The green transition was once mostly the preoccupation of activists and scientists. One result of Vladimir Putin’s weaponisation of energy in his war on Ukraine has been to thrust it to the heart of the geosecurity agenda, at least in advanced democracies. Soaring prices have finally prompted determined efforts by governments to cut reliance on fossil fuel, even if, short-term, some are having to use more coal. Rather than a setback for climate action, the International Energy Agency says, the energy crisis can be a “historic turning point”.That is one positive element in a backdrop to the COP27 summit now under way in Sharm el-Sheikh that otherwise looks grim. Inflation and economic slowdown hardly provide a propitious environment. Extreme weather events this year such as the appalling floods in Pakistan have highlighted the damage done even by 1.1C of global warming to date. A UN report has warned, meanwhile, that “woefully insufficient” climate efforts mean the world is still on track for at least 2.4C of warming — well above the 2C, or ideally 1.5C, goal in the 2015 Paris agreement.