21st century.

Stern argues that investments in these clean technologies can simultaneously address the climate crisis and drive economic growth, while also enabling healthier and more productive societies. He acknowledges the current geopolitical challenges but emphasizes the importance of making a rational argument for climate action.

Addressing U.S. President Donald Trump directly, Stern urges him to consider the science and risks of climate change, including the vulnerability of Trump's own properties in Florida to more intense hurricanes, sea-level rise, and storm surges. Stern rejects Trump's dismissal of climate change as a "con job," stating that the science behind greenhouse gas emissions heating the atmosphere is simple and undeniable.

Stern's optimism about the economic opportunities of climate action is tempered by his deep concern about the political challenges in overcoming the rational argument. He believes that low-carbon growth is the only feasible long-term solution, as high-carbon growth ultimately self-destructs.