Climate policy

Climate policy or climate change policy is policy about climate change. It is often decided by national governments - for example the climate policy of China. It may include policy on reducing greenhouse gas emissions to limit climate change, and also adapting to climate change. Or not.^[1] National climate policy sometimes conflicts with sub-national or bloc policy, for example the climate change policy of Washington (state) diverges from the climate change policy of the United States,^[2] and EU climate policy can conflict with other national policies.^[3]

Climate policies may have very big co-benefits for health policy such as by: reducing air pollution, increasing walking and cycling, and eating less beef; they may also help energy policy by reducing oil imports.^[4] Public support for policies depends on: how effective people think they are in reducing emissions, their impact on poor people, their effect on respondents’ households, and how well they understand them.^[5] Climate-economy modelling may help when deciding policy.^[6] Policy, such as target dates for net-zero emissions, may be put into law.^[7] Tax is usually a good policy.^[8]