UN Climate Report: Pricing of Carbon Dioxide Emissions Critical

Despite climate change, most polluters still pay little or nothing when they release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.  A cost $0.15 US per kilo (2.2 lbs.) of carbon dioxide would be enough to solve the whole climate change problem, says Thomas Sterner, professor of environmental economics at the University of Gothenburg.  Sterner is the only Swedish researcher to serve as a coordinating lead author of a new report that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change will present next week.

The third part of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's fifth assessment report, Working Group III, on the technical and socio-economic aspects of climate change concerns measures to reduce or eliminate emissions of greenhouse gases.  The report covers the most important economic sectors -- energy, transport, construction, industry, agriculture, forestry and waste management.

Compared with the last assessment in 2007, many countries now have ministries in charge of climate issues.  Numerous measures to combat climate change have also been introduced, many of which the authors of the report have been able to evaluate.  The scientists' summary for politicians will be finalised and presented in Berlin next week.

Sterner says:

We have explored the new policy instruments introduced around the World. Some of my colleagues have felt very enthusiastic -- rather like botanists discovering new species.  I am not equally optimistic because most of the new instruments are too weak to be meaningful.  What we need to avoid dangerous climate change is the application of strong policy instruments.

UN Climate Report:  Pricing of Carbon Dioxide Emissions Critical