Lecture by Dr. Benny Peiser held by Zoom on Wednesday, January 29, 2025
In this, his farewell lecture as GWPF Director, Dr Peiser argues that for the first time since the launch of the GWPF 15 years ago, climate consensus is breaking down. For too long, climate science and climate policy have been dominated by dogmatism, censorship and eco-socialist control. The main reason for the deepening crisis of unilateral climate policy is the rising cost and financial burden of utopian targets that have led to voter rebellion. Most political leaders who have been driving the radical climate policy agenda (e.g. Ardern, Sturgeon, Rutte, Scholz, Macron, Biden, Trudeau, etc.) have lost power in recent months. The rise of climate-skeptical parties and growing public opposition to costly Net Zero plans has resulted in a marked change of rhetoric, soft-paddling and a change of political priorities. Newly elected leaders are struggling to get their governments off legally binding targets and the Net Zero agenda. Dr Peiser addresses the new political landscape, the legal shackles and political constraints for radical policy reforms, and suggests possible exit strategies for eager governments from self-destructive Net Zero targets.
Dr. Benny Peiser is Director of the UK-based Global arming Policy Foundation (GWPF), launched by Lord Lawson and Dr Peiser in2009. The GWPF is a world-leading non-partisan think-tank, focusing on climate and energy policy. It is deeply concerned about the negative economic and social impacts of current climate policies, which may actually be doing more harm than good, both to the world’s poorest people and to the environment. In order to make progress and advance alternative policy options, the GWPF promotes a culture of open debate, tolerance and learning.