quick links: skip to main content | main menu | section menu | home | site map

Section submenu:

Research Projects

The Low Carbon Programme

Contact Email: j.bird@ippr.org

Introduction

ippr’s Low Carbon Programme developed answers to some of the critical questions facing the UK and the international community in its efforts to prevent dangerous climate change.

The programme consisted of many projects organised under two themes: ‘Low Carbon Britain’ and ‘Low Carbon World’.

Low Carbon Britain
Low Carbon World

India dialogue

This 'Low Carbon World' project established a policy dialogue on climate change, exploring barriers to and opportunities for progress in developing a low carbon economy and adapting to climate change in India.

We made an initial visit to Delhi in March 2006 with Stephen Byers to establish links with key stakeholders and policymakers, and we have continued to engage with relevant parties in the UK. We made a return visit to India in October 2006. One output from this project will be a chapter in a cross-institute book on India to be published early in 2007.

Further Information

We are grateful for the generous support of the following organisations:
  • Ashden Trust
  • CE Electric
  • E.ON UK
  • Energy Saving Trust
  • Esmée Fairbairn Foundation
  • Pilkington Energy Efficiency Trust
  • RWE npower
  • Shell
  • WWF-UK

For further information on the Low carbon Programme contact Jenny Bird on 0207 470 6159, or email: j.bird@ippr.org.

Publications

Switched-on India: How can India address climate change and meet its energy needs?Switched-on India:
How can India address climate change and meet its energy needs?

India is a country that acutely illustrates the nature of the challenge involved in developing its economy and preventing dangerous climate change. India’s economy is growing at the rate of 9 per cent per annum, while pumping out large amounts of greenhouse gases. Yet the vast majority of the population literally live in darkness. Almost half of India’s households do not have electricity, and women and girls spend a total of 80 billion hours each year collecting firewood, a fuel that damages the lungs of 24 million adults. It will cost US$130 billion simply to ensure that all Indian households enjoy access to electricity by 2030 – a cost that would rise if this power were to come from clean fuel sources.

view publication

Warm Words II: How the climate story is evolving and the lessons we can learn for encouraging public actionWarm Words II:
How the climate story is evolving and the lessons we can learn for encouraging public action

This report maps the public discourse of climate change in the UK, especially highlighting what has changed since the work we conducted in 2006. This meant careful mapping of the dominant frames and discourses evidenced in popular print, television, radio and online national media coverage of climate change (for example, newspaper articles/columns, government publicity, influential blogs, material from non-governmental organisations [NGOs]).

view publication

Positive Energy: Harnessing people power to prevent climate changePositive Energy:
Harnessing people power to prevent climate change

Barely a week goes by without a press headline warning us of the dangers we face from climate change. Behind the stories, real people are already being hit, with climate change now killing 150,000 people a year. The technological solutions to prevent it from becoming much worse already exist. The challenge is to make the transition to them in time to avoid dangerous climate change.

view publication

Warm Words: How are we telling the climate story and can we tell it better?Warm Words:
How are we telling the climate story and can we tell it better?

This report was commissioned by the ippr as part of our project on how to stimulate climate-friendly behaviour in the UK. It analyses current UK constructions and conceptions of climate change in the public domain, using some of the tools and principles of discourse analysis and semiotics.

view publication

Tailpipe Trading How to include road transport in the EU Emissions Trading SchemeTailpipe Trading
How to include road transport in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme

This report proposes that the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) should be extended to include tailpipe emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) from road vehicles.

view publication

Meeting the Climate ChallengeMeeting the Climate Challenge

The Recommendations of the International Climate Change Taskforce.

view publication

The Burning Question Is the UK on course for a low-carbon economy?The Burning Question
Is the UK on course for a low-carbon economy?

A critical new examination of the government’s targets under the Climate Change Programme with specific policy proposals to increase energy efficiency and cut carbon emissions.

view publication