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Impact

High: Policies identified by national experts to have high potential to reduce greenhouse emissions.

Unclear: Policies with unclear impact due to lack of quantifiable indicators or policy stringency.

Unknown: Policies which impact has not been analysed.

Status

Jurisdiction

Policy objective

Mitigation area

Energy service demand reduction and resource efficiency: Policies that indirectly reduce energy demand by supporting activity changes (e.g. reducing material use in manufacturing industries or developing urban planning strategies to minimize transport needs).

Energy efficiency: Policies that reduce energy consumption in the different sectors. It includes both framing policies which a goal to reduce energy consumption, such as energy efficiency targets, as well as policy options that support energy reductions.

Renewables: Policies that support the development of renewable technologies. This support might take a direct form, via subsidies or loans, or indirect e.g. by developing grid infrastructure technology, that support the integration of high share of variable electricity generation technologies.

Other low-carbon technologies and fuel switch: Policies that tackle the uptake of non-renewable low-carbon technologies and options that impose limitations on the use of emissions-intensive technologies, e.g. coal- and oil-fuelled technologies.

Non-energy: Policies that reduce non-energy related emissions. For example, policies to reduce fugitive emissions in fossil fuel production or process-related industrial emissions.

Sector

General: Cross-sectoral policies or policies that apply to any sector and that provide framing for or enable the implementation of other sectoral policies.

Electricity and heat: Policies related to energy supply and enabling infrastructure. This sector does not include policies related to mitigation of fossil fuel exploration and production.

Industry: Policies covering both energy-generation for own use and process-related emissions. This sector also includes other policies related to other non-energy emissions.

Land transport: Policies related to all modes of land transportation and infrastructure programmes that might reduce transport needs (e.g. urban planning).

Buildings: Policies that target energy-use in buildings. It also includes urban planning strategies outlining the strategy for retrofits.

Agriculture and forestry: Policies aiming to increase sustainable practice in agriculture and those targeting better forest management. Policies associated with sustainability standards for biomass used as a source for biofuels in other sectors are also included in this sector.

Agriculture and forestry
- Agricultural CH4
- Agricultural CO2
- Agricultural N2O
- Forestry
Buildings
- Appliances
- Construction
- Heating and cooling
- Hot water and cooking
Electricity and heat
- CCS
- Coal
- Gas
- Nuclear
- Oil
- Renewables
General
Industry
- Fluorinated gases
- Fossil fuel exploration and production
- Industrial energy related
- Industrial N2O
- Industrial process CO2
- Negative emissions
- Waste CH4
Transport
- Air
- Heavy-duty vehicles
- Light-duty vehicles
- Low-emissions mobility
- Public transport
- Rail
- Shipping

Policy instrument

Policy instruments provide a link between desired policy outcomes and implementation. The term refers to instruments used to put the policy in practice, e.g. subsidies or carbon pricing. The complete list of policy instrument options is provided in the About this analysis.

Barrier removal
- Grid access and priority for renewables
- Net metering
- Removal of fossil fuel subsidies
- Removal of split incentives (landlord tenant problem)
Climate strategy
- Coordinating body for climate strategy
- Formal & legally binding climate strategy
- Political & non-binding climate strategy
Economic instruments
- Direct investment
  - Funds to sub-national governments
  - Infrastructure investments
  - Procurement rules
  - RD&D funding
- Fiscal or financial incentives
  - CO2 taxes
  - Energy and other taxes
  - Feed-in tariffs or premiums
  - Grants and subsidies
  - Loans
  - Retirement premium
  - Tax relief
  - Tendering schemes
  - User changes
  - User charges
- Market-based instruments
  - GHG emission reduction crediting and offsetting mechanism
  - GHG emissions allowances
  - Green certificates
  - White certificates
Information and education
- Advice or aid in implementation
- Information provision
- Performance label
  - Comparison label
  - Endorsement label
- Professional training and qualification
Policy support
- Institutional creation
- Strategic planning
Regulatory Instruments
- Auditing
- Codes and standards
  - Building codes and standards
  - Industrial air pollution standards
  - Product standards
  - Sectoral standards
  - Vehicle air pollution standards
  - Vehicle fuel-economy and emissions standards
- Monitoring
- Obligation schemes
- Other mandatory requirements
Research & Development and Deployment (RD&D)
- Demonstration project
- Research programme
  - Technology deployment and diffusion
  - Technology development
Target
- Energy efficiency target
  - Formal & legally binding energy efficiency target
  - Political & non-binding energy efficiency target
- GHG reduction target
  - Formal & legally binding GHG reduction target
  - Political & non-binding GHG reduction target
- Renewable energy target
  - Formal & legally binding renewable energy target
  - Political & non-binding renewable energy target
Voluntary approaches
- Negotiated agreements (public-private sector)
- Public voluntary schemes
- Unilateral commitments (private sector)

Keywords

Policies (6727)

Last update: 21/04/2026

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Policy name	Sector	Policy type	Country	Decision date
Hydrocarbon Oil Duties Act	Transport Industry Agriculture and forestry Buildings	Energy service demand reduction and resource efficiency Energy efficiency Renewables Other low-carbon technologies and fuel switch Non-energy use	United Kingdom	1979