Europe has the third largest number of dirty power plants in the world after China and the US. Shutting them down quickly would be the biggest step Europe could take towards reducing its emissions. There are currently several challenges that must be surmounted if Europe is to phase out dirty electricity. For example, nations across the continent would have to overcome their powerful fossil fuel lobbies, who will fight to protect their dirty assets. Moreover, if dirty electricity is going to be phased out, then it must be replaced by a cleaner energy system. While such a system is expected to be far cheaper overall, it requires a relatively large amount of up-front investment. Clean generators cost money, as do batteries and other flexible technologies to ensure that the availability of ‘intermittent’ solar and wind energy, for example, lines up with energy demand. Upgrading the electrical grid also poses an economic and infrastructural challenge.

Fortunately, Europe, being relatively wealthy as a whole, is well placed to overcome these barriers thanks to the potential for government funding, subsidies, mandates, and coordinated planning. Europe’s interconnected electricity grid, for example, gives an opportunity for certain countries to build out clean plants and sell the power to other countries.

Discard 1 card from your hand, then remove 1 Dirty Energy token from your player board for each Incentive tag in this card's stack.

• Renewable Energy (The European Environmental Agency)

• EU to push for fossil fuel phaseout ‘well ahead’ of 2050 (Euronews)

• Join, or spend some time with, or support an organization or local group that is pushing for the phaseout of dirty electricity and fossil fuel energy more widely.

• Ask your political representatives to work harder to phase out fossil fuels. You might also ask them to invest in and streamline the buildout of clean energy generators and crucially, the infrastructure to support them, including batteries and other flexible tech.