2021年经济学人 绿色投资繁荣下的世界隐忧(1)

Leaders

社论

Bunged up

遇到瓶颈

A great green investment boom is under way. Bottlenecks² are an underappreciated problem

一场巨大的绿色投资热潮正在兴起，但瓶颈问题却未受到重视。

AS THE WORLD economy wakes back up, shortages and price spikes³ are affecting everything from the supply of Taiwanese chips to the cost of a French breakfast. As we explain this week, one kind of bottleneck¹ deserves special attention: the supply-side problems, such as scarce metals and land constraints⁴, that threaten to slow the green-energy boom. Far from being transitory, these bottlenecks risk becoming a recurring⁵ feature of the world economy for years to come because the shift to a cleaner energy system is still only in its infancy⁶. Governments must respond to these market signals, facilitating a huge private-sector investment boom over the next decade that increases capacity. If they don’t, they stand little chance of keeping their promises to reach “net-zero” emissions⁷.

伴随世界经济复苏，短缺和价格飙升正在影响着方方面面，包括台湾薯片供应和法式早餐成本。正如我们本周所解释的，有一种瓶颈值得特别关注，即稀有金属和土地制约等供给侧问题，这类问题有可能造成绿色能源繁荣的减缓。这些瓶颈远非转瞬即逝，而是有可能成为世界经济在未来几年反复出现的特征，因为向清洁能源体系的转型还只是刚刚起步。各国政府必须对这些市场信号作出反应，在未来十年中推动私企的巨大投资热潮，从而提高产能。否则，他们就很难兑现“净零”排放的承诺。

Scientists and activists⁸ have worried about climate change for decades. Recently politicians have shown signs of more commitment: countries accounting⁹ for over 70% of world GDP and greenhouse gases now have targets for net-zero emissions, typically by 2050. And there has been a dramatic shift in the attitude of business. Investors¹⁰ are demanding that firms change tack¹¹, spurred by the new reality that clean technologies are more cost-competitive. The giants of the fossil-fuel age, such as Volkswagen and ExxonMobil, are having to shift their investment plans, while clean-energy pioneers are cranking up capital spending fast. Orsted, a wind-farm champion, plans a rise of 30% this year; Tesla, an electric-car maker¹², a jump of 62%. Meanwhile a cool $178bn flowed into green-tinged investment funds in the first quarter of 2021.

几十年来，科学家和活动家一直担心气候变化。最近，政客们也表现出要做出更多努力的迹象：占世界GDP和温室气体排放量70%以上的国家通常制定了到2050年实现净零排放的目标。商界的态度也发生了巨大转变。在清洁技术更具成本竞争力这一新现实的刺激下，投资者纷纷要求企业改变策略。大众和埃克森美孚等化石燃料时代的巨头不得不改变他们的投资计划，而清洁能源的先驱们正在快速增加资本支出。风电大厂沃旭能源计划今年将增加30%的资本支出；电动汽车制造商特斯拉今年将增加62%的资本支出。与此同时，在2021年第一季度，有1780亿美元的资金流入了绿色投资基金。

1 bottleneck   

n.瓶颈口，交通易阻的狭口；妨生产流程的一环

参考例句：

• The transportation bottleneck has blocked the movement of the cargo.运输的困难阻塞了货物的流通。
• China's strained railroads already become a bottleneck for the economy.中国紧张的铁路运输已经成为经济增长的瓶颈。

2 bottlenecks   

n.瓶颈( bottleneck的名词复数 )；瓶颈路段（常引起交通堵塞）；（尤指工商业发展的）瓶颈；阻碍

参考例句：

• Roadworks are causing bottlenecks in the city centre. 道路施工导致市中心交通阻塞。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• At five o'clock in the afternoon the city streets are a series of bottlenecks. 下午五点市中心的街道就成了拥挤不堪的窄路。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

3 spikes   

n.穗( spike的名词复数 )；跑鞋；（防滑）鞋钉；尖状物v.加烈酒于( spike的第三人称单数 )；偷偷地给某人的饮料加入（更多）酒精（ 或药物）；把尖状物钉入；打乱某人的计划

参考例句：

• a row of iron spikes on a wall 墙头的一排尖铁
• There is a row of spikes on top of the prison wall to prevent the prisoners escaping. 监狱墙头装有一排尖钉，以防犯人逃跑。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 constraints   

强制( constraint的名词复数 )； 限制； 约束

参考例句：

• Data and constraints can easily be changed to test theories. 信息库中的数据和限制条件可以轻易地改变以检验假设。 来自英汉非文学 - 科学史
• What are the constraints that each of these imply for any design? 这每种产品的要求和约束对于设计意味着什么？ 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

5 recurring   

adj.往复的，再次发生的

参考例句：

• This kind of problem is recurring often. 这类问题经常发生。
• For our own country, it has been a time for recurring trial. 就我们国家而言，它经过了一个反复考验的时期。

6 infancy   

n.婴儿期；幼年期；初期

参考例句：

• He came to England in his infancy.他幼年时期来到英国。
• Their research is only in its infancy.他们的研究处于初级阶段。

7 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。

8 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 accounting   

n.会计，会计学，借贷对照表

参考例句：

• A job fell vacant in the accounting department.财会部出现了一个空缺。
• There's an accounting error in this entry.这笔账目里有差错。

10 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

11 tack   

n.大头钉；假缝，粗缝

参考例句：

• He is hammering a tack into the wall to hang a picture.他正往墙上钉一枚平头钉用来挂画。
• We are going to tack the map on the wall.我们打算把这张地图钉在墙上。

12 maker   

n.制造者，制造商

参考例句：

• He is a trouble maker，You must be distant with him.他是个捣蛋鬼，你不要跟他在一起。
• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。