IEA Featured Energy and Environment

Knee-jerk policy making is leading to worse environmental outcomes, says Emma Revell, IEA Communications Manager. Writing in Spiked!, Emma highlights the example of McDonalds who responded to public opinion on single-use plastics by replacing the 1/8 million straws used in their restaurants daily with paper alternatives, only to later admit it had replaced 100% recyclable ... Continue reading

There is a long tradition on the negative consequences of a large population, emphasised especially in the works of Thomas Malthus. What he did not anticipate however, is the power of "human ingenuity". "Those linking population growth to climate change today are making much the same mistakes", writes Julian Jessop - an Economics Fellow at ... Continue reading

IEA Head of Lifestyle Economics Chris Snowdon has been quoted in an article by The Sun. “The TUC call a 30-minute workday solidarity stoppage to coincide with the global school student strike on 20 September.” Chris has said that “if we are to reduce carbon emissions we need serious policies, not empty gestures.” Another source has ... Continue reading

Politicians have nodded through a new law committing the UK to net zero carbon emissions by 2050 with zero scrutiny and zero mandate, argues Darren Grimes, Digital Manager at the Institute of Economic Affairs. Writing for Spiked!, Darren argues the policy would impose huge costs on the poorest households and have a detrimental impact on ... Continue reading

New advice from NICE on avoiding air pollution was branded "confusing and overwhelming" by Christopher Snowdon, Head of Lifestyle Economics at the Institute of Economic Affairs. The new advice includes recommendations such as opening windows when cooking and never drying clothes indoors to avoid indoor air pollution but Chris said "the risks of these are ... Continue reading

Legislating for a climate change target which is not possible now and may not be possible in future is "fatuous at best and irresponsible at worst", writes Christopher Snowdon in The Telegraph. Chris, Head of Lifestyle Economics at the Institute of Economic Affairs, criticising the House of Commons for passing - without a vote - ... Continue reading

John McDonnell announced yesterday that Labour would give the Bank of England the power to remove companies from the London Stock Exchange if they do not tackle climate change and invest in policies which "kill the planet". Mark Littlewood, Director-General of the Institute of Economic Affairs, is quoted in the Daily Mail opposing the plans, ... Continue reading

As Philip Hammond highlights the economic impact of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050, Mark Littlewood, the IEA's Director-General, spoke to BBC Radio 4's Today programme about the trade offs which need to be made when protecting the environment. Mark argues that the costs will be "colossal" and that we need accept that, in tackling ... Continue reading

Privatisation of energy markets is a great success story, says Professor Philip Booth, Senior Academic Fellow at the Institute of Economic Affairs, writing in The Telegraph. Philip argues that although support for nationalisation has become widespread, Britain actually has "an efficient industry and a vibrant market" which providers opportunities for customers to switch to cheaper ... Continue reading

Emma Revell, Communications Manager at the Institute of Economic Affairs has written in City AM on whether the government is right to ban plastic straws. In the article Emma argues that the government should resist the urge to ban things – a slippery slope that will only end with more things being unnecessarily banned – ... Continue reading