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Hector Pollitt

@hectorpollitt.bsky.social

47 followers 31 following 9 posts

Economist and macroeconomic modeller, working mainly on climate change. Advocate of economic pluralism. #CambridgeTradition #Complexity

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Economics 44%

Energy 29%

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Hector Pollitt @hectorpollitt.bsky.social · Aug 14

The Economist is going big on transformational scenarios at the moment. Three weeks ago it was AI, this week climate tipping points.

These are exactly the sorts of questions economists should be looking at - but often shy away from.

www.economist.com/leaders/2025...

The shutdown of ocean currents could freeze Europe

When climate change poses a strategic threat, it needs a strategic response

www.economist.com

Reposted by Hector Pollitt

Pieter Pauw @pieterpauw.bsky.social · Aug 14

We're recruiting new associate editors at @climate-policy.bsky.social . Come and join our great team and contribute to our mission to advance an effective response to climate change

climatepolicyjournal.org/2025/08/11/c...

climate policy is recruiting new associate editors

Climate Policy is a world-leading peer-reviewed academic journal, publishing high quality research and analysis on all aspects of climate policy. Climate Policy aims to make high-quality resea…

climatepolicyjournal.org

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Hector Pollitt @hectorpollitt.bsky.social · Aug 6

Lack of productivity growth is a big deal in the UK. But there need not be a trade-off between productivity growth and net-zero. In fact the two may be complementary (and this can be modelled!). It’s time to change the story.

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Hector Pollitt @hectorpollitt.bsky.social · Aug 6

This drives productivity growth, almost by definition. We get more electricity, more mobility, more services, for lower cost. We can spend more on other things.

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Hector Pollitt @hectorpollitt.bsky.social · Aug 6

There is a critical difference between fossil fuels and new technologies.

We spend more on fossil fuels, we exhaust cheap supplies and prices go up. We spend more on new technologies, we learn and prices go down.

Hector Pollitt @hectorpollitt.bsky.social · Aug 6

The paper focuses on two key assumptions that have dominated previous work: 1) green technologies are more expensive; 2) spending on green technologies means less spending on other things. Both are misguided.

Hector Pollitt @hectorpollitt.bsky.social · Aug 6

Thread on this paper in @climate-policy.bsky.social last month. For so long we’ve heard about the ‘costs’ of reducing emissions. This paper adds to the growing evidence it doesn’t have to be like that.

www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

The effects of low-carbon transitions on labour productivity: analysing UK electricity, heat, and mobility with a techno-economic simulation model

The low-carbon transition is generally portrayed as involving costs to the economy through lower productivity and generating benefits through avoided impacts of climate change. This mainstream econ...

www.tandfonline.com

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Hector Pollitt @hectorpollitt.bsky.social · Aug 5

Recent post on LinkedIn about the importance of interdisciplinary research - and not just for climate change.

It also introduces ICENS lab, which takes a broader perspective.

Thoughts and comments welcome!

www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-in...

Why interdisciplinarity matters

This is a post to introduce ICENS lab, a new interdisciplinary initiative: https://www.linkedin.

www.linkedin.com

Reposted by Du Toit, Robbie M. Andrew, Rupert Read , and 2 more Du Toit, Robbie M. Andrew, Rupert Read, Brett Christophers, Hector Pollitt

Glen Peters @glenpeters.bsky.social · Jul 28

Based on fossil fuel growth rates from the IEA Coal Mid-Year Update, July Oil Market Report, & Gas Market Report Q3, fossil CO2 emissions would grow around 0.8% in 2025, reaching another record high...

We are only half way through the year, but don't build too much expectation for peak emissions.

Figure showing coal, oil, and gas emissions from 1960, with a little red dot for 2025, with 0.5% growth in coal, 1% in oil, 1.6% in gas, and -1.1% for cement. These are all leap year adjusted since 2024 had one more day than 2025...

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Hector Pollitt @hectorpollitt.bsky.social · Jul 28

Thanks!

Hector Pollitt @hectorpollitt.bsky.social · Jul 27

Glad to be finally setting up here! I will mostly be covering ways to improve economics and modelling, especially on climate and energy issues. But expect some previews from the forthcoming book with Jean-Francois Mercure. And my return to blogging...

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