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For many years, the theme of sustainability has been a dividing line between political parties. The left in Europe and Democrats in the US were at the helm of the agenda globally, while the conservatives in Europe and the Republicans seemed to oppose it. There was, within this policy framework, a big theme of moral superiority and giving lessons to the rest of the world. Then, the dialogue on the implementation of sustainability policies stopped completely and it became a sterile back-and-forth of lesson-giving and moral superiority.

This is now changing. First of all, there has been a backlash against how these policies are implemented and the costs they can add. Moreover, as geopolitical tensions between the US and China rise, the question of Beijing’s dominance in the renewable energy industry has come to light. Besides, many entrepreneurs complain that sustainability rules put their local businesses in difficulty, while helping their competitors in other countries.

As an example, Germany’s leading car industry association, the VDA, in June called for a reversal of the EU’s 2035 ban on new cars with internal combustion engines. This is both for economic reasons and as a means to prevent international competitors from moving in. The responses came fast and reflect the political divide: Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservatives are in favor, while their left-wing coalition partner Social Democrats are against the idea.

The biggest pushback against such policies has come from the US under the Trump administration

Khaled Abou Zahr

However, the biggest pushback against such policies has come from the US under the Trump administration. The entire environmental, social and governance agenda, known as ESG, has been shelved due to the White House’s strong opposition to what it sees as “woke” policies. As an example, the administration has announced plans to overturn a rule that “allows pension funds to consider ESG factors when making investment decisions and exercising shareholder voting rights.” When we understand the investment capacity of pension funds, we know that this will decrease pressure on companies that are seeking investment to blindly follow an ESG agenda.

We are now hearing a new message on sustainability. People on the left are stating that conservatives hijacked their narrative and polluted their message by portraying them as lesson-givers. Yet, if we take a quick look at recent decades, we notice that more than a few scientists and economists have been ostracized or canceled just because they questioned the sense of some policies. Accusations of “climate change denier” would fly, just like someone being accused of being a fascist, and they would quickly be canceled.

This included anyone who promoted nuclear energy as a solution for the environment. For years, this point of view was attacked before even being discussed. And the biggest criticism was the disconnect between decisions made to cut out an energy source and the economic reality. This is probably one of the points that has most hurt the sustainability agenda. It positioned it as virtue signaling and its proponents as givers of moral lessons. It would, moreover, remove it from pragmatic debate and push forward pure ideology.

Today, there is a movement within the sustainability community to open a real dialogue and to avoid positioning themselves as lesson-givers and morally superior citizens. It is a more pragmatic approach that stays connected with the economic realities of the world. It is, in my view, also important to understand the geopolitical realities that lie behind the sustainability agenda. We will not deny that solar energy, for example, can add to the world economy a real boost of clean and unlimited energy. Yet, we must also understand who benefits the most from the economics of manufacturing.

There is now a more pragmatic approach that stays connected with the economic realities of the world

Khaled Abou Zahr

I believe it is important for conservatives to engage in this conversation now that an equilibrium of power has been set. There is no doubt that we all want to live in a clean and positive environment. The important point is to remove the ideology from this subject. I have never understood, for example, why there should be a “Green Party.” Every political party should integrate a roadmap to a cleaner world. These views should not be linked to pure politics but should be a goal to strive for while keeping the balance of competitiveness. While my focus is more on the environmental impact, the social impact is also an important consideration.

This new direction is highlighted by the goals set for the regenerative economy, which is defined as “a system that focuses on restoring and renewing ecological, social and economic systems to create a net-positive impact, moving beyond extractive and linear models.” So, the goal is not sustainability but repairing the damage done to the planet. This has also opened a new wave of investment opportunities that can appeal to all sides of the political spectrum.

The key test for this new direction is the way artificial intelligence is implemented. Perhaps this is where the focus on opportunities and looking at facts over ideology will determine how things move forward. While machine learning is seen as a game-changer — not only in terms of optimizing energy use but also in making systems more efficient and less polluting — the energy required to power AI is increasing exponentially. According to a World Economic Forum report, by 2030, global power demand from data centers, primarily driven by AI, could amount to the equivalent of nearly a quarter of the US’ current power demand. Moreover, access to AI will not be equitable across the world. Some will be left behind.

This is why there is an absolute necessity to keep the sustainability theme within a pragmatic, fact-based framework. Falling back into a totalitarian ideology would hurt the planet and society more than we can imagine.

• Khaled Abou Zahr is the founder of SpaceQuest Ventures, a space-focused investment platform. He is CEO of EurabiaMedia and editor of Al-Watan Al-Arabi