To  avert  the  worst  effects  of  climate change, consensus among scientists and policymakers is to limit the long‐term increase in average global temperatures to 1.5 °C, which in turn entails reducing global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to net zero by 2050. Ending reliance on fossil fuels and investing in renewable sources of energy will be crucial to achieving this goal. While fossil fuels currently comprise more than 80% of global energy production, clean energy is becoming more widespread (29 percent of electricity currently comes from renewable sources), and, crucially, cheaper: the cost of electricity from solar power fell by 85 percent between 2010 and 2020. While solar energy is still more expensive than it was pre-pandemic, its pricing is quickly becoming competitive due to sharp increases in coal and gas prices. Moreover, solar energy is the most abundant of all energy resources, as solar energy is intercepted by the Earth at a rate about 10,000 times greater than humankind can consume it.

This lesson plan explores the benefits and challenges of solar energy adoption by using Austria’s public transportation initiatives—the Klimaticket program and the Vienna airport’s solar plant construction—as a case study.