Climate tech to save the planet: Star power

Nuclear fusion offers a potential solution to the climate crisis by providing a nearly limitless, carbon-free energy source that avoids the radioactive waste and safety risks of conventional fission. Recreating the sun’s power on Earth requires heating hydrogen plasma to over 100 million degrees Celsius, a monumental engineering challenge that has historically struggled to achieve net energy gain. While government-funded projects like the Joint European Torus and the international ITER initiative drive scientific progress, private startups backed by significant venture capital are accelerating the race toward commercialization. Despite this momentum, fusion remains a long-term prospect, with experts projecting that grid-ready power plants are unlikely to emerge before 2040 or 2050. Consequently, while fusion represents a vital future component of the global energy mix, it will not arrive in time to meet urgent 2030 carbon reduction targets.