A report called for action to promote low-carbon, resource-efficient economic development in Europe.
Source: Axel Volkery, Sirini Withana, David Baldock, Doreen Fedrigo-Fazio, Patrick ten Brink, Raphael Sauter, and Peter Hjerp, Running out of Time: Stepping up action for Europe's environment, Institute for European Environmental Policy
Links: Report | IEEP press release
Date: 2012-Dec
A chapter in the 2012 British Social Attitudes Survey report examined public attitudes to the environment and to transport policy. Most people believed that climate change was real: but public concern about the environmental impact of climate change had declined, and people were less certain about the need for action to restrict air travel or car use.
Source: Alun Humphrey and Andrew Scott, 'How far will people go to tackle climate change?' (in Alison Park, Elizabeth Clery John Curtice, Miranda Phillips, and David Utting (eds), British Social Attitudes: The 29th Report), National Centre for Social Research
Links: Report | NatCen press release | Guardian report
Date: 2012-Sep
The Department for Energy and Climate Change published its annual report for 2011–12.
Source: Annual Report and Accounts 2011–12, HC 63, Department for Energy and Climate Change, TSO
Links: Report
Date: 2012-Jul
A study examined the extent to which social justice was considered in local adaptations to climate change. Although national and local policy and practice were beginning to recognize the importance of embedding social justice in adaptations, this was not being realized across the board. Public sector funding cuts had reduced the priority of, and resources for, local climate change responses.
Source: Rachel Brisley, Jean Welstead, Richard Hindle, and Jouni Paavola, Socially Just Adaptation to Climate Change, Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Links: Report | Summary | JRF press release
Date: 2012-Jul
A study examined the role of voluntary organizations in promoting pro-environmental behaviour change. It found evidence of success around small-scale, local initiatives: but it questioned whether these could be scaled up to reach the wider public.
Source: Milena Buchs, Rebecca Edwards, and Graham Smith, Third Sector Organisations Role in Pro-Environmental Behaviour Change: A review of the literature and evidence, Working Paper 81, Third Sector Research Centre
Links: Paper | Abstract | TSRC press release
Date: 2012-May
A report (by an official advisory body) said that local authorities had a crucial role in contributing to emissions reductions and helping the United Kingdom to meet its carbon budget targets. It recommended the introduction of a statutory duty for local authorities to develop and implement carbon plans, and that national funding to support such programmes be increased.
Source: How Local Authorities Can Reduce Emissions and Manage Climate Risk, Committee on Climate Change
Links: Report | CCC press release | Friends of the Earth press release | LGA press release | BBC report | Inside Housing report
Date: 2012-May
A think-tank pamphlet examined how a public instinct for fairness could be harnessed in order to tackle the challenge of climate change. People were prepared to act to change their behaviour and consume more sustainably: but this was dependent on the co-operation of others. The public might not like the idea of having to make lifestyle changes: but they were prepared to do so once they understand the broader social issues at stake. Politicians needed to recognize this and set a credible policy framework that could foster a shared sense of environmental citizenship, rather than attempting to sell polices by appealing to consumer self-interest.
Source: Tom Crompton, Lord Deben, Huw Irranca-Davies, Caroline Lucas, Ben Page, and Baroness Worthington, The Fairness Instinct: How we can harness public opinion to save the environment, Fabian Society
Date: 2012-Apr
A report said that although public support for action on climate change had declined to some extent, it remained strong, and economic constraints had made saving energy and cutting waste more normal and important. Most people wanted their lifestyles to be both 'green' and affordable: the challenge for government was to devise policies that made this possible.
Source: SylviaRowley (with Faye Scott), What People Really Think About the Environment: An analysis of public opinion, Green Alliance
Links: Report | Guardian report
Date: 2012-Apr
A report examined the distributional implications of policies designed to 'decarbonize' the economy. Many such policies were highly regressive, notably those where energy companies were obliged by government to improve energy efficiency and increase renewable energy, the costs to be met by increasing energy prices. Energy made up a far higher share of spending in lower-income households, making such cost increases regressive. It was impossible to fully recompense lower-income households (via social benefits, tax allowances, and credits) because of the heterogeneity of their circumstances and their dwellings. One solution might be to introduce a special low-income price index and 'social' energy tariffs that charged less for the first blocks of energy use.
Source: Ian Gough, Climate Change, Double Injustice and Social Policy: A case study of the United Kingdom, United Nations Research Institute for Social Development
Date: 2012-Apr
A report examined whether giving everyone an equal say in decisions was the fairest way to devise policies on climate change, or if power should be distributed according to how much (or little) individuals and groups would be affected by the policies concerned. It said that fairer decision-making was needed to achieve social justice and to protect the interests of the poorest people.
Source: Derek Bell and Frances Rowe, Are Climate Policies Fairly Made?, Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Links: Report
Date: 2012-Mar
A think-tank briefing called for swift action to establish the green investment bank promised by the coalition government, and an ambitious change of scope in its operations.
Source: Gerald Holtham, The Green Investment Bank: Do It Now, Make It Big, Institute for Public Policy Research
Links: Briefing
Date: 2012-Feb
A report examined how the objective of a resource-efficient, low-carbon economy in Europe was to be reached, and how the transition should be managed. It warned against the option of attaining a low-carbon economy through 'deindustrialization': that would prevent Europe from preserving its competitiveness and knowledge base, which were also essential for exploiting the potential of the emerging eco-industry.
Source: Bela Galgoczi (ed.), Greening Industries and Creating Jobs, European Trade Union Confederation
Links: Summary | EC press release
Date: 2012-Feb
The government responded to a report by a committee of MPs on environmental taxes.
Source: Budget 2011 and Environmental Taxes: Government Response to the Committee's Sixth Report, Sixth Special Report (Session 2010-12), HC 1527, House of Commons Environmental Audit Select Committee, TSO
Links: Response | Guardian report
Notes: MPs report (July 2011)
Date: 2012-Feb
A paper examined how the longstanding tradition of social justice and the more recent trend of environmental (or ecological) justice overlapped, and how they could be reconciled in an all-encompassing notion. It discussed the need for such a new concept in the light of the contemporary challenges of climate change and economic globalization, focusing on the concept's added value compared with the already existing notion of 'sustainable development'.
Source: Antoine Duval and Marie-Ange Moreau (eds.), Towards Social Environmental Justice?, EUI Working Paper LAW 2012/02, European University Institute (Florence)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Jan
The government published the first assessment of the future risks posed by climate change. Flooding, heatwaves, and water shortages could become more likely, although there might also be fewer cold-related deaths in winter.
Source: UK Climate Change Risk Assessment: Government Report, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, TSO
Links: Report | DEFRA press release | CBI press release | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2012-Jan
A think-tank report said that the European Union's Emissions Trading System (designed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions) was failing in its objectives: it provided only marginal emissions reductions, at a high cost to businesses and consumers. The ETS pushed up energy bills, increasing fuel poverty, while power companies made billions in windfall profits.
Source: David Merlin-Jones, CO2.1: Beyond the EU's Emissions Trading System, Civitas
Links: Summary | Civitas press release
Date: 2012-Jan