It is vital that we reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and politicians must accept that climate change is a reality and act accordingly. The ‘business as usual’ scenario is no longer acceptable and we must invest to mitigate the effects of climate change and ensure that future generations have a planet fit for human life. Only when governments take concrete steps to reduce global warming instead of pandering to the whims of industrialists and financiers will be able to say that a sustainable future is possible. In short, we need a different kind of growth if we want a route that leads to ecological and economic sanity.