Thomas Hale
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thomasnhale.bsky.social
Thomas Hale
@thomasnhale.bsky.social

Professor and Director, Master of Public Policy, @BlavatnikSchool
@StAntsCollege @UniofOxford

How can we solve global problems effectively & fairly?

https://www.bsg.ox.ac.uk/people/thomas-hale

Economics 31%
Political science 18%

Reposted by Thomas Hale

Human health benefits are by far the largest benefit from most environmental regulations.

By not monetizing these benefits moving forward, the Trump EPA is essentially saying there are no human health benefits to reducing air/toxic/climate pollution, improving drinking water quality, etc. 1/
E.P.A. to Stop Considering Lives Saved When Setting Rules on Air Pollution
www.nytimes.com

As we look at future climate cooperation issues (e.g removals, geo-engineering, climate refugees, liability, managing the new electro-economy), etc. this fragmentation will undermine effectiveness.

Without the US, the world's largest economy and largest cumulative emitter, at the table, the UNFCCC's centrality as a 'focal institution' in the broader climate regime will be reduced. That hits at its core function: goal-setting, norm-setting, defining the problem.

It will be much harder for the United States to rejoin the UNFCCC under a new administration than the Paris Agreement, as the former requires action by Congress. That will require a significant shift in US domestic politics.

The immediate effect of the US withdrawing from the UNFCCC is relatively small because the Trump Administration had already stopped US mitigation and adaptation efforts and financial support, and was not engaging diplomatically. But the medium-term effects are more damaging for the US and the world.
1. Look, there are basically just two ways to run the global oil market: petro-imperialism and petro-consumerism. Historically USA has embraced both, varying over time. The attack on #Venezuela is a return to naked petro-imperialism. Thread.

Reposted by Thomas Hale

On the third day of christmas, our podcast gave to me: long-term questions shaping democracy’s future with @thomasnhale.bsky.social @blavatnikschool.bsky.social

Reposted by Thomas Hale

Lol, Zillow tried to rate the climate risks facing individual properties. The real estate industry *hated* it, precisely because it worked -- it made selling risky properties more difficult. So they rebelled & Zillow caved.

Don't look up!
Zillow Removes Climate Risk Scores From Home Listings
www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Thomas Hale

Researchers from across Oxford University were on the ground at #COP30 in Belém, taking part in side events, presenting new research, and working with partners to support the negotiations and inform the wider political process.

Read on for perspectives from Oxford experts ⬇️
Expert Comment: Reflections on COP30 in Belém | University of Oxford
Researchers from across the University of Oxford were on the ground at COP30 in Belém, taking part in side events, presenting new research, and working with partners to support the negotiations and
www.ox.ac.uk
Final document for #COP30 just dropped and here are some hot takes

1/ No decisive language about FF phaseouts. This is a HUGE loss. The consolation prize is a political process toward phaseouts outside the official decisionmaking of the #ParisAgreement
unfccc.int

Reposted by Thomas Hale

🌍 Children are on the front line of the climate crisis – facing heat, hunger and disrupted education.

Omnia El Omrani, MPP 2024, shares how the Children and Climate Initiative put children at the heart of the Belém Health Action Plan at #COP30.👇
https://ow.ly/Siom50XqrNB

Important to remember: scenarios are tools for asking "what if" questions, so implications of different assumptions/choices can be explored. They are not predictions. Dave unpacks some of the key (and in my view unrealistic) assumptions in the IEA's headline-grabbing new "current policies" scenario.
🤡OIL DEMAND WILL KEEP RISING🤡

What are the IEA assumptions that make rising oil demand so improbable?
🤡OIL DEMAND WILL KEEP RISING🤡

What are the IEA assumptions that make rising oil demand so improbable?
Much more detail in the report: bsg.ox.ac.uk/news/climate...

And huge thanks for all the collaborators and supporters who made it possible, especially lead authors
@emmalecavalier.bsky.social and Bhavya Gupta, and all the hundreds of lawyers from the law firm network who did the heavy lifting
Climate policy strengthens globally, despite unprecedented contestation in the US and Europe
As countries meet at COP30 in the Amazon, a new survey of climate-related laws and regulations finds new and strengthened climate policies across the world, especially in Asia and emerging markets. Ov...
bsg.ox.ac.uk

🏃We need to go faster🏃‍♀️
Yes, policy is increasing in quality and quantity. But we are still far off. The plot below show the change in ambition, stringency, implementation, and comprehensiveness since 2020. The further out, the better. We are inching up, but need to speed up.

