Written question asked by Lord Whitehead (Labour) on Monday, 3 March 2008, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 6 March 2008. It was answered by Angela Eagle (Labour) on Thursday, 6 March 2008 on behalf of the Treasury.

Climate Change

Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the effects on the economy of climate change.

Answer: The Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change assessed a wide range of evidence on the impacts of climate change and the economic costs, and concluded that the benefits of strong and early action far outweigh the economic costs of inaction. The Government are committed to creating the conditions necessary for cost-effective emissions reductions in the UK, and encouraging multi-lateral effort and international trading to reduce the costs to the UK and the world.

Secondary information