Prometheus » Blog Archive » Shaping Economic Analysis to Suit Climate Politics

Today’s ClimateWire reports (subscription needed) that California’s proposed climate policy — known by its bill number as AB32 — has been soundly criticized by a distinguished panel of six internationally recognized economists with expertise in carbon policies:

California intentionally skewed its analysis of the economic effects of its climate change plan, according to a review by state-commissioned economists.

All six economists found the analysis deeply flawed, and several even said the state hand-picked data to improve the economic case for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Wow. When policy makers and experts shape an analysis to suit a political agenda some people have been known to throw around terms like a “war on science”. Somehow I doubt that we’ll hear any concerns about a “war on economics” being waged by the state of California.;-) More seriously, what is going on here is that advocates for certain policies face temptations to present those policies in the best possible light in order to increase the chances that the proposed actions will be adopted. As we’ve argued here for a long time, such biased analyses can be found across issues and the political spectrum, even in the case of California’s carbon policy.