Publications
All Policy Exchange publications are free to download in .pdf format. You can also purchase hard copies of the majority of our reports – check each individual report page for details.
Environment & Energy Publications
If the Cap Fits: Reform of European Climate Policy and the EU Emissions Trading Scheme
Simon Moore and Guy NeweyIf the Cap Fits says that the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) is currently too weak, which could lead to a surge in new coal generation. It will also fail to meet the European Union’s own carbon reduction objectives. The paper argues that a more ambitious cap on Europe’s emissions is essential and makes recommendations for reform.
What Would a Competitive Domestic Energy Retail Market Look Like? Success metrics for retail market reform
Simon LessOn 14th February 2013, Policy Exchange held a roundtable discussion to help stimulate debate on what success for proposed new regulation of the energy retail market would look like and how it could be measured. This publication is a summary of the remarks made at that event.
Smarter, Greener, Cheaper: Joining up domestic energy efficiency policy
Guy Newey and Simon MooreHouseholds could reduce their gas and electricity bills by as much as £70 a year if they were allowed to compare each other’s energy bills. Smarter, Greener, Cheaper, shows there is evidence both internationally and in the UK that households cut the amount of energy they use when their energy use is compared to that of a more energy efficient neighbour.
Something in the Air: The forgotten crisis of Britain’s poor air quality
Guy NeweySomething in the Air shows that air pollution is Britain’s invisible environmental problem. It is comparable to obesity and alcohol and second only to smoking as a public health problem, but gets far less attention. Yet some government policies, such as encouraging diesel vehicles in cities, are making the problem even worse.
Fuelling Transition: Prioritising resources for carbon emissions reduction
Simon Less and Guy NeweyFuelling Transition says the electricity market needs to be allowed to invest in gas as a transition fuel, subject to a long-term EU emissions cap. Extending the EU cap to 2035 would give greater certainty to investors, allowing the market to decide which technology has the most potential to deliver emission reductions at the cheapest cost.
Nurturing Nature: Policy to protect and improve biodiversity
Simon LessThe planning system is failing to protect some of England’s most threatened wildlife and important habitats. Nurturing Nature finds that mechanisms designed to protect England’s natural environment and compensate for any damage to it are haphazardly applied and woefully monitored.
Gas Works? Shale gas and its policy implications
Simon Moore and Simon LessGas Works? says that the government is “unnecessarily gambling with billpayers’ money”. It says that the UK’s energy generation plans are based on forecasting future gas prices which is a flawed strategy, potentially resulting in the UK missing out on the potential economic and environmental benefits of shale gas.
The Full Cost to Households of Renewable Energy Policies
Simon LessThis report accuses the Government of not clearly presenting the full impacts and costs of climate and renewable energy policies on households, and outlines how the UK could meet its carbon targets while saving households hundreds of pounds.
Greening the economy – not ‘green economy’
Simon LessThe current policy of subsidising select UK ‘green’ industries is based not on the subsidies for such selected sectors being the best way to reduce carbon emissions, but that a principal objective of these public subsidies is to promote UK growth, exports and employment. This is a big gamble, with renewables policies costing tens of billions of pounds more than necessary to meet 2020 carbon reduction targets.
Boosting Energy IQ: UK energy efficiency policy for the workplace
Guy NeweyBased on interviews with 22 energy experts and analysis of current policy, Boosting Energy IQ finds the UK’s overlapping climate policies are unnecessarily complex. Moreover, they have created multiple carbon prices across the non-domestic sector. This risks making overall carbon reductions more expensive.
