The British Politics and Policy at LSE blog is starting a new series on climate change and environmental policy. Joel Suss introduces the theme and gives an overview of some of the articles to expect over the course of the next few weeks.

Starting this week, the British Politics & Policy at LSE blog is launching a series on climate change and environmental policy. Policymakers in developed economies and emerging markets alike are increasingly concerned about the catastrophic implications of climate change and are beginning to work towards building a more sustainable future on an increasingly crowded and resource-hungry planet.

The risks of inaction are enormous and there are sizeable collective action problems that must be overcome. But, as Lord Stern recently remarked, the costs of mitigating climate change are manageable and informed public discourse can be a powerful driver in overcoming sluggish policy progress. This series seeks to contribute in that respect by examining some of the latest issues and stimulating a healthy, constructive debate.

Here are some of the articles to look forward to:

• Bob Ward, the Grantham Research Institute’s Policy and Communications Director, examines how the media reports on climate issues;
• James Leaton, Project Director of The Carbon Tracker Initiative, looks into the prospects of a carbon bubble;
• Dr Alex Bowen, principal research fellow at the Grantham Institute, explores the government’s lack of communication with respect to carbon taxes;
• Amelia  Sharman, PhD student at the Grantham Institute, examines how climate scepticism is shaping the public policy debate;
• Trewin Restorick, Director of Global Action Plans, looks at the government’s Green Deal;
• Simon Less, Environment and Energy Research Director at Policy Exchange, argues that reducing emissions with minimum economic impact is best achieved through a carbon pricing framework;
• and Ian Gough, visiting Professor at the LSE, explores the need to reconcile climate mitigation policies with social equity concerns.

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