Report

The cost of Net Zero

Think tank: Institute of Economic Affairs

Author(s): David Turver

January 13, 2026

This report from UK think tank the Institute of Economic Affairs examines the cost of Net Zero.

Since 2019, there have been many attempts to put a cost on achieving net zero by 2050, with wildly different results, from the CCC to HMT and NESO.

If we are to have a serious debate about net zero, the various public bodies need to be more transparent and more honest, both about the upfront costs and their assumptions about the operational savings that net zero will bring.