Introduction

The challenge of addressing climate change is that we have to transition away, over a period of 30–50 years, from a carbon-intensive to low-carbon economic growth model – in terms of power generation, industrialisation, mobility and, in general, mechanisation of human activity – that has evolved and recomposed over the last two centuries. This urgency to take action in the present is to reduce the accumulation of carbon in the atmosphere or face irreversible tipping points. Further, that such investment and cost (in humanity’s collective future) are to be incurred by a set of nations (and disparate populations within the nations) who may or may not benefit directly and therefore may view this as an expense is an added challenge. Furthermore, this challenge is exacerbated by the fact that there is another set of nations (primarily in the Global South) that is directly affected but not in a position to finance climate action on the scale required.