Josh Burke
Josh is a Senior Policy Fellow, at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment where he leads the policy analysis team on UK climate and energy policy. From July – December 2023 he was seconded to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) as an expert policy advisor working on Carbon Dioxide Removal policy and governance. Josh is a Senior Fellow at the Institute for Responsible Carbon Removal at American University, Washington.
Josh has recently worked with the OECD on modelling the distributional impacts of climate policy on UK households. Josh has also been a consultant to the World Bank, the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC), Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), the Taiwanese Environmental Protection Administration and the Welsh Parliament under the Research Service Brexit Academic Framework Agreement. He has also worked with a range of private sector companies and has provided evidence to members of the House of Commons and House of Lords select Committees on energy and climate change policy.
Josh is a rostered expert with the United Nations Environment Programme and Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.
Background
Prior to joining the Grantham Institute, Josh was a Senior Research Fellow at Policy Exchange where he led the Energy and Environment department. He was responsible for designing, leading and delivering existing and new research projects focused on energy and environmental policies which respond to the most important questions the UK faces, as well as writing articles, organising events, and talking to policymakers, experts and opinion formers from government, academia, NGOs, Parliament and business.
Before this he worked as a Project Manager in an AiM listed renewable energy project developer focussing on distributed generation. His professional experience also includes work in the public policy sphere at both Chatham House and The Overseas Development Institute. He has a BSc in Geography from the University of Nottingham, and an MSc in Environmental Technology from Imperial College London.
Research and policy interests
- Carbon pricing
- Carbon dioxide removal
- Decarbonization pathways
- Net zero policy
- Distributional impacts analysis
Research
Research - 2022
The authors of this paper consider the distributional incidence and magnitude on household income deciles if the costs for deploying and operating BECCS and DACCS are placed on different sectors of the economy via a range of viable policy funding options. Read more
The authors of this paper identify three risks associated with using carbon markets as the sole, or main, policy lever to encourage the deployment of greenhouse gas removal (GGR) techniques. Read more
Research - 2021
In the lead up to the COP26 in Glasgow this article outlines the challenge of ensuring that countries meet their commitments to the Paris Agreement at a time of economic slowdown triggered by COVID-19. Read more
Policy
Policy - 2024
This report consists of a response to a consultation on integrating greenhouse gas removals into the UK Emissions Trading Scheme. Read more
This year’s General Election in the UK takes place against a backdrop of worsening climate change impacts at home and... Read more
The State of CDR reports are intended to regularly inform researchers, policymakers and practitioners on the state of progress, by systematically collecting and analysing the vast amount of data and developments in many parts of the world. Read more
This report aims to inform government criteria for assessing UK ETS expansion to cover the domestic heating and road transport sectors, including practicality, suitability and distributional impacts across different income groups. Read more
This policy brief examines the measures Taiwan can take to safeguard its industries from the potential adverse consequences of its new national carbon fee, and reviews relevant measures adopted in major carbon pricing jurisdictions, including the EU, Singapore and UK. Read more
Policy - 2023
This report seeks to map the status quo and propose a typology of policy measures and bundles that can be used to help address the challenging questions on permanence, and tradeability in Carbon Dioxide Removal policymaking. Read more
This report seeks to identify the factors underpinning the monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) of greenhouse gas removal (GGR) across the spectrum of biological, chemical and geochemical techniques, and the risks associated with GGR-specific MRV. Read more
Policy - 2022
This paper presents new simulation results for the UK combining macroeconomic simulations in ThreeME, a computable general equilibrium model, with... Read more
This report consists of a submission to a UK government consultation on designing business models for greenhouse gas removal technologies. Read more
This submission to the UK ETS Authority consultation on ‘Developing the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS)’ provides evidence on implementing a net zero consistent ETS cap, Free Allocation policy, the expansion of the UK ETS to additional sectors, and incorporating greenhouse gas removal into the scheme. Read more
Greenhouse gas removal technologies will play an important role in the UK's net zero pathway, but it is unclear how they can be funded fairly. We assess four policy options and compare how the costs will fall to UK households. Read more
This report provides insights to inform the UK Government’s review on expansion of the UK Emissions Trading Scheme, focusing on three sectors that might fall within the scope of future policy changes. Read more
Policy - 2021
The UK's net-zero commitment assumes the use of greenhouse gas removal (GGR) technologies, but there is little understanding of how they might be funded and who will bear the cost. This study prepared for the National Infrastructure Commission analyses how the distribution of costs for funding these technologies impacts society across income deciles. Read more
This submission was made by the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment and the ESRC Centre for... Read more
There has been a resurgence in the debate around Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanisms (CBAMs) and the role they may play in preserving the effectiveness of climate action in high ambition countries. This report explores how the European Union’s CBAM, announced to come into force by the end of 2022, might affect the UK. Read more
Policy - 2020
This report argues that carbon pricing alongside complementary policies can help Taiwan reduce its greenhouse gas emissions in a fair and cost-effective way. It assesses the options and identifies a clear path to carbon pricing in Taiwan. Read more
To tackle the challenges of climate change, more investment needs to be mobilised in low-carbon technologies and capital assets. This report examines the implications for firms as they diversify into the green marketplace. Read more
This brief argues that once the immediate rescue has been secured and countries move towards recovery from COVID-19, carefully implementing carbon pricing while reducing fossil fuel subsidies should be at the core of any stimulus package. Read more
