Nick Robins | London School of Economics and Political Science (original) (raw)

Papers by Nick Robins

What does 'building back better' actually mean? Nicholas Stern, Sam Unsworth, Anna Valero, Dimitr... more What does 'building back better' actually mean? Nicholas Stern, Sam Unsworth, Anna Valero, Dimitri Zenghelis, James Rydge and Nick Robins (LSE) set out the actions the government needs to take to deliver a sustainable recovery. The UK and the world have suffered disruption and hardship from the COVID-19 pandemic on an immense scale. Together with the tragic consequences of the health crisis, there is now a real risk of protracted global depression. Strong and timely action can increase confidence, steer expectations and channel productive private and public investment into a sustainable, inclusive and resilient recovery across the UK.

TRADESustaining the rag tradeSocial and environmental trends in the UK clothing retail sector Ove... more TRADESustaining the rag tradeSocial and environmental trends in the UK clothing retail sector Over the last decade, the clothing sector has been at the forefront of efforts to raise the social and environmental standards of international trade. The challenge now facing the ‘rag trade ’ is how these efforts can be transformed into a coordinated strategy for the sustainable development of the supply chain. Focusing on UK retailers, Sustaining the rag trade outlines the key market and sustainability challenges facing the sector, the corporate responses to them and their implications for developing country suppliers. The report contains case studies of leading clothing chains, including Marks and Spencer, Next, C&A, Bhs and Littlewoods. Sustaining the rag trade is part of iied's Stimulating Sustainable Trade series, which examines the impacts of social and environmental requirements on trade between the North and South and looks at how to encourage trade in more sustainable goods a...

Efforts to align the global financial system with climate security and sustainable development ar... more Efforts to align the global financial system with climate security and sustainable development are entering a new phase. Five years ago, only a handful of central banks were addressing the significance of the environmental crisis for the delivery of their mandate. Today, a growing number of central banks, along with supervisors across banking, insurance, pensions and securities, are moving from the recognition of their role in building a sustainable financial system to the implementation of a growing range of measures. This paper charts the rise of central bank and supervisor action on climate change and wider sustainability issues, analyses the key features of the "new normal" and then highlights priority themes for policy and research in the years ahead.

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2016

Finance has been critical to the development of interest and momentum concerning the Paris Agreem... more Finance has been critical to the development of interest and momentum concerning the Paris Agreement, which emerged from COP21. However, a quick scan of the accord could lead many to derive a disappointing picture because of the absence of practical commitments to financial devices that can limit the risks of climate change. 2. We support the opposite view that the text marks a new departure by committing countries to "making financial flows consistent with a pathway towards low greenhouse gas emissions and climate-resilient development ». This was matched by parallel developments such as the Financial Stability Board's launch of a new Task Force on climate disclosure. 3. We argue that, further steps now need to be taken within the broader context of financing the new model of prosperity laid out in the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN, September 2015). At a time of increasing financial uncertainty and inadequate investment in the real economy, putting in place a framework for financing the transition to a low-carbon, resilient model of development is now an economic imperative-and an immense opportunity. 4. Mitigating the systemic risks of climate change while putting the global financial system on a path toward balanced and sustainable development, is in the long-term strategic interests of both industrialized and developing countries and we suggest what practical steps can be accomplished in a near future in this direction.

