Climate stories: Why do climate scientists and sceptical voices participate in the climate debate? (Amelia Sharman, Candice Howarth, Grantham Research Institute LSE)

Public perceptions of the climate debate predominantly frame the key actors as climate scientists versus sceptical voices; however, it is unclear why climate scientists and sceptical voices choose to participate in this antagonistic and polarised public battle. A narrative interview approach is used to better understand the underlying rationales behind 22 climate scientists’ and sceptical voices’ engagement in the climate debate, potential commonalities, as well as each actor’s ability to be critically self-reflexive. Several overlapping rationales are identified including a sense of duty to publicly engage, agreement that complete certainty about the complex assemblage of climate change is unattainable and that political factors are central to the climate debate. We argue that a focus on potential overlaps in perceptions and rationales as well as the ability to be critically self-reflexive may encourage constructive discussion among actors previously engaged in purposefully antagonistic exchange on climate change.

http://www.lse.ac.uk/GranthamInstitute/publication/climate-stories-why-do-climate-scientists-and-sceptical-voices-participate-in-the-climate-debate-2/

Climate change and central banks (Nicholas Stern, Grantham Research Institute LSE)

Presentation given by Professor Lord Nicholas Stern at a Bank for International Settlements event on 29 February 2016. Prepared with Amar Bhattacharya, Brookings Institution with support from the NCE programme on financing sustainable infrastructure.

http://www.lse.ac.uk/GranthamInstitute/publication/climate-change-and-central-banks/

Clean or dirty energy: evidence of corruption in the renewable energy sector (Caterina Gennaioli, Massimo Tavoni, Grantham Research Institute LSE)

This paper studies the link between public policy and corruption for the case of wind energy. We show that publicly subsidized renewable energy can attract criminal appetites and favor the formation of criminal associations between entrepreneurs and politicians able to influence the licensing process. The insights of a simple model of political influence by interest groups are tested empirically using Italian data for the period 1990-2007. Using a difference in difference approach we quantify the impact of a Green Certificate policy aimed at supporting renewables, and find robust evidence that criminal association activity increased more in windy provinces after the introduction of the generous policy regime. The magnitude of the effect is large: the construction of an average wind park is associated with an increase of criminal association activity of 6% in the treatment compared to the control group. Our findings show that in the presence of poor institutions, even well designed market-based policies can have an adverse impact. The analysis is relevant for countries which are generally characterized by heavy bureacracies, weak institutions and by large renewable potential.

http://www.lse.ac.uk/GranthamInstitute/publication/clean-or-dirty-energy-evidence-of-corruption-in-the-renewable-energy-sector/

China’s changing economy: implications for its carbon dioxide emissions (Fergus Green, Nicholas Stern, Grantham Research Institute LSE)

China is undergoing another major structural transformation. It is moving towards a new development model, focused on achieving better quality growth that is more sustainable and inclusive.

It is now clear that the rapid rate of growth in the first part of the century (2000–2013) represents a distinct and exceptional phase in China’s developmental history. During this old growth model, very high levels of greenhouse gases emitted were linked closely with the energy-intensive, heavy industry-based growth model pursued at that time.

As China’s government finalises the country’s 13th Five Year Plan for economic development (2016–2020), this article takes stock of recent changes in China’s economy and energy system since the turn of the century, and looks ahead to the likely trajectory of China’s emissions over the next decade.

http://www.lse.ac.uk/GranthamInstitute/publication/chinas-changing-economy/