Of course, reducing energy demand is much less critical where energy sources are minimal-emitting. This is true of the hydro and nuclear that displaced coal from France's grid decades ago. If a jurisdiction begins to favour wind and solar over nuclear, as in Germany, paradoxically this drives greater demand for gas-fired generating plants to back up the wind and solar, so emissions don't fall.
Of course, reducing energy demand is much less critical where energy sources are minimal-emitting. This is true of the hydro and nuclear that displaced coal from France's grid decades ago. If a jurisdiction begins to favour wind and solar over nuclear, as in Germany, paradoxically this drives greater demand for gas-fired generating plants to back up the wind and solar, so emissions don't fall.