This paper is based on the results of a case study on market based instruments (MBIs) for polluti... more This paper is based on the results of a case study on market based instruments (MBIs) for pollution prevention for the steel sector in India. Four policy scenarios, combining command and control measures-ie discharge standards-with market based instruments, such as pollution charges and intra-plant trades, are evaluated and ranked according to five criteria. Scenario rankings show that the performance of policy measures changes when qualitative assessments of administrative feasibility and public transparency are added to the more precise criteria of environmental efficiency, cost effectiveness and incentive provision. Assessments on the basis of the latter three give high grades to certain types of MBIs, whereas evaluations on political acceptability are not as favourable. Resumen Esta monografía se basa en resultados obtenidos en un estudio de caso sobre el uso de instrumentos de mercado para la prevención de la contaminación en el sector del acero en la India. Con la ayuda de cinco criterios se evalúan y clasifican cuatro escenarios de política en los que se combinan medidas de comando y control, como por ejemplo estándares de evacuación, con instrumentos de mercado, tales como gravámenes a la contaminación y comercio al interior de establecimientos productivos. Estas evaluaciones muestran que el desempeño de las medidas de política varía cuando a criterios cuantitativos como los de eficiencia ambiental, rentabilidad y creación de incentivos se añaden juicios cualitativos acerca de factibilidad administrativa y transparencia pública. Las evaluaciones inspiradas en criterios cuantitativos le asignan un alto puntaje a ciertos tipos de instrumentos de mercado; sin embargo, el uso de criterios de aceptación política no los favorece en la misma medida. Abrégé Ce texte repose sur les résultats d'une étude concernant des instruments basés sur le marché (IBM), destinés à la filière sidérurgique indienne pour y prévenir la pollution. Sont évalués et classés selon cinq critères, quatre scénarios combinant des mesures de commande et de contrôle-c.-à-d. des normes d'effluence-mises en oeuvre à l'aide d'instruments basés sur le marché, tels que les taxes à la pollution et les échanges à l'intérieur des usines. Le classement des scénarios montre que les performances des mesures d'ordre politique changent quand on ajoute les évaluations qualitatives (faisabilité administrative et transparence publique) aux critères plus précis que sont l'efficacité environnementale, l'efficacité-coût et l'établissement de mesures incitatives. Les évaluations effectuées à partir de ces trois derniers critères aboutissent à un classement élevé de certains types d'IBM, alors que celles qui reposent sur l'acceptabilité politique s'avèrent moins favorables. Contents Introduction Methodology Pollution charges Tradable permits Policy Scenarios Scenario 1: Standards plus Scenario 2: Pollution prevention rebate 8 Scenario 3: Eco-efficiency charge Scenario 4: Intra-plant trading Cost effective TSS reduction Scenario Rank Ordering Criteria Rank ordering Policy Implications and Conclusions 17 References .

The reality of sustainable trade is a product of IIED's Stimulating Sustainable Trade project. Th... more The reality of sustainable trade is a product of IIED's Stimulating Sustainable Trade project. This is a collaborative venture and has been made possible by the active involvement of a number of individuals and institutions.

Climate Change and Law Collection

brings together international expertise on economics, as well as finance, geography, the environm... more brings together international expertise on economics, as well as finance, geography, the environment, international development and political economy to establish a world-leading centre for policy-relevant research, teaching and training in climate change and the environment. It is funded by the Grantham Foundation for the Protection of the Environment, which also funds the Grantham Institute-Climate Change and the Environment at

This report is a guide to the implications of China’s 12th Five Year Plan (FYP) for the country’s... more This report is a guide to the implications of China’s 12th Five Year Plan (FYP) for the country’s efforts to develop a lower carbon economy, considering related policies and trends in the process. It has been prepared by The Climate Group and commissioned by The HSBC Climate Change Centre of Excellence, building on the five-year HSBC Climate Partnership in which both organisations participate alongside WWF, Earthwatch and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. The findings are based on a review of successive drafts of the Plan, the most recent draft of which was presented on 5 March 2011 at the National People’s Congress, supplemented by interviews and conversations (some on a non-attributable basis) with experts in the public and private sectors in China. It also builds upon earlier research into China’s climate change and energy policy. Where the report considers CO2 it focuses on energy-related emissions and excludes process emissions (e.g. from cement production), non-CO2 ...

Sustainable Investing is fast becoming an essential method of generating long-term returns, movin... more Sustainable Investing is fast becoming an essential method of generating long-term returns, moving beyond the negative approaches to socially responsible investing that have dominated the field. This book, our second on the subject, provides over 15 case studies of leading global investors and companies demonstrating how they successfully apply sustainability aspects to their core strategies. Learn from prominent thought leaders Dan Esty and Paul Hawken among others who have contributed key chapters. Our chapter on performance shows clearly how these strategies have been working once negative approaches are parsed out by those examining fund returns. This book also examines in great depth what data exists, and what's on the horizon, to best measure & capture sustainability successfully. Regional perspectives, including 3 chapters on Asia, and focuses on Canada, Australia, Africa & India are also included, as is a look across asset classes.

