Eamonn Ives
CapX
United Kingdom
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Past articles by Eamonn:
Why the Government would be wrong to launch a risky bet on biomass
With the Spring Budget just around the corner, it’s no surprise that Westminster’s legion of lobbyists are intensifying their efforts to influence tax and spending decisions one way or another. Given how far it has rocketed up the political agenda, energy policy is an area where campaigning activity has been especially frenzied. The recent establishment […] → Read More
This small tweak can power up the UK's solar industry
Not long ago, I wrote on these pages about heat pumps. the miraculous contraptions with which Britain will decarbonise domestic heating. Yet while it’s true they will help in driving down emissions – being far, far less polluting than your typical gas boiler – it would be wrong to say they are inherently climate-neutral. That’s […] → Read More
A senseless planning rule is holding back a greener Britain
The UK’s transition to net zero is already well underway, with emissions now around half what they were in 1990. The inconvenient truth, however, is that much of that progress was relatively easy. We got there, in part, by picking the lowest of the low-hanging fruit – cleaning up our electricity grid by replacing coal-fired […] → Read More
How to help Britain's entrepreneurs grow their businesses
In his first speech as Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak referred to economic growth as a ‘noble aim’ – and indeed it is. But the biggest obstacle to turning that lofty ambition into a reality is Britain’s woeful productivity rates. CapX readers will no strangers to the sorry state of UK productivity – but its familiarity […] → Read More
'Nerdy' Sunak can make Britain a science superpower
There’s a fun theory that, since at least 1963, British Prime Ministers have alternated between being ‘nerds’ and ‘jocks’. The swift replacement of Liz Truss by Rishi Sunak has, apparently, broken the chain. In the days ahead, tough decisions will need to be taken on a range of policy areas, not least the economy and […] → Read More
A revamped immigration system is vital to Truss' growth plan
While tax cuts understandably dominated the weekend’s headlines, there was much more in Kwasi Kwarteng’s Growth Plan that will be crucial if the Government is going to hits its ambitious 2.5% trend growth target. Immigration policy is one such area, with the Government rightfully stating that ‘migration, in particular skilled and high-skilled migration, plays an […] → Read More
Chris Skidmore on why the future of the planet – and of democracy – depend on decarbonisation
Cutting emissions from the economy has long been a central aim of Boris Johnson’s Government. But what started as an ambition to decarbonise for the sake of the planet has now morphed – partly, at least – into an even more urgent mission to defend democracy itself. The horrific war which Vladimir Putin is waging […] → Read More
On energy prices, there are no easy answers
With Ofgem about to announce a hike in the energy price cap, politicians, NGOs and commentators are lining up with ways to protect families who can ill afford another increase to their household bills. The trouble is, few of these policy proposals would achieve much at all, while many would be actively bad for consumers. […] → Read More
COP out – why global summits alone won't fix climate change
Has COP26 all ended in tears? In a quite literal sense, it very nearly did. When closing the conference on Saturday evening, COP president Alok Sharma struggled to contain his emotions as he spoke of the ‘deep disappointment’ at last minute changes to the wording of the Glasgow Climate Pact. Instead of a commitment to […] → Read More
If we want road pricing, let's start with HGVs
Last week, the Tony Blair Institute became the latest in a long line of think tanks to come out in favour of road pricing. In their excellent paper, authors Tim Lord and Christina Palmou note that changing how we tax motorists – by moving away from blunt instruments like Fuel Duty and Vehicle Excise Duty, and […] → Read More
Forget the Frosties tax, Dimbleby's strategy offers food for thought
Yesterday’s publication of the second instalment of the National Food Strategy was rightly met with indignation from consumer advocates, who largely took aim at its recommendation to hike the price of everyday essentials by introducing taxes on salt and sugar. A calamitous Today programme interview, in which Henry Dimbleby, the report’s author, seemed to suggest […] → Read More
Free trade can be good for the environment – here's how
Readers of this site will need no convincing of the benefits of international free trade for economic growth. In a list of reasons why global poverty rates have nosedived since the mid-twentieth century, it ranks as number one. What is less well understood, however, is the dynamic between international free trade and green objectives. Indeed, […] → Read More
What's the Government's agenda for the environment?
As the last Queen’s Speech before the UK hosts COP26, the Government was understandably determined to use it as an opportunity to burnish its green credentials. ‘Building Back Greener’ was one of five distinct ‘Building Back’ pillars, and within it were three sub-pillars – the Government’s strategy for tackling climate change, the return of the […] → Read More
Tax pollution, not passengers
If reports in the Financial Times are to be believed, Boris Johnson wants to slash Air Passenger Duty on domestic flights. This comes off the back of an interim report as part of the ‘Union Connectivity Review’, currently being undertaken by the chair of Network Rail, Sir Peter Hendy. We’re told the Prime Minister thinks […] → Read More
Bridging the gap: the urgent case for new nuclear investment
At the tail end of last year, the Government released a flurry of documents on its plans to tackle climate change. The Energy White Paper detailed how to power the Net Zero economy of the future, while the National Infrastructure Strategy fleshed out ideas to deliver the assets needed. Before that, the 10 Point Plan … → Read More
Gene editing is a truly miraculous technology
News of yet another government consultation would ordinarily provoke little more than eye-rolling. When it comes to gene editing, however, it could be the start of something truly exciting. And if, as he has hinted, the Environment Secretary does decide to adopt a more liberal regulatory regime for the UK, that would certainly be no … → Read More
The CAP is lifted - now British farming can flourish after Brexit
Amid years of bitter, divisive Brexit arguments one of the rare areas of harmony is on agricultural policy. Even the most hardened EU enthusiasts had little love for the Common Agricultural Policy, and leaving it certainly offers a golden opportunity to reform farming for the better. Farming in the EU is dominated by the CAP, … → Read More
A starter for ten - but Boris should add a carbon charge to his climate action plan
As temperatures outside begin to fall, the Prime Minister has detailed how Britain will help stop them heating up on a global scale. Yes, the long awaited ten-point climate plan is with us at long last – mapping out both policies and funding pots to limit the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions. Much of what it … → Read More
Beyond Covid, Britain must focus relentlessly on its green entrepreneurs
In a pandemic-free alternative universe, the city of Glasgow is frantically getting ready to host the COP26 climate conference. As it is, the green get-together will have to wait until next winter. When November 2021 does eventually roll around, COP26 will be a vital chance for countries to reaffirm their commitments to addressing climate change. … → Read More
Food self-sufficiency would be a disaster for Britain
Last week, the National Farmers’ Union was busy as ever, banging the drum for British agriculture. Friday 21 August marked a particularly important date in their calendar – for it was Self Sufficiency Day. This is the notional day on which the UK ceases to feed itself, and starts to rely entirely on imports to … → Read More