Debating the “climate revolution” on Sky TV

I appeared on Sky News again this morning debating Ashok Sinha of Stop Climate Chaos. The subject of the debate was the announcement by David Miliband, the environment secretary, of a “climate revolution”. At the time of broadcast it was not clear what this would involve but it seems certain to be centred on the government’s favoured approaches of rationing and behaviour modification. Evidently he also wants to reward companies for energy efficiency rather than energy production.

I made the point that a strategy based on rationing was undesirable and unviable. Over time we will inevitably use more energy even if we become more energy efficient. The challenge is to make society richer so that it is better able to deal with climate change and other problems it faces.