‘Decision-support’ tools for the assessment of co-benefits: Insights from energy and climate policy in the United Kingdom

• Frameworks are being developed to assess co-benefits in UK energy policy appraisals.
• Economic valuation and multi-criteria decision analysis approaches are being used.
• Adoption of these frameworks can help to meet a range of policy goals.
• Frameworks embed holistic thinking and foster shared ownership of climate action.
• Co-benefit assessment strengthens the case for energy demand measures.

Assessing climate change mitigation’s wider benefits can strengthen the investment case for energy demand policies and support the integration of demand-side actions across policy sectors and governance levels. This highlights the need for new policy appraisal frameworks that create a more level playing field for assessing energy supply- and demand-side measures.

One way to address these challenges is through the use of frameworks that evidence energy policies’ wider socio-economic and environmental benefits, or ‘co-benefits’. This paper examines the motivations, roles, and institutional contexts for the development and adoption of new co-benefit assessment frameworks in the United Kingdom (UK). A methodological review of 28 frameworks and 27 expert interviews were conducted to examine the use of co-benefit assessments to appraise net-zero pathways, sub-national policies, and procurement decisions’ social value.

Through the lens of policy entrepreneurship, this analysis shows how actors (such as framework developers, academics, and policy officers) are helping to address governance challenges faced by energy demand policies through using co-benefit assessments to link climate action to higher-level policy missions.

Key motivations for the adoption of these frameworks include their potential to foster cross-sectoral and multi-level policy alignment, help navigate trade-offs, and support a fairer assessment of low-energy pathways.

Key roles these frameworks play in enhancing governance include embedding holistic thinking, providing relevant support throughout the policy process, and encouraging a shared ownership of climate action.

The paper concludes by discussing future developments and the analysis’ policy implications for the choice and feasibility of future energy pathways.