The Politics of Fossil-Fuel Subsidies

The document argues that fossil-fuel subsidies persist because they are reliable tools for governments to provide benefits to politically organized groups, despite negative impacts on budgets and pollution. It suggests that successful reform requires broader administrative improvements to compensate those negatively affected by the removal of subsidies.

• Fossil-fuel subsidies result in significant negative impacts on public budgets, energy markets, and pollution levels, yet they remain difficult to eliminate despite a lack of legitimate purpose.
• The persistence of subsidies is often due to governments using them as a reliable means to satisfy the demands of politically well-organized interest groups.
• Effective subsidy reform typically necessitates wider systemic changes and enhancements in public administration to provide compensation for political losers.

APA

, (2010). The Politics of Fossil-Fuel Subsidies. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/politics-fossil-fuel-subsidies

Chicago

,. The Politics of Fossil-Fuel Subsidies. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2010. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/politics-fossil-fuel-subsidies.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=, |title=The Politics of Fossil-Fuel Subsidies |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=21 April 2010 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/politics-fossil-fuel-subsidies |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{2010politics, author = {,}, title = {{The Politics of Fossil-Fuel Subsidies}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2010}, month = apr, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/politics-fossil-fuel-subsidies}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }