greenflation

English

Etymology

Blend of green +‎ inflation

Noun

greenflation (uncountable)

1. (economics) A rise in energy prices as a result of shifting from fossil fuels to sustainable energy sources.
   • 2007 December 26, James Kanter, “Does Too Much Green Lead to “Greenflation”?”, in Green: Energy, the Environment and the Bottom Line‎^[1], New York Times blogs:

     But in the wake of so much publicity, are we now undergoing a wave of “greenflation,” where the term “green” is used to justify almost everything and anything, as long as it can make the claim of lowering carbon?

   • 2022 August 12, Gernot Wagner, “Greening Your Home Will Be Cheaper, but Expect Growing Pains”, in The New York Times:

     While decarbonizing our homes can lead to price stability and significant savings — my family, for example, cut our monthly utility bill by more than 75 percent in a recent renovation — we must also prepare for what Dr. Schnabel calls “greenflation,” the higher prices and labor crunches that come with the green transition.