Environmental Policy and Energy

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Miscommunicating science: the media and climate change

Miscommunicating science: the media and climate change

The public is being placed at a greater risk of harm from the impacts of climate change because of failures in communication by the media, as well as the government and the research community, writes Bob Ward. He supports his analysis based on evidence submitted to Parliament, and concludes that misleading and scientifically inaccurate arguments should not be routinely […]

May 18th, 2016|Environment and Energy Policy, Environmental Policy and Energy, Featured, LSE Comment|3 Comments|

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Depoliticising energy policy: transformative ideas won’t happen when technocrats are in charge

Depoliticising energy policy: transformative ideas won’t happen when technocrats are in charge

Political economy and public policy scholars have argued that UK governance has been increasingly depoliticised through the displacement of responsibility to market actors; the creation of ‘arms length’ bodies; and the power of experts to make decisions that have wide ranging implications. Here, Caroline Kuzemko argues that technocratic energy policymaking hinders the sorely needed pursuit of transformative energy policy.

The depoliticisation of […]

February 11th, 2016|Environmental Policy and Energy, Featured, Uncategorized|0 Comments|

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Eco-homes offer one solution to building on flood plains

Eco-homes offer one solution to building on flood plains

Despite the recent extensive flooding and acknowledgment of the increasing consequences of climate change at the Paris talks last month, there is little public discussion about building eco-homes. Here, Jenny Pickerill outlines the argument for getting these builds onto the agenda; these would be homes which would not just be cheaper to live in but built to withstand flooding and […]

January 26th, 2016|Environmental Policy and Energy, Featured, Housing, Jenny Pickerill|3 Comments|

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How to make UK energy policy more predictable again

How to make UK energy policy more predictable again

A series of policy U-turns have made aspects of British energy policy unpredictable. With such reversals having been politically motivated, state involvement must be revisited if the industry is to re-establish its credibility, argues Sam Fankhauser. He explains that making strategy and decision-making more transparent, and delegating regulation to independent bodies, are some steps that will depoliticise the energy sector […]

December 8th, 2015|Environmental Policy and Energy, Featured, LSE Comment|0 Comments|

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Carbon pricing might be the unlikely winner of the Volkswagen scandal

Carbon pricing might be the unlikely winner of the Volkswagen scandal

The Volkswagen emissions scandal has led many to question the ability of environmental regulators to enforce standards. Here, Stefano Carattini and Alessandro Tavoni argue that this might be an opportunity to promote carbon pricing, as it does not require specific controls and is a cost-effective mechanism by which to reduce emissions.

The Volkswagen scandal has shaken our society in two […]

October 22nd, 2015|Alessandro Tavoni, Environmental Policy and Energy, Featured, LSE Comment, Stefano Carattini|0 Comments|

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Flawed analysis of the economics of climate change

Flawed analysis of the economics of climate change

A new analysis of the economic impacts of climate change contains some serious flaws and exposes a lack of consistency with the scientific evidence, writes Bob Ward.

On 18 September, the World Economic Forum published a blog on its website that controversially suggested the overall impacts of unmitigated climate change this century could be positive, even if global average temperature […]

October 1st, 2015|Bob Ward, Environmental Policy and Energy, Featured, LSE Comment|1 Comment|

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New figures published by the IMF show the UK provides more subsidies for fossil fuels than renewables

New figures published by the IMF show the UK provides more subsidies for fossil fuels than renewables

An IMF report has quantified the subsidies provided for the fossil fuel industry, finding the UK will spend £26 billion this year, amounting to far more than the subsidies provided for renewables. Bob Ward summarises the findings.

New figures published by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) show that the UK Government may not be looking in the right place if it wants to cut energy […]

August 18th, 2015|Bob Ward, Environmental Policy and Energy, Featured, LSE Comment|5 Comments|

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A Global Apollo Programme to tackle climate change

A Global Apollo Programme to tackle climate change

Leading thinkers across the worlds of science, public service and academia have launched a new global programme to combat climate change. Richard Layard outlines their proposal for big public investment in research that will dramatically reduce the costs of clean energy.

In the past, governments faced with existential threats to their country have called on their scientists and engineers to provide solutions. […]

August 3rd, 2015|Environmental Policy and Energy, Featured, LSE Comment, Richard Layard|0 Comments|