I was lucky enough to see Dieter Helm present earlier this year. The Oxford professor in economics (and adviser to the UK government) makes a compelling case for how to manage climate change. He is a pragmatist but urges a case for practical action and is a sceptic of talking shops such as COP. Policy pledges to net zero often just shift the problem from one country to another (and have the negative additional consequence of increasing emissions via higher shipping input costs). Although some of his proposals are ambitious — keeping a ‘carbon diary’ on an individual basis seems challenging — Helm is right that change has to begin somewhere. Incrementalism and collective effort can make a difference. His range of solutions suggest a strong set of changed behaviours on the demand side (reduced consumption of carbon-intensive products), complemented by supply-side initiatives. Carbon capture and sequestration is undoubtedly a topic that needs addressing further.
By Dieter Helm