Abstract:

The UK's main political parties have all pledged to combat climate change whatever the result of the general election. Yet according to a new report from the CEP, much of the discussion is largely rhetoric, with limited focus on actionable policy commitments. The report's authors explain how UK climate policy consists of a patchwork of instruments addressing greenhouse gas emissions from a variety of sources and resulting in a diverse menu of carbon prices. And while the country's recent record on cutting carbon emissions seems impressive at first glance, much of it has been a result of the reduction in economic activity in the Great Recession.