The need for alternative energies is quickly becoming apparent. While carbon dioxide levels have been rising since the Industrial Revolution, the last station on Earth without a 400 parts per million (ppm) reading reached it. The event marked the first time that carbon dioxide reached these kinds of levels in four million years, suggesting beyond a doubt that these problems stem from human emissions rather than natural phenomena.
Governments have increasingly embraced these concerns by passing mandates to limit the amount of harmful emissions. In December 2015, representatives from 195 countries at the 21st Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC in Paris adopted the Paris Agreement to deal with greenhouse gas emissions, adaptation, and finance starting in the year 2020, which could set the stage for a growing number of regulations around the world.
At the same time, governments have played a role in destabilizing parts of the alternative energy industry. China famously disrupted the solar industry in 2013 by selling massive amounts of photovoltaic solar modules and pressuring other manufacturers around the world following its chronic oversupply. The industry also relies on a number of subsidies from various countries around the world, including Germany’s heavy subsidies for solar power.