We're going to get to the point where we ask how the hell we put up with high carbon for so many years. You thank your lucky stars, because you are seeing this transformation in your lifetime. You are going to tell your children and your grandchildren you saw this whole thing in front of your eyes.
Christiana FigueresWhen you have a vision of where you need to go, it sounds utopian. But when you get to the tipping point, your understanding switches.
Christiana FigueresWe shouldn't have stupid cars that use liquid fossil fuels. Come on, how outmoded is that? We have to get to the point where this is no longer a part of our experience.
Christiana FigueresWe have already used more than half of that budget. This means that three quarters of the fossil fuel reserves need to stay in the ground, and the fossil fuels we do use must be utilized sparingly and responsibly.
Christiana FigueresEach building should produce as least as much energy as it's going to need, and have more to put on the grid. They should be using all of the natural light and natural heat.
Christiana FigueresThe fact that solar has gone down 80 percent since 2008 is astonishing. Wind is perhaps not coming down as quickly. Lack of storage - batteries - is a bottleneck. That makes it very difficult to put large amounts of renewable energy on the grid.
Christiana FigueresThe record-breaking extreme weather events causing chaos across the globe should be a wake-up call. The transition to a low-carbon economy will be much more painful if we wait until there is a climate crisis before recognising that more than half of the world's fossil fuel reserves will have to remain in the ground.
Christiana Figueres