Climate Change 15 results

Growth and climate | French Ministry of Economy and Finance conference with Tim Jackson

The French Ministry of Economy and Finance hosted a conference on 5 December to discuss the trade-offs between emission reduction policies and economic prosperity. Hosted by Minister Bruno Le Maire, speakers of the day included CUSP director Tim Jackson, Sandrine Dixson-Declève, Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas, and Bill Gates.

Mum, Will the Planet Die Before I Do? | Climate parenting podcast series with CUSP

In an exciting new partnership with Corner Shop Media Productions, Parents for Future UK and Zero Carbon Guildford, CUSP is co-sponsoring a new weekly podcast series hosted by seasoned journalists Babita Sharma and Katy Glassborow. Mum, Will the Planet Die Before I Do? explores our role as parents and carers in tackling the climate crisis.

Why UK’s ‘treasured free-market economy’ will not achieve net zero

Whatever the UK government says it’s doing—and not doing—one thing is clear, Tim Jackson writes, the “treasured free-market economy” is never going to compensate for our failure to insulate people’s homes against the cold, and the future against the ravages of climate change.

Zero Carbon Sooner — Revised case for an early zero carbon target for the UK | Paper

This paper is an update of an earlier briefing note, revised to take account of new findings from the IPCC’s updated 6th Assessment Report (AR6). The broad aim of the paper is to establish how soon the UK should aim for (net) zero carbon emissions.

Biodiversity in a post-growth environment | Evidence submission to the EAC Possible Future Inquiry

In early Spring this year, written submissions were invited to aid the Committee in prioritising its future programme of work. CUSP director Tim Jackson submitted evidence, making the case for necessary innovations in governance and a realistic and responsible approach to the management of the economy: Sustainable Development Goals and the 2050 Vision for Biodiversity cannot be achieved without transformative change, the conditions for which have to be put in place now.

Video | Divestment: Economic, Historical, and Moral Perspectives

On 12 February this year, a number of student groups within Cambridge University's Christ's College hosted a panel with alumni of Christ's to share their expertise on various aspects of the divestment issue, addressing i.a. economic, historical, and moral perspectives for divestment. Chaired by Alyssa Gilbert, panellists include Tim Jackson, Fiona Harvey and Rowan Williams.

Energy and Productivity—A Review of the Literature | Paper

The UK is experiencing a period of low productivity growth. Although exacerbated by the financial crisis of 2008, the underlying trend is longer and more persistent. This report aims to expand conventional understandings of productivity by exploring the literatures which relate productivity to the availability, production and use of energy in the economy.

What progress do we want? | Tim Jackson in conversation with Anne Hidalgo, Etienne Klein and Sir Robert Watson at OECD, 22 Jan 2020

On 22 January, CUSP director Tim Jackson is joining the opening panel at the 10th ‘Parlement des Entrepreneurs d’Avenir’ at the OECD in Paris. Co-panelists include Anne Hidalgo (Mayor of Paris), Etienne Klein (Physicist and philosopher) and Sir Robert Watson (president of the IPBES). The panel is moderated by Marie-Aline Meliyi.

Unravelling the claims for (and against) green growth | Science Article by Tim Jackson and Peter Victor

It is clear that the larger the economy becomes, the more difficult it is to decouple that growth from its material impacts... This isn't to suggest that decoupling itself is either unnecessary or impossible. On the contrary, decoupling well-being from material throughput is vital if societies are to deliver a more sustainable prosperity—for people and for the planet. (This article is posted on the Science website).

Engagement in a new climate | Editorial for the Environmental Scientist

Environmental engagement is on television screens, in the streets and at your local book group; everyone's doing it. Whether you're engrossed in the latest nature documentary or watching the news in the evening, environmental communicators are everywhere and everyone.—This edition of Environmental Scientist focuses on the new radicalism in environmental engagement; with an Editorial by Tim Jackson.

HM Treasury’s Decarbonisation of the UK Economy and Green Finance Inquiry | Evidence Submission

Earlier in 2019, the UK Treasury Select Committee launched an inquiry into the decarbonisation of the UK economy and green finance, set out to scrutinise the role of the Treasury department, regulators and financial services firms in supporting the UK Government’s climate change commitments. Drawing on recent CUSP reports, Tim Jackson submitted evidence.

2050 is too late—we must drastically cut emissions much sooner

At current rates of reduction, the UK fair carbon budget will be spent in just four years' time, Tim Jackson writes in his blog for The Conversation. "Every year that progress is delayed, the challenge only gets bigger", he argues, we don't only need a credible strategy on zero carbon targets, but also emission pathways, with a defined level of negative emission technologies.

“All Models are Wrong”—The challenge of modelling ‘deep decarbonisation | Paper

This briefing paper summarises the dilemma associated with using mainstream, macroeconomic models to guide disruptive, transformative change such as those that might occur under ‘deep decarbonisation’: a rapid transition to a net-zero carbon economy. Some form of macro-economic modelling framework is essential to enable policy-makers to exercise short- and long-term fiscal responsibility. Incremental models based on historical behaviour, however, are a poor guide to outcomes under circumstances of disruptive change.

Zero Carbon Sooner —The case for an early zero carbon target for the UK | Paper

This briefing paper addresses the question of when the UK should aim for zero (or net zero) carbon emissions. Tim Jackson is making the case for a (fair) zero carbon target of 2030, and calling for a policy strategy on emission pathways, with a defined level of negative emission technologies.

A shift in temperature—the financial challenge of a zero carbon economy | Blog by Tim Jackson and Andrew Jackson

Climate emergency demands a wholescale shift away from fossil fuels. Tim Jackson and Andrew Jackson reflect here on the emerging concept of 'transition risk', a key element in the Bank of England's response to climate change, and outline the challenges inherent in understanding and modelling it.