The Herle Burly Taking Climate Change Seriously with Michael Liebreich
Feb 28, 2026
Michael Liebreich, a clean energy and climate finance leader who founded Liebreich Associates and co-manages EcoPragma Capital, talks solutions-focused climate action. He discusses pragmatic resets to net-zero rhetoric. He highlights electrification, scaling renewables and nuclear, investment risks and Canada’s chance to reinvent industry with clean power and minerals.
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Net Zero Was Right But Overpromised
- Net zero 2050 was a productive aspiration but was over-sold as an immediate, universally feasible emergency.
- Michael Liebreich says ten years of examining industries drove progress yet also fueled pushback when promises outpaced practical timelines.
Sell Climate Action As Benefits Not Sacrifice
- Reframe climate action as investment and quality-of-life improvements, not sacrifice; sell benefits like cleaner air, cheaper operation, and energy independence.
- Liebreich argues politics should highlight jobs, resilience, and better consumer products to build support.
Electricity Transformation Beats Primary Energy Metrics
- Measuring progress by primary energy (coal dug up) misleads; the electricity system transformation matters more.
- Liebreich notes wind and solar now supply ~1.8% of global electricity and have reshaped grids, driven largely by economics not just subsidies.