No Matter What Trump Does, Green Energy Will Prevail

Acts of God are on the rise. Insurers now pay nearly four times as much to policyholders hit by natural disasters as they did in 1980. That’s because God has had a major assist from fossil-fueled industrialization. With the Paris climate agreement, the world’s emitters sought to slash carbon across the public and private sectors. The US Clean Power Plan targets coal; China is enacting a cap-and-trade system; India is betting big on solar. The deal sends a clear signal to companies: Invest in green business models. After Donald Trump was elected, more than 360 companies signed a letter urging him to uphold the agreement. Many are hewing to it anyway. Google will reach 100 percent renewable energy in 2017; Facebook and Amazon are following suit. Business leaders will aim to sway Trump from his anti-green stance with economic calculations. Investing in clean energy isn’t just imperative for the environment—it’s essential for US competitiveness.