Band 9 model answer
As alarm over climate change intensifies, numerous governments are pivoting away from coal and oil towards renewable alternatives such as solar and wind power. In my view, this transition is overwhelmingly beneficial, despite the considerable upfront costs it inevitably entails.
The most compelling advantage is environmental. Burning fossil fuels releases vast quantities of carbon dioxide, the principal driver of global warming, whereas solar and wind installations generate electricity with negligible emissions. By decarbonising the power sector, nations can curb the extreme weather, rising sea levels and ecological degradation that threaten future generations. Renewables also dramatically reduce the toxic air pollution that blights densely populated industrial cities, yielding immediate and measurable gains in public health and life expectancy.
A further benefit is economic resilience. Countries that import fossil fuels remain hostage to volatile international markets and unstable supplier regimes, as recent energy crises have painfully demonstrated. Domestically generated clean power insulates economies from such shocks while creating skilled employment in manufacturing, installation and maintenance. Although building wind farms and solar arrays demands heavy initial investment, the running costs are minimal once the infrastructure is in place, which makes the long-term economics distinctly favourable for any forward-looking nation.
Critics rightly note that renewables are intermittent and that storage technology remains imperfect, yet these obstacles are increasingly surmountable as battery capacity and smart grids steadily mature. On balance, the environmental, economic and strategic dividends of abandoning fossil fuels far outweigh the transitional difficulties involved. Governments should therefore accelerate the shift rather than hesitate, treating it as an indispensable investment in a habitable, secure and prosperous future for all.
Examiner’s notes
- Task Response: the position 'overwhelmingly beneficial, despite the considerable upfront costs' is stated in the introduction and sustained throughout, with the conclusion ('indispensable investment') reinforcing it unambiguously.
- Coherence and Cohesion: paragraphs open with clear signposts ('The most compelling advantage', 'A further benefit') and counter-argument is handled with 'Critics rightly note... yet', showing controlled concession.
- Lexical Resource: precise topic-specific collocations such as 'decarbonising the power sector', 'volatile international markets' and 'intermittent' demonstrate Band 9 range.