Humans caused climate change. In the midst of suffering, now they must solve it.

The world has wasted decades mobilizing against climate change, partly due to denial, disinformation, and inertia.

But the solutions are already visible and work on their implementation is underway.

Solar and wind are now cheaper than coal. Offshore wind turbines have expanded greatly and now power entire cities. Giant batteries are becoming increasingly efficient at storing large amounts of energy, better each year than ever before to address the long-standing criticism of solar and wind technologies that “the sun doesn’t always shine and the wind doesn’t always blow.”

These are just the most established forms of renewable energy. There are also major advances in green hydrogen, energy efficiency in buildings, heat pumps, and agricultural transformations, among many others.

The road ahead is not easy. No technology or new law will solve the problem. Instead, solutions must be implemented at the same time.

Solutions have trade-offs, sometimes environmental, sometimes human, sometimes both. For example, moving to a world of all-electric vehicles will require vast amounts of minerals to be extracted from the earth. In addition to the significant ecological impacts, some of the most mineral-rich lands are owned by indigenous people who do not want mining on their territories.

Green energy advocates say the permitting process takes too long to get projects up and running. When it comes to large solar and wind farms, locals are often fiercely opposed, arguing they don’t want something they see as an eyesore. And some environmentalists object out of fear that wildlife will suffer.

Talking about solutions is sometimes hampered by an overemphasis on technologies such as carbon capture, which are expensive and unlikely to be deployed at scale, or by politicians urging people to change their lifestyles but failing to advocate for major policy changes that are much more effective.

Despite the challenges, changes in the way we power our world offer hope that climate change can be addressed.