2021年经济学人 绿色投资繁荣下的世界隐忧(3)

The figures for the coming decade are mind-concentrating. To stay on track for net zero, by 2030 annual production of electric vehicles needs to be ten times higher than it was last year and the number of roadside charging stations 31 times bigger. The installed base of renewable-power generation needs to rise three-fold. Global mining firms may have to raise the annual production of critical minerals by 500%. Perhaps 2% of America’s land will have to be blanketed in turbines and solar panels.

未来十年的数据值得关注。为了实现净零排放，到2030年，电动汽车的年产量需要比去年增长10倍，路边充电站的数量也要增长31倍。可再生能源发电的装机规模需要增加三倍。全球矿业公司可能不得不将关键矿产的年产量提高500%。也许美国2%的土地将被涡轮机和太阳能板覆盖。

All this will require vast investment: some $35trn over the next decade, equivalent to a third of the global fund-management industry’s assets today. The system best equipped to deliver this is the network of cross-border supply chains and capital markets that has revolutionised the world since the 1990s. Yet even this system is underdelivering, with energy investment running at about half the level required, and skewed towards a few rich countries and China. Despite soaring metals prices, for example, mining firms are wary¹ of boosting supply.

所有这些都需要巨额投资：在未来十年内将需要投资约35万亿美元，相当于目前全球基金管理业资产的三分之一。最有能力实现这一目标的系统是跨境供应链和资本市场网络，自20世纪90年代以来，这一网络已经彻底改变了世界。然而，就连这一系统也难以发挥应有的作用，能源投资只达到所需水平的一半左右，而且主要流入少数富裕国家和中国。例如，尽管金属价格飙升，但矿业公司对增加供应持谨慎态度。

The main reason for the investment shortfall is that it takes too long to get projects approved and their expected risk and returns are still too opaque². Governments are making things worse by using climate policy as a vehicle for other political objectives. The European Union aspires³ to strategic autonomy in batteries and its green agenda directs a chunk⁴ of its budget to deprived areas. Similarly, President Joe Biden’s nascent⁵ green plan prioritises union jobs and local manufacturers. This mix of blurred⁶ goals and soft protectionism hobbles the necessary investment.

投资缺口的主要原因是项目审批时间过长，其预期风险和回报率的透明度仍然太差。政府利用气候政策作为实现其他政治目标的工具，使情况雪上加霜。欧盟渴望实现电池的战略自主，其绿色议程将其预算的一大部分用于贫困地区。同样，拜登总统刚刚起步的绿色计划也将工会工作和本土制造商列为优先事项。模糊的目标和温和护主义阻碍了必要的投资。

1 wary   

adj.谨慎的，机警的，小心的

参考例句：

• He is wary of telling secrets to others.他谨防向他人泄露秘密。
• Paula frowned,suddenly wary.宝拉皱了皱眉头，突然警惕起来。

2 opaque   

adj.不透光的；不反光的，不传导的；晦涩的

参考例句：

• The windows are of opaque glass.这些窗户装着不透明玻璃。
• Their intentions remained opaque.他们的意图仍然令人费解。

3 aspires   

v.渴望，追求( aspire的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The fame to which he aspires was beyond his reach. 他追求的名誉乃是他所不能及的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• An old steed in the stable still aspires to gallop a thousand li. 老骥伏枥，志在千里。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 chunk   

n.厚片，大块，相当大的部分（数量）

参考例句：

• They had to be careful of floating chunks of ice.他们必须当心大块浮冰。
• The company owns a chunk of farmland near Gatwick Airport.该公司拥有盖特威克机场周边的大片农田。

5 nascent   

adj.初生的，发生中的

参考例句：

• That slim book showed the Chinese intelligentsia and the nascent working class.那本小册子讲述了中国的知识界和新兴的工人阶级。
• Despite a nascent democracy movement,there's little traction for direct suffrage.尽管有过一次新生的民主运动，但几乎不会带来直接选举。

6 blurred   

v.（使）变模糊( blur的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）难以区分；模模糊糊；迷离

参考例句：

• She suffered from dizziness and blurred vision. 她饱受头晕目眩之苦。
• Their lazy, blurred voices fell pleasantly on his ears. 他们那种慢吞吞、含糊不清的声音在他听起来却很悦耳。 来自《简明英汉词典》