The Institute of Public Policy Research (IPPR) think tank has reported on the conclusions of the Citizen’s Juries set up by the IPPR to discuss climate change policy, which took place in the Tees Valley, S Wales, Thurrock and Aberdeen. The take home message was that the cost of climate change must not fall on low and middle-income households. Luke Murphy, the head of the IPPR Environmental Justice commission, says the reaction of jurors shows that the public are prepared to support bold policies, but that they must be “fair and ensure the benefits and opportunities of the transition are shared by all”. The Juries also insist that policies must not be imposed by Westminster but decided locally to suit local conditions.
CCL UK supports the conclusion of the Citizen’s Juries that the cost of combating climate change must not fall most on the shoulders of those least able to pay. We believe that the fairest way to the achieve the necessary transition away from fossil fuels is through the carbon pricing policy of Climate Income (aka Carbon fee and dividend). In the words of Jonathon Porritt:
“We face two interlocking crises today: accelerating climate change and worsening social injustice. The only measure that addresses both simultaneously is a Carbon Tax Dividend: a fee levied on all fossil fuels, with most or all of the proceeds distributed as a dividend to all citizens on a strict per capita basis. In my view, this is a precondition of achieving any kind of just transition.”
Further information on the probable financial effects of Climate Income on UK households can be found in reports by The Grantham Institute on our Information for policy makers page.