Reposted by Yadvinder Malhi

🌏 The engine of climate policy is shifting east and south 🌍
Three-quarters of policies in the last year were adopted outside of North America and Europe. Moreover, in some policy domains the average level of ambition in Africa, Latin America, and Asia is HIGHER.

Reposted by Stacy D. VanDeveer

📈 Climate policy is growing and getting stronger📈
New rules continue to be added at a fast pace. More importantly, our detailed assessment allows us to measure their quality. Ambition has risen significantly since 2020, and a bit less (but still some) since 2024.
The dominant narrative is that the world is rolling back climate policy. But what does the data say?

The latest Oxford Climate Policy Monitor Annual Review from the Oxford Climate Policy Hub tells three key stories.
bsg.ox.ac.uk/news/climate...

Join us tomorrow in Sao Paulo!
Is the world retreating from climate action? We need to look at evidence to separate trends from vibes. Next week we drop a detailed look at what countries are doing. The results might surprise you.
Join us in Sao Paulo: luma.com/gzbzi7s7

Is the world retreating from climate action? We need to look at evidence to separate trends from vibes. Next week we drop a detailed look at what countries are doing. The results might surprise you.
Join us in Sao Paulo: luma.com/gzbzi7s7

Reposted by Thomas Hale

🌟 Volunteer Spotlight: Bright Mbuya 🌟

Bright has been a volunteer with the Net Zero Tracker since 2023, and is one of our longest-serving team members – with over 68 entities tracked so far!

Thank you, Bright, for your dedication and for being such a reliable member of the NZT community.

Reposted by Thomas Hale

"A world where China makes and sells everything is not a stable solution – we need every country to have a piece of this growing green economy."

Prof Thomas Hale discusses global approaches to climate change in #TimesofIndia 👇
https://ow.ly/BMZi50X3th7
'The energy transition has gone beyond one person in the White House — India’s a leader' - The Times of India
World News: Thomas Hale is Professor in Public Policy at Oxford University’s Blavatnik School of Government. Speaking with Srijana Mitra Das at Times Evoke, Hale .
ow.ly

Reposted by Thomas Hale

"Net zero is less a political battleground and more a race to secure future markets, investment and jobs."

Prof Thomas Hale is quoted in the Independent as UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces calls to hold firm on green policies.👇
https://ow.ly/sGJ650X2QIe
Government urged to push ahead with climate plans amid growing net zero pushback
Sir Keir Starmer is facing calls to hold firm on Labour’s green policies amid increasing political pressure at home and a fraying consensus globally.
ow.ly

Reposted by Thomas Hale

Reposted by Thomas Hale

🌍 Global net zero commitments continue to grow — despite the US federal government rolling back its target.

The 2025 Stocktake from @netzerotracker.bsky.social shows US corporate pledges rose 9% in the past year, now covering $12 trillion in revenue.

Read more 👇
Global net zero commitments rise, even as US federal government retreats
Despite the federal US retreat, the global ambition to slash emissions and reach net zero remains intact, with commitments from cities, regions and companies rising steadily.
www.bsg.ox.ac.uk

With all the noise on climate @netzerotracker.bsky.social's Stock Take is the signal.

The finding that sticks in my head:

🇺🇸US corporate net zero targets grew 9% over last 12 months, 279 ➡️ 304

Yes, some are blowing with the political wind. But more are stepping up.
zerotracker.net/analysis/net...

Reposted by Thomas Hale

hey #polisci, if you're at #APSA2025, set the alarm, grab coffee & come hear about my new book Existential Politics w/ @profkharrison.bsky.social @thomasnhale.bsky.social ale.bsky.social @bentleyallan.bsky.social allan.bsky.social @agazmararian.bsky.social rarian.bsky.social & Michael Ross. Deets 👇

Deeply grateful to all the contributors, challengers, and critics who helped Long Problems come into being, in particular Bob Keohane, David Victor, Steven Bernstein, and Jonathan Boston, as well as the team at
@princetonupress.bsky.social and the workshops hosted by
@casbsstanford.bsky.social 🙏

If you're at @apsa.bsky.social this week, come to this discussion on "Long Problems and Political Science" Fri (Sep 12th) 8am VCC East 18 w/
@ofioretos.bsky.social David Victor @leahstokes.bsky.social
@greenprofgreen.bsky.social @helenebenveniste.bsky.social @agazmararian.bsky.social #APSA2025