Targeted Policies to Break the Deadlock on Heating Bans

This article examines the policy deadlock over heating technology decisions and proposes targeted bans as a strategy to reconcile state and household roles.

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Date

May 26, 2025

Authors

Ottmar Edenhofer, Andreas Gerster, Jonannes Gessner, Erica Myers, Michael Pahle, and Karen Palmer

Publication

Journal Article in Nature Climate Change

Reading time

1 minute

Abstract

As an important policy instrument for building sector decarbonization, bans on fossil fuel-based heating face fierce opposition with doubts over their economic viability. With a unified perspective that incorporates the views of proponents and opponents, we discuss the importance of targeted policies to break the deadlock.

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Topics

Authors

Ottmar Edenhofer

Director and Chief Economist of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research

Andreas Gerster

Professor of Environmental Microeconomics at the University of Mainz

Jonannes Gessner

PhD Student of Economics at the University of Mannheim

Erica Myers

Associate Professor at the University of Calgary

Michael Pahle

Working Group Leader at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research

Karen Palmer

Senior Fellow; Director, Electric Power Program

Karen Palmer is a senior fellow at Resources for the Future and an expert on the economics of environmental, climate and public utility regulation of the electric power sector.

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