Gas and electricity are becoming more expensive, largely because of rising import costs. The recent increase in the price cap set by Ofgem, the UK’s energy market regulator, saw bills go up for millions of households across the country. In April, gas and electricity bills rose sharply for most households in the UK. The main […]
Category: Energy & climate change
Climate change and economic inequality are often considered independently of one another. But it is not possible to address either of these challenges without engaging with the other: they are inextricably linked. Unabated climate change will have dramatic effects on inequality, poverty and economic opportunity. At the same time, poverty and inequality contribute to climate […]
Higher costs of electricity, gas and petrol not only hurt households directly, but also indirectly as these fuels are key inputs in the production of almost all goods and services. In addition to pushing up inflation, the big rise in energy prices will reduce real GDP, real wages and productivity. The UK’s current cost of […]
The oceans have become a waste-sink for plastics—just like the atmosphere is for greenhouse gas emissions. A higher carbon price may help tackle both problems. Plastics are great materials: durable, light and easily mouldable. This explains their widespread use – over the past five decades, annual production has increased by approximately 9% a year, reaching […]
Environmental policies like carbon taxes can hurt poor households and small businesses. Careful policy design can transform a trade-off into a double dividend. Unabated climate change will not only damage our natural world, but also have a significant effect on the global economy. Inaction is therefore not an option. But will inequality grow because of […]
Improving residential energy efficiency can be a cost-effective way to tackle the current energy crisis, increase energy security and mitigate climate change. Significant variations in the efficiency of homes across the country raise the question of how retrofitting should be implemented to maximise impact. Sharp increases in gas and electricity prices have raised major concerns […]
Policies to tackle climate change can impose costs on firms, especially those with high emissions of greenhouse gases, potentially reducing their competitiveness in global markets. Such measures can also encourage innovation and provide opportunities for growth. As governments around the world recognise the need to combat climate change, measures that include carbon taxes, subsidies, bans, […]
Weather can have a significant impact on agricultural production. Changes in climate and increases in extreme weather events exacerbate this, leaving poor households in rural areas particularly vulnerable. Global poverty is mostly a rural phenomenon. According to the World Bank, nearly three-quarters of the 650 million people around the world living in extreme poverty are […]
To meet its net-zero targets, the UK needs a transition to cleaner energy and greener transport. This will require larger and more stable supplies of critical minerals. The government should also implement policies to improve mining practices, reduce demand, and increase reuse and recycling. The UK government launched its review of net zero in September […]
From fossil fuel consumption and carbon emissions to rising temperatures, biodiversity loss and economic harm, the latest data tell a disturbing story. Fossil fuels—mainly oil, gas and coal—are being drilled, mined and burned at an ever-increasing rate. The historical comparison is stark: fewer than 20,000 Terawatt-hours (TWh) of energy from the main fossil fuels were […]