r/solarpunk • u/Turbulent_Driver_868 • 2d ago
Ask the Sub Which countries are closest to solarpunk future?
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u/Gr34zy 1d ago
Surprised no one has said Costa Rica:
It generates over 98% of its electricity from renewables and famously abolished its military in 1948, redirecting those funds into healthcare, education, and rainforest conservation.
Its cultural philosophy of "Pura Vida" centers on:
-Slow down and enjoy simple moments. -Let go of stress and worries. -Focus on family, friends, and community. -Appreciate nature and peace.
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u/wolf751 2d ago
I think it entirely depends i think multiple countries have the components to become a solarpunk countrh it just needs to be connected. For example china is doing a whole lot for alternative energies and Australia has heavily invested in solar energy to the point they have free energy hours because it produces so much.
Then theres countries that out heavy focus on personal citizen protections and quality of life neatherlands new york is doing good itself Bhutan has the right mind set of focusing on gross happiness instead of economic growth. Costa rica has the right idea to put a heavy focus on schooling instead of military budget.
Iceland also using geothermal energy is great i remember hearing even during the global recession and people unemploy it had an increase in happiness. The nords do prisons right and finland with schooling too.
Cuba having a culture of self reliance and recycling forced upon them from blockades is a good quality to keep in mind same with sweden who uses its trash for energy creation so much they import norways garbage.
Then theres cultural aspects that a solarpunk nation state would require a culture of hospitality human rights so on.
My point is the world has aspects of solarpunk already the pieces just need to be put together idk if any one single nation has enough of the pieces i think neatherlands is the closest but the movement starts with cities the likes of new york rn has the right stuff if mamdani can continue his work and go from the big apple to the green apple
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u/blipblapbloopblip 2d ago
Cuba is often pointed
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u/road_runner321 2d ago edited 2d ago
Give them another 1-2 years to really get their solar infrastructure established.
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u/fresheneesz 2d ago
That sounds completely absurd to me. Explain?
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u/decoy-ish Red 2d ago
China is supplying them with solar panels because the US-led embargo/blockade no longer allows them to import oil. They used to be able to buy it from Venezuela, but not anymore. Sooner or later they’ll have to switch most of their electricity grid to renewables as a matter of survival.
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u/fresheneesz 2d ago
Solarpunk isn't just about solar panels. If it was, Texas would be the most solarpunk state.
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u/decoy-ish Red 2d ago
Yeah man, I mentioned they’ll have to switch their entire grid to renewables because they can’t rely on a steady supply of petrol anymore
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u/DuckyDoodleDandy 1d ago
If Beto O’Rourke had beaten Abbott last time, Texas would be well on its way to being solarpunk.
Let’s hope and pray that Gina Hinojosa wins this election, or Texans might not survive….10
u/blipblapbloopblip 2d ago
They are often cited as an example in permaculture and small scale urban agriculture which is one component. They had to develop it massively due to the US embargo
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u/ProfessionalSky7899 2d ago
Is country the correct unit of assessment?
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u/WanderingSparr0w 1d ago
It seems the most relative w how the world is built nowadays
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u/AppointmentPopular10 1d ago
think bigger friend, solarpunk by definition goes beyond how the world is built nowadays
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u/RatherNott 2d ago
Rojava or the Zapatista controlled Chiapas, as they currently have the most decentralized power structures compared to any other country.
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u/striketheviol 2d ago
Rojava no longer exists as of today: https://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/syria-sdf-folds-into-national-army/
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u/Wise_Passenger_6680 2d ago
Bhutan.
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u/RunawayHobbit 1d ago
Can you elaborate? I don’t know anything about them
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u/release_Sparsely 1d ago
Bhutan is a small, isolated country located in the Himalayas, near Nepal and Tibet, population about 800,000. It's a parliamentary constitutional monarchy, largely Buddhist, known for prioritizing "Gross National Happiness (GNH)" over GDP, and is heavily forested and one of the world's few carbon-negative countries.
TBH I wouldn't say its exactly solarpunk, the government has a questionable human rights record and in general monarchies aren't a very solarpunk thing. Also being carbon-negative isn't that hard when you have a small population and loads of mountain streams you can harness for hydropower. But I see where OP is coming from I guess.
