Voters are rejecting climate policy as too costly with negligible results

Intelligence Squared US debate series: Tuesday, January 13, 2009 Major reductions in carbon emissions are not worth the money Moderator: John Donvan Speaking for the motion: Bjorn Lomborg, Philip Stott and Peter Huber Speaking against the motion: L. Hunter Lovins, Oliver Tickell and Adam Werbach THIS EVENT WILL BE RECORDED FOR BBC WORLD NEWS. Panelists for the motion Bjorn Lomborg is the author of the bestsellers Cool It and The Skeptical Environmentalist.

Our current climate conversation embodies two blatantly contradictory claims. On one side, experts warn that promised climate policies will be economically crippling. In a new report, the International Energy Agency (IEA) states that achieving net-zero in 2050 will likely be “the greatest challenge humankind has ever faced.” That is a high bar, surpassing the Second World War, the black plague and COVID.

Discussions about development spending and reducing Bangladesh's climate vulnerability are often dominated—understandably—by politicians and donors. These are the decision-makers who affect how funds are spent.