Countries with stricter and better-targeted climate policies cut carbon emissions faster, according to research from UK and EU academics.
The study, co-led by researchers from Cardiff University, draws on the most comprehensive climate policy dataset ever assembled, using more 3,900 policies adopted since 2000 in 43 leading economies responsible for well over three quarters of global emissions.
The findings show:
- Climate policy works: countries with more stringent climate policies decarbonise their economies faster.
- Targeting policies matters: policies aimed at the most polluting sectors - like energy, industry and transport - deliver the biggest impact.
- Climate targets strengthen policy impact: countries with long-term, legally anchored climate goals and dedicated ministries to help stay on course get more out of every policy they adopt.
- International cooperation helps: membership in bodies such as the International Energy Agency or Clean Energy Ministerial boosts policy effectiveness.
By comparing the world today with a scenario in which no climate policies existed, the authors find that more than three billion tonnes of CO₂ were avoided in 2022 alone - roughly equal to the EU's annual emissions.
Co-lead author Dr Theo Arvanitopoulos, based at Cardiff Business School and LSE said: "Long-term climate targets and dedicated ministries aren't just paperwork; they boost the real-world impact of climate policies."
Our robust analysis of large policy portfolios shows they strengthen what governments can achieve, despite growing political debate about their effectiveness.
Professor Charlie Wilson, co-lead author, and Professor of Energy and Climate Change at the Environmental Change Institute, at the University of Oxford, added: "Climate policies are not just symbolic gestures; they are working. The countries that focus policies where emissions are highest are reaping the biggest benefits. This shows that careful design and strategic focus really matter."
The study involved researchers from institutions across the UK, Germany, Austria and Norway.
Dr Simon Bulian, Heidelberg University, the third co-lead author said: "Our study shows that economic instruments were most effective in reducing emission intensity, compared to regulatory or voluntary approaches. However, our findings also suggest a positive impact of policy traditions: countries that specialised in a particular type of instrument (economic or regulatory) were the most successful in reducing emission intensity. Economic instruments are not necessarily a one-size-fits-all solution."
Read the full study in Nature Communications: Climate policy portfolios that accelerate emission reductions
The study was a collaboration between researchers at Cardiff University, University of Oxford, University of East Anglia, London School of Economics (UK), Heidelberg University (Germany), and IIASA, the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (Austria).