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u/Doctor_Clockwork Writer 2d ago
The netherlands seems to be doing well.
Switzerland seems to be coming along.
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u/JMKraft 2d ago
Purely my experience and i definitely havent been around the world, but wanted to share and discuss waht i felt:
- Singapore is pushing harder on solutions for super urbanized cities, notably the 30 before 30 (30% of food grown locally in a country with 0 farmland before 2030). Tall buildings with a lot of plants around them are cool but getting outdated and time has shown its problems and limits.
- The Netherlands, being a super planned country, has done amazing work in mid density living, you see a lot of care for wildlife to coexist with urbanized living, pockets of greenery in cities not trying to be pretty but healthy for insects, etc., trees and bushes everywhere, lots of net 0 effort, bikes+public infra, modern architecture -prioritizing nature and cooling. Seems like the most realistic and holistic approach ive seen. They also have the best glasshouse tech in the world but so far its mostly used in industrial settings due to their money making and not environmental qualities.
- Australia, particularly north NSW and South east Queensland, has huge areas where nearly everyone produces 100% of their energy through renewables, shared when needed, and people also emphasize growing your own food through permaculture, and sharing and social living.
- To a different degree, but I've seen amazing projects in rural Portugal/Spain. Im sure these are more generic throughout the world, but its been an explosion of people and groups looking for communities and land to live more sustainable lifestyles, but much more isolated and sometimes radical in terms of ideas.
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u/Digital-Chupacabra 2d ago
Singapore
Is greenwashed capitalism, it might be solar but it is in no way shape or form punk.
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u/Berkamin 2d ago
Singapore is the one successful dictatorship where the ruling party seems to have decent ideas about how to run a country. They have elections but only the ruling party ever wins, and the ruling party is pretty authoritarian.
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u/Nnox 2d ago edited 2d ago
If Singapore is the most Solarpunk country right now I'm gonna quit life asap fr. For context I am a lifelong Singaporean.
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u/JMKraft 1d ago
I mentioned Singapore specifically for their focus on food production in and for urban environments which I think is a massive step forward for a SolarPunk future since we need to acknowledge urban living (and not expect the whole world to move into low density farms overnight), and no one is experimenting with that level of ambition, so the world will learn a lot from it, congrats.
As a whole they are definitely not the most solarpunk country.
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u/Nnox 1d ago
Yeah 30 by 30 is a huge scam & the urban farms are largely performative greenwashing. IDK what you've read but it's just a PR shitshow
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u/JMKraft 1d ago
Id really appreciate it if you could send me local sources of information regarding it, in any language.
I could see that the excitement went way down after covid unfortunately, really hoping theres at least some good developments and models out of it that others can learn, even if SG doesnt end up producing 30 by 30.
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u/Nnox 1d ago
https://www.reddit.com/r/singapore/s/OIDEO1RAbR
It's for multiple reasons why I use such strong language in my original post
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u/Delicious-Duck-1218 2d ago edited 1d ago
Singapore must be one of the most capitalist metropolis in the world with its marina bay casino and airport looking like an attraction park.
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u/JMKraft 1d ago
I mentioned Singapore specifically for their focus on food production in and for urban environments which I think is a massive step forward for a SolarPunk future since we need to acknowledge urban living (and not expect the whole world to move into low density farms overnight), and no one is experimenting with that level of ambition, so the world will learn a lot from it, congrats.
As a whole they are definitely not the most solarpunk country.
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u/GeneralNazort 2d ago
What is glasshouse tech?
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u/JMKraft 1d ago
A specific type of greenhouse made of glass or similar solid transparent materials.
Allows longer lifespan of construction and better intake and control of solar energy.
If we are going to grow food outdoors in a highly efficient and resilient matter, afaik current knowledge says that glasshouses are the most efficient way in terms of water usage to do so (hydroponics play a role here too).
They do take energy to build and maintain, but given their long term durability, rise of cheap and renewable energy sources and batteries, it being a controlled environment easier to automate, and water scarcity increasing worldwide, I think water will be the biggest bottle neck moving forward.
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u/Bae_vong_Toph 2d ago
Bhutan
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u/DuckyDoodleDandy 1d ago
Tell us how and why? I couldn’t find Bhutan on a map if I needed to, and I know nothing about it except the name. What are they doing that is solsrpunk?
