King's College London

In the year after the establishment of a climate ministry, researchers found emissions dropped by more than 0.36 metric tons per capita on average in the host country compared to countries that had not introduced a climate ministry.

After five years, researchers found emissions fell even further, by 1.06 metric tons per capita in nations with a climate ministry.

The cut in emissions came despite no significant increase in the number or scope of climate-related policies compared with nations without a dedicated climate ministry, suggesting the ministry’s role as a focal point for climate action was a key driver of change.

The findings were revealed in a new study, Dedicated climate ministries help to reduce carbon emissions, co-authored by Dr Julian Limberg (King’s College London), Yves Steinebach and Jacob Nyrup (University of Oslo).

“In government structures without a dedicated climate ministry, climate-related policy responsibilities are often spread across various ministries or departments, such as those dealing with energy, environment, or industry. It is thus often unclear who exactly needs to take the measures it needs to tackle climate change.

“In addition, even though comprehensive climate action still requires the collaborative effort of various government sectors, a climate ministry can drive cross-ministerial co-ordination, compelling other departments to take necessary steps.”

The researchers examined a sample of 169 countries over a period of 20 years (2000-2021), comparing countries that established a climate ministry to those that did not.

Of the sample, 38 countries were identified which had established a climate ministry at some point in the study period, with 30 of those retaining such a ministry by 2021. The researchers then examined carbon emissions in those countries up to five years before and after the establishment of a dedicated ministry.

While average levels of emissions between nations did not significantly differ in the five years leading up to the establishment of a climate ministry, they diverged substantially after dedicated ministries came into being.