There are plenty of forces trying to slow the transition to zero emissions. Populists, protectionists, fossil-fuel lobbies, to name a few. But one of the biggest threats isn’t political, but physical.  In 2024, global energy demand jumped 2.2% , well above the decade’s average, according to the International Energy Agency. The reason wasn’t economic growth; it was heat. Record-breaking temperatures drove people to turn on air conditioners, strained power grids, and reminded us that our