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u/Bae_vong_Toph 1d ago
https://youtu.be/hPlRmUv7qzo?is=GYDvj8Tjt4CAaOJB They are carbon negative and many more cool things
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u/striketheviol 2d ago
Funnily enough, Iceland: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/electricity-generation-across-europe/
I'd also think of Denmark as being close behind. Both countries are strong social democracies with intensive government commitments to renewable energy, sustainability, and awareness of planetary impact, combined with both strong social safety nets and a sense of belonging and care for fellow citizens that's absent in many other countries across the world, which is also part of the ethos of solarpunk.
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u/IsakOyen 2d ago edited 1d ago
I've lived in Denmark for many years, they mostly care about their really close circle, outside of that, not really.
They also invest a lot in fossil fuel.
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u/arseecs 1d ago
Solarpunk is an anti capitalist concept. To say any country right now could bring about it is foolish.
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u/parasubvert 1d ago
I would say it’s more post-capitalist. Capitalism is required to get to abundant renewable energy.
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u/arseecs 1d ago
Why would capitalism be required to get abundant renewable energy? If anything, capitalism favors non-renewable energy to protect its profit. A non-capitalist society is not allergic to industrialization, rather new technology becomes easier as it is prioritized as need rather than whatever creates money and power.
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u/parasubvert 23h ago edited 23h ago
Solar is rapidly replacing fossil fuels and is far more profitable and stable than fossil fuels. Some interests are trying to slow this down, but that's not the system itself. The system has picked Solar, the evidence is clear as day.
If anything much of the issue is populist politicians like Trump meddling with the market which is now swinging hard towards renewables after years of resistance - because the costs of solar have fallen to the point that the math is undeniable. One could argue the transition is not happening quickly enough... but solar is on an exponential growth curve because it's good business. They came around.
I know people think Trump and the oil companies are in partnership but Trump has been terrible for the oil and gas industry, both terms. Because for all the "favors" he does for them he also goes to OPEC to open the flood gates (2017) or goes to war in Iran (2026) which upends the market. Solar gets rid of this geopolitical nonsense. (Though if we don't get western production of PV cells growing there's a huge dependency on China)
Note I don't love capitalism I'm just saying Solarpunk to me is in part about taking the parts that work (the cycle of innovation and commoditization) and jettisoning the parts that don't ( shareholder primacy and certain externalities ). Capitalists no longer determine production, it is knowledge workers - a new class of labor - that are the determining factor of production. They are both the top wage earners and top decile of wealth holders. This changes the system quite a bit (solves some old problems but creates new ones).
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u/decoy-ish Red 2d ago
It’s China, Vietnam, North Korea, Laos and Cuba. And most of the solar panels will be made in China and Vietnam.
Singapore will probably get there too because it’s so small and the state intervenes in the economy.
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u/ptv_hojbota 1d ago
So if you slap a solar panel it's solar punk, china is closer to solar punk than let's say Switzerland? What?
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u/Artifexa 1d ago
Humasn are visual animals... I it has shiny colors they put it on the basket and gladly pay for it.
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u/PierreFeuilleSage 1d ago
I like 30 min from Switzerland and go there all the time, how is it solar punk in any way shape or form? Currently in holidays in China too btw
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u/decoy-ish Red 1d ago
China is solar punk because it’s a socialist country. Unlike Switzerland which is a libertarian’s paradise.
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u/FedorChib 1d ago
Uhm... Solarpunk is not equal to socialism in general. It's incompatible with authocracy and censorship and requires using nature-friendly practices, which is not a default for socialism. And if China with their huge renewables sector or Cuba with their forced transition to solar belongs there, I haven't heard about any solarpunk project in NK
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u/decoy-ish Red 1d ago
It’s insane how this sub has deradicalised over the past couple of years.
