This Monday, millions across Spain and Portugal found themselves in the dark. A massive blackout swept through both countries, halting trains, silencing cities and sending newsrooms scrambling. In one Madrid hospital, nurses moved a woman in labour down a flight of stairs by flashlight. Her story made headlines. But not the kind the clean energy transition deserved.
Within hours, the whispers started: Was net-zero to blame?
It was a convenient story. After all, both countries have been celebrated as renewable energy success stories. Spain recently reached 100 per cent renewable electricity on a weekday. Critics jumped at the chance to question the wisdom of phasing out fossil fuels. Commentators called it inevitable. Some even framed the blackout as a cautionary tale against going green too fast.
But the facts, as they often do, told a more nuanced truth. What failed was not the solar panels of wind farms. It was the system beneath it, unprepared for the volatility they demand. Still, the damage was done, not just to infrastructure but to public trust. We are living through a global greenlash. As net-zero commitments rise, so does the backlash. It is a backlash fed not by data but by fear.
In the US, President Trump dismissed the authors of the Fifth National Climate Assessment this week, calling them “hustlers”. His rejection of science is loud and familiar. But a quieter, more insidious shift is also underway. In the UK, former Prime Minister Tony Blair argued that phasing out fossil fuels is doomed to fail and called for greater focus on technologies like nuclear energy. While not a denial of climate action, this framing signals a growing acceptance of a two-degree world and weakens the already fragile commitment to keeping 1.5 alive. I remain skeptical. These arguments, dressed as pragmatism, risk normalising failure.
For countries like Oman, where two degrees could mean unbearable heat, water scarcity and coastal loss, this realism comes at an impossible price. In boardrooms too, the tone is shifting. Companies once eager to advertise green credentials are now going quiet, a trend known as greenhushing. Some are not abandoning climate goals, but they are whispering them when the world needs conviction.
People are tired, not just of rising costs or changing habits, but of hearing climate pledges that never materialise. They are watching companies pull back on ESG. They are seeing climate leaders voted out. They are wondering why they are being asked to sacrifice when the biggest emitters still profit. In that vacuum, the anti-net-zero narrative is growing louder and facts are struggling to keep up. And behind this backlash are familiar forces, those who benefit from delay. Fossil fuel interests, short-term political agendas and reactionary media all have something to gain from the doubt they help sow. The longer they stall the transition, the longer their business as usual model lives on.
And yet, none of this changes the science. The world still faces a narrowing climate window. The solutions from decarbonisation, resilience, to innovation haven’t changed. What is needed now is not less ambition but better preparation. For us in the region, the lesson is sharp. From Egypt’s solar buildout to Saudi Arabia’s giga-projects to Oman’s green hydrogen aspirations, our climate goals are bold, but so must be the storytelling around them. In a world where backlash can arrive faster than reform, success depends not only on how cleanly we power our grids, but how clearly we defend the transition. In this climate, it is not enough to power change. We have to protect it, before the lights go out again.
The writer is an Omani environmental strategist and advocate for sustainable development, focusing on climate change impacts in the Middle East and women's empowerment in environmental solutions. Follow her on LinkedIn: @RumaithaAlBusaidi
Rumaitha al Busaidi
The writer is environmental strategist and advocate for sustainable development
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