We need to do less about climate change then

A survey has been done. No, really, a survey!

Politicians and policymakers significantly underestimate the public’s willingness to contribute to climate action, limiting the ambition and scope of green policies, according to research.

Delegates at the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) were asked to estimate what percentage of the global population would say they were willing to give 1% of their income to help fix climate change. The average estimate was 37%, but recent research found the true figure is 69%.

That proper survey is here. At which point we - of course - run into the difference between expressed preferences and revealed. People will tell those with a clipboard all sorts of things but it’s only by watching what they actually do that we can grasp true beliefs.

Given the complaining people do about energy bills in the UK we tend to think that 1% might not be quite what people are willing to spend.

Or, we can go one level deeper which is where we would indeed go. 1% of UK median household income is about £360 a year. British households are already paying more than that for the varied mad plans. Add in not just the levies on household energy bills but the vast costs to the National Grid, the paucity of work given Europe’s highest industrial energy costs and on. Then of course there’re all those costs of recycling, of tram building, the switch to EVs and on and again on. These all cost the average British household more than £360 a year, by some multiple is our assertion.

So, if we take that survey seriously then we’re doing too much about climate change, spending too much and well above what people are willing to be paying.

So, well done to the researchers - Britain should be doing less about climate change.

Or, of course, we could just not take this survey seriously. But it is one or the other. Either the survey’s good and we should do less or it’s not good and fie w’it.

Tim Worstall