My assumption is that the govt is watering down their net zero commitments because they want to make it harder for Labour to demonstrate economic credibility in the election campaign. It will be to generate cost and tax stories. BUT (1/4)
There's a huge cost to this outside specifics on support for net zero (which leavers share!) - namely it is yet another thing the Tories have abandoned. Outside schools, and maybe employment, what consistent good story could you tell about about the Conservatives? (2/4)
Nov 9, 2022 • 6 tweets • 2 min read
I'm immensely proud of this report that Daisy, Nick Park and others in the team put together, which was brilliantly covered in the @Telegraph today. I thoroughly recommend looking at the stats in Daisy's thread, but a few extra thoughts from me (1/6)
I wanted to do this report because I worry that the UK is very good at saying 'we must prevent the next crisis' and then doing nothing (or not much) about it. We need to make sure that our energy - on which we all rely - is more secure and doesn't spike like this again (2/6)
Oct 10, 2022 • 4 tweets • 1 min read
If I were Starmer, I think I’d launch my own energy saving campaign.
I’d ask other prominent voices (Martin Lewis?) to collaborate.
I’d focus on things people are less likely to know, like flow temp on boiler, or the relative energy use of boilers vs lights.(1/3)
I’d say I know some of this might seem obvious, but if everyone does it, it will make a huge difference.
I’d say the risk is without advice, more people will do things that damage their health. (2/3)
Apr 29, 2021 • 5 tweets • 2 min read
Delighted that Public First’s paper on energy bill reform is published today. If the government is serious about ‘decarbonising heat’ it needs to sort the incentives so that it's not much more expensive for a household to run net-zero heating publicfirst.co.uk/wp-content/upl…
We modelled 4 scenarios and found moving 'policy costs' onto general taxation and then a carbon price across gas and electricity does the best in terms of not increasing bills; not costing govt lots of extra money; and giving the best incentives for decarbonised heat.
Mar 2, 2021 • 7 tweets • 2 min read
Yet another thread on budget (sorry). TLDR: people think taxes will go up, should but not immediately, and like windfall and carbon taxes best (but with big caveats..). Polling pre media frenzy.
1. People think taxes will go up to pay for the pandemic, but they’re not expecting them to go up this year.
Jun 29, 2020 • 7 tweets • 2 min read
A report I wrote (as secretariat) on carbon pricing is out today. A few thoughts from me: 1. "of course carbon taxes are the right idea in principle, but they are politically hard" is the view of many I have spoken to. This report is based on public opinion/consent
2. What is that opinion? First, people still care about the environment a lot. They are even willing to see a somewhat slower recovery if it's environmentally friendly (though they still don't know what net zero is or what it will mean.)