Introduction: to ethical investment a daughter, responsible investment The passion and performanc... more Introduction: to ethical investment a daughter, responsible investment The passion and performance of the ethical investment movement in the 1990s has succeeded in forcing issues of social, ethical and environmental (SEE) responsibility into the heart of financial markets in ways that its pioneers could scarcely have imagined. The combination of benchmark-beating fund performance and the unarguable logic that investors (like corporations) have implicit responsibilities beyond the pursuit of shareholder value has prompted changes to both regulatory frameworks and investment cultures. Starting in the UK, pension fund rules have now been updated in a range of countries, such as Australia, France, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain and Sweden, to incorporate responsibility factors. Traditionally cautious trade bodies such as the Association of British Insurers now not only monitor the reporting practices of companies against a best-practice checklist but also publish r...

Over the last decade, the clothing sector has been at the forefront of efforts to raise the socia... more Over the last decade, the clothing sector has been at the forefront of efforts to raise the social and environmental standards of international trade. The challenge now facing the ‘rag trade’ is how these efforts can be transformed into a coordinated strategy for the sustainable development of the supply chain. Focusing on UK retailers, Sustaining the rag trade outlines the key market and sustainability challenges facing the sector, the corporate responses to them and their implications for developing country suppliers. The report contains case studies of leading clothing chains, including Marks and Spencer, Next, C&A, Bhs and Littlewoods.

Around a fifth of current jobs (21%) in the UK have skills for which demand could grow in the gre... more Around a fifth of current jobs (21%) in the UK have skills for which demand could grow in the green economy or could require reskilling – affecting more than 6 million people. Around 10% of workers have skills that could be in more demand, while 10% are more likely to need reskilling – this does not mean these jobs will be lost. The East Midlands, West Midlands, and Yorkshire and the Humber are the three regions with the highest proportions of jobs that could be exposed to the transition.

The UK and the world have suffered disruption and hardship from the COVID-19 pandemic on an immen... more The UK and the world have suffered disruption and hardship from the COVID-19 pandemic on an immense scale. Together with the tragic consequences of the health crisis, there is now a real risk of protracted global depression. Strong and timely action can increase confidence, steer expectations and channel productive private and public investment into a sustainable, inclusive and resilient recovery across the UK. Such a recovery should be guided by a clear vision and strategy involving both the public and private sectors, and can be framed by and embody the government's previously stated goals of levelling up across the UK; boosting productivity; investing in infrastructure; reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050; and forging a new role for 'Global Britain'. This should be embedded in an understanding of, and commitment to, 'building back better'. Several critical actions by the government are needed to deliver a strong and sustainable recovery. These do not form an exhaustive list, but should be at the core of a coherent strategy and policy framework driving towards these goals across the entire economy. Furthermore, these actions and priorities are key to sustainable, resilient and inclusive growth in the UK beyond the recovery over the next few decades. 1 This note builds upon the discussions in the Royal Economic Society webinar series which took place in May, 2020. Andy Haldane, Tim Besley and Gus O'Donnell provided valuable guidance and participated in the seminars. The note has benefited from the insights shared by all of the webinar participants, listed here. Capucine Riom, Gonzalo Nunez-Chaim, Joshua Hardman and Katharina Ziegler provided invaluable research inputs regarding investments made under the net-zero programme. We are grateful to the following for their helpful comments on the draft: Bob Ward, Stephen Machin, Henry Overman and Helen Ward. We are grateful for support from STICERD, the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, and the CCCEP/ESRC at the LSE. Financial support from the ESRC via the Centre for Economic Performance, and in addition under grant ES/S001735/1 is gratefully acknowledged.

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2016

Climate Change and Law Collection