This study explores the distributional impacts of a net-zero-consistent carbon price across different household types and income deciles in the UK; and examines which combination of interventions may reduce carbon consumption and still be progressive. The authors find that it is possible to design a revenue recycling scheme that leaves fuel-poor and low-income households better off while driving the transition to net-zero emissions in the UK by 2050. Read more
Policy - 2019
This submission was made to the Environment Agency's consultation on its draft strategy for flood and coastal risk management in England, and draws on the Grantham Research Institute's work and expertise over many years in this area. Read more
The Grantham Research Institute’s response to the Commons Select Committee inquiry into decarbonisation of the UK economy highlights the Treasury’s unique position in government to drive the transition towards net-zero greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining a focus on economic growth. Read more
This policy brief analyses global trends in carbon taxation and differences in tax design around the world to draw out lessons for the design of a possible new carbon tax for the UK, as the country plans how to meet its ambitious new net-zero emissions target and how it prices carbon after Brexit. Read more
This written evidence was submitted on 12 July 2019 to the joint consultation into ‘The future of carbon pricing’, being carried out by the UK, Scottish and Welsh Governments, and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland. Read more
This report explains the importance of pricing carbon as a key component of any strategy to reach net-zero emissions in the UK, setting out how the price may differ sector to sector and how to incentivise negative emissions. Read more
News
News - 2024
Josh Burke and Luca Taschini explain the importance of the cap to the functioning of any emissions trading scheme and explore how carbon dioxide removal might best be integrated, as the UK government considers these issues. Read more
This article reports on a study by the Grantham Research Institute at LSE which explores the potential for extending the UK’s Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) to heating and transport fuels. The article includes quotes from report co-author Josh Burke. Read more
Josh Burke and Felix Schenuit outline a framework for deciding which methods of carbon dioxide removal could become tradeable within and between jurisdictions. Read more
News - 2023
This commentary discusses conundrums facing the greenhouse gas removal industry, in the light of Microsoft's recent significant purchase of carbon removal credits. Read more
This artcile reports on the publicaiton of the UK Governments strategy on energy secutiry and net zero. The article includes... Read more
This article reports on the likely impact of the 2023 budget on the UK’s net zero targets. The article includes... Read more
News - 2022
In light of the new standards for carbon removal techniques launched at COP27, Josh Burke outlines the risks of treating carbon removals as a homogenous group and the implications for reaching net zero. Read more
This article discusses who should pay for carbon removal technologies such as CCUS, DAC, and BECCS. Newly published research co-authored... Read more
News - 2021
Conflicting evidence has been presented on carbon leakage, caused largely due to misconceptions over the term’s meaning. The confusion is worth disentangling because it is obscuring the debate on how to act, argue Misato Sato and Josh Burke. Read more
this magazine article Josh Burke discusses the implementation of emission-trading schemes and carbon taxes. Read more
In this BBC News Channel interview Josh Burke discusses the announcement by 40 countries at COP26 of their intention to phase out the use of coal. Read more
This news article considers different options for carbon taxing in the UK. Includes a quote from Josh Burke who outlines... Read more
People are most likely to support climate policies that they consider to be fair. With the recent rise in alarmist rhetoric around the ‘cost’ of net-zero and the need to ensure a just low-carbon transition, Josh Burke explores the case for recycling the proceeds of a carbon tax back to households. Read more
In this news article Josh Burke responds to reports that the UK Government is considering offsetting the cost of higher... Read more
Carbon pricing should be part of nothing less than a significant and broad package of post-COVID fiscal reforms, say Esin Serin and Josh Burke, as they outline what these reforms should look like. Read more
News - 2020
News report concerning the launch of a report, titled Carbon pricing options for Taiwan that was published by the Grantham... Read more
Policy Fellow, Josh Burke, discusses research finding that half of the UK's true carbon footprint is created abroad. In his response he says that policies such as border carbon adjustments (carbon taxes on imports) could provide an elegant economic solution. Read more
The impact of COVID-19 on the price of carbon illustrates just how important it is to build flexibility into cap-and-trade systems and this is something policymakers should remember for the design of the UK’s post-Brexit emissions trading system, argue Josh Burke and Luca Taschini. Read more
Josh Burke examines the costs, opportunities, advantages and disadvantages of different carbon capture and negative emissions technologies. Read more
Josh Burke discusses (in this article for EU Observer) what Brexit will mean for UK climate policy and considers options for carbon pricing if it withdraws from the EU ETS. Read more
News - 2019
In this article looking at the decline of coal use in the UK Josh Burke says a confluence of market drivers & regulatory interventions (in particular the introduction of a carbon price support scheme in 2013) have steered the UK away from coal. Read more
Reports that the British Government will reveal plans to cut fuel duty in this week’s pre-Budget announcement are dismaying just four months after it committed to reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, says Josh Burke, especially when there is consensus on how to cut emissions from the transport sector. Read more
This article reflects on comments made by the government’s chief environment scientist on the UK's net zero target. In the article Josh Burke refers to research by the Grantham Research Institute which shows how achieving net zero and maintaining economic growth are not mutually exclusive. Read more
Josh Burke and Rebecca Byrnes discuss new research into global approaches to carbon pricing. Read more
Josh Burke argues that using the metaphor of war could be detrimental to communicating the climate message – but may help encourage the investment in innovation and structural changes we need. Read more
Carbon pricing could form the policy bedrock for a net-zero target, argues Josh Burke Inaction on climate change puts the... Read more
What does ‘net-zero’ emissions mean and what are the challenges – from technological to moral – to achieving it, in the UK and worldwide? Read more
The UK’s coal phase-out may be proceeding apace but there remains a gap where ‘just transition’ plans should sit – for coal and for other fossil fuel industry – argues Josh Burke. Read more
News - 2018
To tax or to trade – that is the question. Following the October Budget, and as Brexit looms, Josh Burke assesses the policy landscape around carbon pricing in the UK. Read more