Why Brexit Matters - A Survey on the Effects of Brexit and the Paris Agreement over the UK Energy and Climate Change Strategies

Abstract

Recent updates on the United Kingdom’s strategies on climate change devoted scant attention to Brexit. Based on this, one could imagine that Brexit will have little impact on the UK’s policies for climate change mitigation. This paper presents the results of qualitative research that coupled comprehensive literature review with data collected through a survey involving 100 relevant UK and non-UK stakeholders, demonstrating the existence of deep links between Brexit and the future of UK climate strategies. Focusing on possible Brexit impacts on the UK’s programmes for mitigating emissions, as well as on its impacts on domestic low-carbon electricity production, this paper aims to raise awareness on a subject to which little attention has been paid to date. In doing so, this paper focuses on the direct impacts of Brexit, yet also identifies possible correlations with the international Paris Agreement on Climate Change. As a result, this paper shows that Brexit is creating significant risks and uncertainties, which may challenge the roots of UK efforts against climate change. Yet, we also discuss how, once linked to the Paris Agreement, Brexit may lead to unexplored but significant opportunities for the future of UK climate and energy strategies.