If the overall costs of mitigation during the next decades are considered, the economic assessment might differ substantially. Immediate C02 reductions driven by the early deployment of RE may cost more than other options today, but will reduce the costs of mitigating climate change in the future. The risk that some mitigation options may fall short should motivate policy makers to consider higher-cost options that effectively provide insurance against catastrophic climate change. It shows that developing new renewable resources (e.g. wind, solar and others) from a very narrow basis today allows learning that will unlock their dimate-change mitigation potential.