Catch up on GZERO's coverage of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 78)
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Clean energy sources amid a futuristic landscape.

Jess Frampton/ GZERO Media

The false trade-off between climate action and economic growth

World leaders are flooding New York this week for the 78th United Nations General Assembly and Climate Week NYC, less than two months before the landmark COP28, the UN Climate Change Conference, is set to begin in Dubai. With climate being at the top of the agenda and top of mind, I thought I’d use today’s newsletter to debunk a myth that pervades an annoying amount of climate doomerism.

Most climate change discussions frame the issue in cost-benefit terms. Would we rather save the planet or keep our living standards? Save the planet or increase profits? Save the planet or lift people out of poverty? In other words, how much are we willing to sacrifice to stop climate change?

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What the US and Canada really want from each other
What the US & Canada really want from each other | GZERO World with Ian Bremmer

What the US and Canada really want from each other

US President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau finally had their COVID-delayed summit in March 2023. Biden and Trudeau clearly get along, and US-Canada ties are as strong as ever. Yet, some thorny issues still need to be ironed out.

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Trudeau lays out plan to grow Canada’s clean economy
Trudeau lays out plan to grow Canada’s clean economy | US-Canada Summit | GZERO Media

Trudeau lays out plan to grow Canada’s clean economy

On the heels of his recent meeting with US President Joe Biden in Ottawa, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau took to the stage at the US-Canada Summit in Toronto on Tuesday to woo Bay Street — Canada’s version of Wall Street — and voters with a clear message: The future is bright for Canadian (green) businesses and workers.

Referring to Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, which been a source of friction over fears it’ll see investment flee south of the border, as a historic investment to fight climate change, Trudeau spotlighted his own plan to invest in the clean-energy economy.

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Dambisa Moyo: Europe's energy transition needs more than a "band-aid solution"
Dambisa Moyo: Europe Energy Transition Needs More Than a "Band-Aid Solution" | GZERO World

Dambisa Moyo: Europe's energy transition needs more than a "band-aid solution"

Most countries around the world understand that sooner or later they will need to transition to using more clean energy. But in the meantime, they still rely on over a hundred million barrels of oil per day.

What's more Russia's war in Ukraine has underscored our dependence on fossil fuels for energy.

“We hadn't anticipated that there'd be a war that would create these shocks. And that puts us slightly offside,” renowned economist Dambisa Moyo tells Ian Bremmer on GZERO World.

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Moroccan fans gather on the Champs Elysees in Paris to celebrate Morocco s qualification for the semifinals of the World Cup.

Benjamin Beraud / Hans Lucas via Reuters Connect

What We're Watching: Morocco plays French politics, 11th-hour EU/Hungary deal, big energy milestone

Atlas Lions vs. French far-right

When reigning champion France takes on underdog Morocco in the World Cup semifinals on Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron will be in the stands. And whatever happens on the pitch it’s almost certain to cause tremors for him at home. The “Rocky Balboa” success of Morocco’s “Atlas Lions” – the first Arab or African team ever to make it this far in a World Cup – has struck a chord with millions of first- and second-generation French citizens of Arab and African origin. The worry is that a small minority of those fans may riot in the streets after the match — regardless of whether Morocco wins or loses — as they did last weekend in Paris after first Morocco beat Portugal and then France defeated England in the quarterfinals. Popular far-righters like TV provocateur and former presidential frontrunner Éric Zemmour will surely seize on any unrest to advance their calls for tighter restrictions on immigration. And that will cause a problem for Macron himself, who’s under pressure from the French right to pass a new law targeting illegal immigrants.

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An image of Elon Musk is seen on a smartphone placed on printed Twitter logos.

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic

What We're Watching: The end of Twitter (as we know it), climate reparations at COP27

Quo vadis, Elon?

Elon Musk is taking disruption to a whole new level as the CEO of Twitter. After firing half of his staff on Friday, the world's richest man has lit another fire with plans for an $8 subscription service to get verified on the social media platform. Before Musk took over, the coveted blue check was free for public figures, companies, and journalists, but now technically anybody can get it. That raises the stakes for all sorts of misinformation mayhem, though the rollout has now been delayed until after Tuesday's US midterm elections. Major corporate advertisers responded to the brouhaha by pausing their ads, with Musk admitting a big drop in revenue, which he blamed on firms caving to activists' demands. So, what’s next? Ian Bremmer — who tussled with Musk over Russia-Ukraine just weeks before the gazillionaire bought Twitter — hinted that the platform's new boss might have a shorter tenure than disgraced former British PM Liz Truss, who famously lasted less time than a head of lettuce in her last days in office. For Russia, Bremmer noted, "buying a few thousand verified Twitter accounts at $8/pop to promote disinfo feels like a no-brainer."

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How Russia is both hurting & helping climate action
Want to Become Energy-Independent? Transition to Renewables, Says John Kerry | GZERO World

How Russia is both hurting & helping climate action

Under the Biden administration, the US wants to become a global leader on climate change. But the energy crisis from the war in Ukraine has put climate lower on the list of global priorities.

Still, the main climate lesson learned from the invasion is that countries need to become energy-independent by embracing renewables, US climate envoy John Kerry tells Ian Bremmer on GZERO World.

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How Biden's climate bill moves the US towards clean energy
Ian Explains: How Biden's Climate Bill Moves The US Towards Clean Energy | GZERO World

How Biden's climate bill moves the US towards clean energy

Despite its name, the recently passed US Inflation Reduction Act won't do much to tame rising prices. But it will do a lot to fight climate change by slashing carbon emissions from power generation and transport, Ian Bremmer explains on GZERO World.

Interestingly, the bill offers more carrots than sticks to encourage American families and businesses to use more clean energy, Ian Bremmer tells GZERO World. Also, it responded to the Supreme Court's ruling against the Environmental Protection Agency by reaffirming the EPA's authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.

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