Forging a cheaper green policy

The debate over climate change is one of the most polarised in UK politics, between those advocating doing everything possible (no matter what the cost) and those who refuse to think about doing anything at all. If, like us, you take the view that the science tells us there are major risks from climate change – albeit with uncertainty around how bad, when and where the risks might bear out – but that costs matter, you are likely to find yourself simultaneously denounced by both sides as a ‘denialist’ and a ‘warmist’.

Our new report, Greener, Cheaper explores how we can cut the costs of cutting carbon. We assume that there is limited public willingness for spending on climate change, and that if government continues to spend lots of money on marginal carbon savings, that support will not last. We focus on cost-effectiveness, since the cheaper we can cut carbon, the more we can cut without damaging the economy or losing public approval for action.