The international framework for a climate change
agreement is up for review as the initial Kyoto period
to 2012 comes to an end. Though there has been much
enthusiasm from political and environmental groups, the
underlying economics and politics remain highly
controversial. This book takes a cool headed look at the
critical roadblocks to agreement, examining the
economics of climate change, the incentives of the main
players (the US, EU, China) and examines the policies
governments can put in place to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions, and ultimately shift our economies onto a
low-carbon path. The volume brings together leading
climate change policy experts to set out the economic
analysis and the nature of the negotiations at
Copenhagen and beyond. In addition to reviewing the main
issues discussed above, a number of the articles
question the basis of much of the climate change
consensus, and debate the Stern Report's main findings.
The book is in four parts. Following an overview of the
main issues, the first part is a reassessment of the
economics of climate change.This is fundamental to the
rest of the volume, and it contains new material which
goes well beyond what might be called the new
conventional wisdom. The second part looks at the
geography of the costs and benefits of climate change -
the very different perspectives of Africa, China, the US
and Europe. These chapters provide a building block to
considering the prospects for a new global agreement -
the very different interests that will have to be
reconciled at Copenhagen and beyond. The third part
looks at policy instruments at the global level (whereas
much of the literature to date is nationally and
regionally based). Trading and R&D feature in the
chapters, but so too do more radical unilateral options,
including geo-engineering. Part four turns to the
institutional architecture - drawing on evidence from
previous attempts in other areas, as well as proposals
for new bodies. |
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