Energy ‘the new industrial revolution’

TWO years ago nobody would have predicted that Europe’s leaders would agree on anything to do with energy. Now it is being welcomed as a new industrial revolution and the heads of the 27 member states will later today agree to a major policy outline.

They will commit themselves, politically at least, to cut their carbon emissions through a range of measures and they hope this will give them a head start in the battle against climate change.

Instead of preparing for droughts and floods, a loss of jobs and changing agriculture, they are hoping to turn the potential climate catastrophe into a giant opportunity.