Skewed perceptions in climate policy

The benefits of strict climate policies are often underestimated in public debate, while the costs are generally overestimated, says Lucas Bretschger. Climate protection does not have a negative impact on economic development. Climate policies will permanently affect the structures of our economies. Fossil-intensive companies and households will be required to adapt, and this will entail certain costs. The public debate is dominated by the view that consistent climate policies are "extremely expensive". However, this is a distorted perception. As I explained in a recent article in the journal Ecological Economics , the costs are generally overestimated.¹ In any case, an excessively narrow view of the cost argument does not help the issue.