A case for second-best solutions in climate policy

From the Financial Times:

The Greens’ surge in last week’s European Parliament elections confirmed that a growing share of voters want their politicians to do something about climate change. But it is far from clear that the majority is ready to pay the higher energy and fuel prices that would result from any serious effort to limit the rise in global temperatures — and that would hit some groups much harder than others.

Economists, who for years have been debating the best ways to fine-tune carbon pricing mechanisms, are now turning their attention to the bigger challenges of political economy.

A paper by IMF staff, published earlier this month, shows just how far off we are from making carbon as expensive as it needs to be. Many major economies could achieve the emissions cuts pledged under the 2015 Paris accord with a carbon price of $35 per tonne, they calculate — a level that would roughly double coal prices and add 5 per cent to 7 per cent to pump prices for road fuels.

But to contain global warming to 2 degrees centigrade above pre-industrial levels would require a global carbon price of about $70 per tonne, they estimate. At present, despite a proliferation of national and sub-national carbon taxes and trading schemes, the average global carbon price is $2 per tonne.”

 

 

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Posted by at 8:47 AM

Labels: Energy & Climate Change

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