Global Warming Policy Foundation

Global Warming Policy Foundation
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Name	Global Warming Policy Foundation
Abbreviation	GWPF
Formation	2009
Founder	Nigel Lawson
Type	Think tank
Headquarters	London
Leader title	Director
Leader name	Benny Peiser

Global Warming Policy Foundation is a London-based think tank established in 2009 that focuses on climate change policy and energy issues. Founded by Nigel Lawson, the organization has been involved in public debates involving climate change, energy policy, carbon dioxide mitigation strategies, and regulatory approaches to renewable energy. It has attracted attention from figures associated with Conservative Party (UK), House of Lords, and various international policy networks.

History

The foundation was launched in 2009 by Nigel Lawson with early involvement from peers in the House of Lords and contributors linked to Institute of Economic Affairs, Adam Smith Institute, and networks around American Enterprise Institute and Cato Institute. In its early years it engaged with debates that included participants from Royal Society, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and advisory bodies such as Committee on Climate Change. The organization’s profile rose during controversies over Climatic Research Unit email controversy debates and in parliamentary inquiries involving figures from Department of Energy and Climate Change and Parliament of the United Kingdom.

Mission and Objectives

The foundation states objectives emphasizing scrutiny of climate change science and policy, promotion of open debate, and analysis of costs and benefits related to energy policy. Its stated aims align with participants drawn from House of Commons, House of Lords, academic institutions such as University of Oxford, Imperial College London, and research organizations including Met Office and National Oceanography Centre. The group positions itself in contrast to policy recommendations of bodies like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the European Commission.

Governance and Funding

Governance has included a board with members from House of Lords and appointments involving former ministers from Conservative Party (UK). Directors and trustees have had connections to institutions like Centre for Policy Studies, Policy Exchange, and international partners including Heritage Foundation and Heartland Institute. Funding sources have been reported to include private donations from individuals and foundations with ties to energy sectors, philanthropic networks, and donors linked to United States and United Kingdom policy circles; these links have been compared with funding patterns associated with Donors Trust and industry-affiliated philanthropy tracked in analyses by OpenDemocracy and investigative reporting in outlets such as The Guardian, Financial Times, and The Times (London). Transparency debates have involved regulators including the Charity Commission for England and Wales and parliamentary scrutiny by select committees of House of Commons.

Activities and Publications

The foundation produces reports, commentary, briefing papers, and submissions to parliamentary inquiries, engaging with policy forums such as events attended by delegations from United States Congress, European Parliament, and national ministries like the Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom). Publications have addressed topics tied to renewable energy, nuclear power, carbon capture and storage, and economic assessments comparing models from UK Treasury, International Energy Agency, and scholarly work from Cambridge University, London School of Economics, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Its output has included critiques of modeling approaches used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and peer-reviewed literature, leading to exchanges with academics from University of East Anglia, University of Bristol, and University of Reading. The foundation has organized seminars featuring speakers associated with Hoover Institution, Brookings Institution, and think tanks from Australia, Canada, and Germany.

Scientific Positions and Criticism

The organization’s scientific positions have emphasized uncertainty in climate sensitivity estimates and cost–benefit analyses of mitigation, engaging with scientific literature from authors at Princeton University, Stanford University, and Yale University. Its stances have been criticized by researchers affiliated with Royal Society, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, University College London, and environmental groups such as Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth for selective citation and for challenging consensus findings. Academic critiques published in journals linked to Nature (journal), Science (journal), and disciplinary outlets in climatology and atmospheric science have prompted public rebuttals from scholars at University of Cambridge and University of Oxford.

Legal and Political Influence

The foundation has participated in consultations and given evidence to parliamentary committees including inquiries by the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee and Environmental Audit Committee (UK), while its trustees and advisors have included peers from the House of Lords who have tabled questions and amendments in debates at Parliament of the United Kingdom. The group’s interventions have featured in litigation and regulatory review contexts, with attention from the Charity Commission for England and Wales over charitable status guidelines and governance. Internationally, its outputs have been cited by policymakers and commentators in United States Senate hearings, Australian parliamentary debates, and policy discussions in Poland and Germany, influencing public discourse on subsidies, market design, and the role of nuclear power in national strategies.

Category:Think tanks based in the United Kingdom