SLCC_13: Climate Change: National, regional and local policy

Introduction

Climate change is defining a new legislative and policy agenda for the United Kingdom (UK), the European Union (EU) and globally. While the overall direction is not yet fully defined, there is now clear national and international momentum towards substantive economic and planning intervention to control emissions of greenhouse gases and encourage the use of low carbon alternatives.

Efficient and effective policies and legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions work, in part, through changing people’s behaviour and also by raising the prices of fossil fuel energy products to encourage energy efficiency and the substitution of clean energy sources for fossil fuel. This is essential to prevent extensive environmental and economic damage from climate change. However, it will raise costs to consumers for a wide range of products and services, including petrol, electricity, food, transport, and other energy-intensive products, by-products and services with significant energy inputs. A range of countries across the world, including the UK and the United States, have introduced policies and legislation to combat climate change and the effects of greenhouse gases.

This unit considers national, regional and local policy and legislation in the UK and elsewhere.

Learning outcomes