Iran is where the next solar boom will happen
Almost every post-war path suggests solar represents one of the best ways to revive a crumbling economy.
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A worker installing a solar power system in the Philippines. The future of Iran's oil industry may depend on a willingness to embark on a breakneck solar build-out.
PHOTO: JES AZNAR/NYTIMES
David Fickling
You might not be surprised to discover that Asian countries jeopardised by the war in Iran are rushing to install solar power as fast as they can. Iran itself seems a less likely candidate. That may be set to change, however.
Fuelled by subsidised petrol that costs as little as 10 US cents a gallon, the world’s sixth-biggest emitter has never shown much interest in clean energy and global warming. It’s one of just three countries, alongside Libya and Yemen, that never ratified the Paris Agreement.
