It's Not Tackling Climate Change That's Going to Cost an Arm and a Leg!

 

Critics of net zero policies often rail against their costs. A joint Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and UN Development Programme report, however, notes that one third of global GDP could be lost this century if the climate crisis is allowed to run unchecked. The report concludes that taking strong action to tackle climate change will increase economic growth rather than damage a country's finances. It predicts a net gain of 0.23% by 2040.  The report also notes the gain would be greater by 2050, if one adds the benefit of avoiding the devastation caused by runaway climate change. Benefits would be seen in both advanced economies and in lower income countries (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/mar/26/tackling-climate-crisis-will-increase-economic-growth-oecd-research-finds). A problem has been the seductive power of politicians who can't (or won't, because they can see votes in it) see the difference between running the economies of a country and that of a household. Add to the equation the well-financed propaganda of consortia who benefit from fossil fuels, and you have the conditions for stasis.