The Economics and Politics of Climate Change

The international framework for a climate change agreement is up for review as the initial Kyoto period comes to an end in 2012. Although 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. It examines the economics of climate change and the incentives of the main players (the, EU, and China), and considers the policies that 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. It looks at the costs and benefits of climate change and policy responses in relation to the diverse perspectives of the US, China, Europe, and Africa, and it provides a building block to considering the prospects for a new global agreement and the very different interests that will have to be reconciled at Copenhagen and beyond. In addition to reviewing the main issues, the chapters critically assess prevailing wisdom within climate change social science, and debate the Stern Report's main findings.