PowerSwitch

Do academics really understand the mechanics of energy and the economy?
Not according to this quote from the Executive summary of this paper, Pathways to Deep Decarbonization, they don't.

Avoiding dangerous climate change and achieving sustainable development are inextricably linked. There is no prospect of winning the fight against climate change if countries fail on poverty eradication or if countries do not succeed in raising the living standards of their people. Addressing climate change requires deep emission reductions of all greenhouse gases (GHGs), including the deep decarbonization of energy systems. To be successful, this transition must ensure that socio-economic development needs are met within the constraints of very low emissions.

There is no prospect of winning the fight against climate change if countries succeed on poverty eradication or if countries do succeed in raising the living standards of their people. That extra economic growth takes an increase in energy use and decarbonising energy will take an increase in energy use to produce the new technologies.

Robust economic growth and rising prosperity are consistent with the objective of deep decarbonization under the assumption of rapid technological evolution combined with their large-scale dissemination on terms that are economically and socially viable.

Robust economic growth and rising prosperity will be achieved by expending fossil fuel energy to build the sustainable energy kit to keep the prosperity and growth going. Growth requires the use of stores of resources which are limited because we have used the easiest ones to get hold of so now we have only the poorest most energy intensive resources left.

Powering down and reducing economic expectations are the only way forward especially for the rich West.

The DDPP comprises 15 Country Research Teams composed of leading researchers and research institutions from countries representing 70% of global GHG emissions and different stages of development: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, the UK, and the USA.

What the hell would those countries know about decarbonisation?

They know a lot - they're just not doing a lot.