1 Climate change policy and legislation
1.1 Stern review on the economics of climate change
The United Kingdom (UK) government has recognised that urgent action is required to address the causes and consequences of climate change. It commissioned the Stern Review in 2006, which set out the economic case for action on climate change, and concluded that the cost of inaction would be far greater than tackling this issue immediately. The review also highlighted that the costs of tackling climate change are lowest in the context of multilateral action.
Subsequently, in October 2006 (and with the help of the ‘Big Ask’ campaign) the government announced its intention to publish legislation on climate change, and a draft Climate Change Bill was published for public consultation in March 2007. The revised Bill was introduced into the House of Lords in November 2007, after taking into account findings from the parliamentary scrutiny and public consultation processes.
Learning outcomes