Climate policies could be the next target for right-wing populist parties as the cost of energy soars, researchers into the links between climate policy and political parties warn.

Newly published researchLink opens in a new window from the University of Warwick and the University of Sussex Business School reveals that the influence of left-of-centre parties increase the strength of a government’s climate policy score by about 22% relative to the average score while the influence of right-wing populist parties leads to a 24% reduction relative to the same average.

With a number of energy suppliers collapsing in recent weeks, and reports today of two more companies ceasing trading, Professor David Elmes from Warwick Business School and Professor Mike Waterson from the Department of Economics comment on some of the factors that have led to this situation.

Hear from Professor Nigel Driffield from WBS, as he discusses how we define what we mean by “essential work”.

Nick Chater, Professor of Behavioural Science in the Warwick Business School, writes for The Guardian:

"In times of national crisis, governments need to act, advise and inform. But they also need to tell stories that allow us, as citizens, to understand government policy and, crucially, to coordinate our individual efforts towards a common goal."