Energy Seminar – Week 1: The political economy of fossil fuel subsidy reform in developing countries

Dr Neil McCulloch, Director, Policy Practice

Dr Neil McCulloch, Director, Policy Practice

THIS IS AN IN PERSON AND ONLINE EVENT

Summary: This seminar will outline the main arguments of the new book on “Ending Fossil Fuel Subsidies – the politics of saving the planet”, written by Dr. Neil McCulloch.  The book explains what fossil fuel subsidies are, how they inflict harm and what steps are being taken to reduce them.  It also shows why subsidies persist and why existing efforts have been so ineffective. Drawing lessons from countries which have tried to remove fossil fuel subsidies, it explains that the fundamental challenge to reform is not technical, but political.  The book lays out a new agenda for action on fossil fuel subsidies, showing how a better understanding of the underlying political incentives can lead to more effective approaches to tackling this major global problem.

Speaker: Dr Neil McCulloch, is an economist and a Director of The Policy Practice – a UK-based consultancy focused on political economy analysis.  His main area of expertise is on the political economy of fossil fuel subsidy reform, which he has worked on in many countries, including: Indonesia, India, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Nigeria, and Zambia.  He was previously the Lead Economist for the Australian aid agency in Indonesia, a senior economist in the World Bank and a Fellow at the Institute of Development Studies in the UK.

Tweet link opens new window Tweet