Expert debunks misleading claim about global energy: 'Somebody needs a reality check'

Renewable energy is central to global energy security, especially for communities lacking reliable electricity access. As clean power use grows, misleading claims continue to circulate online about how and why countries adopt wind and solar. 

One former U.S. climate negotiator on TikTok (@liaandtheworld) pushed back against Bjorn Lomborg, who argued that developing countries are being "forced" to use renewable energy instead of traditional fuels. 

@liaandtheworld Bjørn Lomborg claims that countries are being forced to use renewables. Somebody needs a reality check! 😬 #climate #bjornlomborg #misinformation #takedown #factcheck ♬ Fantasy in an Immersive World - Ernesto P. Neto

Lia's video challenges that framing, explaining that while some governments and organizations encourage limits on coal expansion, many countries are choosing renewables for their cost, speed, and easy accessibility.

"Bjorn Lomborg claims that countries are being forced to use renewables," she wrote in the caption. "Somebody needs a reality check."

In the clip, Lomborg suggests poorer nations are told: "We got rich with fossil fuels, but you can't develop that way." Lia labels this a "rhetorical straw man," noting that renewables are often adopted voluntarily.

In many regions, off-grid solar is the lowest-cost and fastest way to provide first-time electricity, according to the Yale School of the Environment. Renewable systems enable development, not limit it. 

Western nations have long extracted resources from less-developed countries while blocking their development through unequal economic systems — a form of neocolonialism. But the video and real-world context show that clean energy adoption doesn't fit that pattern. 

Decentralized renewables can reduce reliance on expensive fuel imports and volatile global markets, as seen with the "Don't Gas Africa" movement from the African Union, prioritizing clean energy for the continent, which is home to 85% of the world's population without electricity, but is also home to most of the minerals required for renewable technology. 

Dirty fuels sometimes appear "cheap" only where extraction, refining, and delivery infrastructure already exist, ignoring their high operating costs and harmful pollution. Installing new infrastructure costs taxpayers billions and often locks countries into long-term dependence on other foreign entities. In contrast, solar and wind can be installed quickly and scaled locally.

A recent IRENA report found that 91% of new renewable projects are cheaper than traditional fuel alternatives and are only getting cheaper as technology improves. 

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The video's discussion resonated with viewers, many of whom echoed Lia's points in the comments.

"Some people are causing more harm than good in this world," one commented. 

One wrote that Lomborg is not "actually analyzing the comparison, but pushing a narrative," which instead only enriches oil and gas companies. 

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