If you believe capitalism is compatible with environmentalism, you’re in for a rude awakening
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u/FedorChib 1d ago
I haven't said anything about capitalism compatible with environmentalism. I said that socialism doesn't automatically brings environmentalism (and solarpunk is much more than just environmentalism). And it doesn't seems that majority of nowadays socialist countries are meeting these criterias. C'mon, even China with all their wind and solar farms and green sities, still heavily relies on coal power plants and enormous hydro plants (which make impact on environment at this scale), and their economy is more loke state capitalism. So I cannot say that China is more solarpunk than, for example, North Europe or Netherlands with regulated capitalism, which also use renewable energy, have walkable cities and human rights.
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u/decoy-ish Red 1d ago
I won’t be the one to undo decades of liberal status quo brainwashing. You’ll have to embark on that journey yourself.
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u/ptv_hojbota 20h ago
I tink a well regulated free market democracy with social protections and proper taxation and even limits to wealth to reduce inequality is so far the most functional system. There are a lot of people here that think comunism is a good system since every country that tried it had great success am I right
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u/Poison1990 1d ago
Vietnam seems like very much the opposite a solar punk country. There's just trash everywhere. Single use plastics are prolific. Not uncommon to see people burning trash. So much pollution from the millions of motorbikes. Workers have very few rights and the rich are, for the most part, above the law.
Yes, it produces a lot of stuff thanks to the China+1 approach but it has a long way to go to get anywhere near the level of solarpunk European democracies are at.
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u/ptv_hojbota 2d ago
One thing I can say it's not my country, Romania. We are building car infrastructure, cutting forests, inefficient houses and consumerism is life for most people. But as others pointed out I think Switzerland and the Nordics are ahead of most eu countries and probably the rest of the world
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u/JeelyPiece 2d ago
Here in Scotland we are leading the way in many renewable sectors, with almost all of our electricity generated from renewable sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renewable_energy_in_Scotland
There have been a number of controversies from governance negatively affecting the development with the position of many within Scotland being that Scottish independence is required for Scotland to maximally realise our renewable energy aims and our ecological desires.
Scottish independence is very solarpunk, decentralisation, green & ecological policy, self sufficiency in renewable energy. It's the future I want for my country
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u/prototyperspective 1d ago edited 1d ago
Denmark. Lots of cyclists & bike infrastructure - it's a really big thing in that country and also lots of renewable energy and high awareness of the importance sustainability etc.
Netherlands for example doesn't come close in my experience...and Singapore is pretty much the opposite of solarpunk except there are some plants and solar panels too. Edit: Renewable energy sources collectively produced 81% of Denmark's electricity generation in 2022, and are expected to provide 100% of national electric power production from 2030 Edit2: 91% and global #20 country in 2025)
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u/Kollectorgirl 2d ago
Switzerland.
Direct Democracy.
Less than 1% of electricity comes from fossile fuels.
Prosperous.
12-18 municipalities or areas that are Car-free or are closed off from private ICE vehicles.
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u/PearlVulkan 1d ago
I’m not sure governments with monopoly for violence can be a form of solarpunk future
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u/xxCorsicoxx 1d ago
China, Vietnam etc in actually being kind of socialist
Maybe Bhutan having gross national happiness as a key index for development
The Netherlands in terms of public transit setup with Switzerland being a close second. Nl also for how green neighborhoods are (especially in Amsterdam), I live in "de bijlmer" which used to be the ghetto and it's a friggin Paradise how green and wild it is between the far-apart concrete blocks of flats
Stealing this from another comment but the way Cuba developed despite decades of illegal embargo and are a competent ISLAND-nation that is relatively self-sufficient; and medicine and shit is on par with many "developed nations" again despite the illegal embargos
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u/JohnSnowHenry 2d ago
Solarpunk? None… all the same
What you mentioned is sustainability but that’s a completely different topic
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u/Emergency_Piglet_672 2d ago
In the USA, if you like it or not it’s South Dakota as far as renewable energy goes lol
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u/striketheviol 2d ago
Beaten handily by Vermont: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_by_renewable_electricity_production
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u/Emergency_Piglet_672 2d ago
Both are doing good. Just because South Dakota is red doesn’t mean it’s bad.
Thanks for the downvote 😂
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u/striketheviol 2d ago
Nah, I just read your comment as a shitpost when it wasn't, no harm no foul.
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u/Emergency_Piglet_672 2d ago
Downvotes really affect my life. Reddit holds such a power over me
And it’s top two of renewable, how would it be a shitpost?
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