Book Reviews

2013 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
pp. 574-575
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Adaptation ◽  
International Environmental Agreements ◽  
Sustainable Consumption ◽  
Climate Change Policy ◽  
Good Alternative ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Carbon Taxes ◽  
The University ◽  
University Of Manchester

Maximilian Auffhammer of University of California, Berkeley reviews, “Climate Change and Common Sense: Essays in Honour of Tom Schelling” by Tom Schelling. The Econlit abstract of this book begins: “Thirteen papers, written in honor of Tom Schelling, analyze the fundamental political and economic processes driving climate change policy. Papers discuss norms, conventions, and institutions to cope with climate change; credible commitments, focal points, and tipping—the strategy of climate treaty design; tipping climate negotiations; bridging reality and the theory of international environmental agreements; the cost of ambiguity and robustness in international pollution control; time and the generations; discounting while treating generations equally; emerging markets and climate change—Mexican stand-off or low-carbon race?; moving U.S. climate policy forward—whether carbon taxes are the only good alternative; carbon taxes and the green paradox; derivative markets for pollution permits and incentives to innovate; development and climate adaptation; and Schelling's conjecture on climate and development—a test. Hahn is Professor of Economics in the Sustainable Consumption Institute at the University of Manchester and Director of Economics in the Smith School at the University of Oxford. Ulph is Director in the Sustainable Consumption Institute at the University of Manchester.”

scholarly journals Interrogating Climate Adaptation Financing in Zimbabwe: Proposed Direction

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 6517
Author(s):  
Innocent Chirisa ◽  
Trynos Gumbo ◽  
Veronica N. Gundu-Jakarasi ◽  
Washington Zhakata ◽  
Thomas Karakadzai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Climate Adaptation ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Extreme Weather Events ◽  
Infrastructure Development ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Coastal Zones ◽  
Resource Base

Reducing vulnerability to climate change and enhancing the long-term coping capacities of rural or urban settlements to negative climate change impacts have become urgent issues in developing countries. Developing countries do not have the means to cope with climate hazards and their economies are highly dependent on climate-sensitive sectors such as agriculture, water, and coastal zones. Like most countries in Southern Africa, Zimbabwe suffers from climate-induced disasters. Therefore, this study maps critical aspects required for setting up a strong financial foundation for sustainable climate adaptation in Zimbabwe. It discusses the frameworks required for sustainable climate adaptation finance and suggests the direction for success in leveraging global climate financing towards building a low-carbon and climate-resilient Zimbabwe. The study involved a document review and analysis and stakeholder consultation methodological approach. The findings revealed that Zimbabwe has been significantly dependent on global finance mechanisms to mitigate the effects of climate change as its domestic finance mechanisms have not been fully explored. Results revealed the importance of partnership models between the state, individuals, civil society organisations, and agencies. Local financing institutions such as the Infrastructure Development Bank of Zimbabwe (IDBZ) have been set up. This operates a Climate Finance Facility (GFF), providing a domestic financial resource base. A climate change bill is also under formulation through government efforts. However, numerous barriers limit the adoption of adaptation practices, services, and technologies at the scale required. The absence of finance increases the vulnerability of local settlements (rural or urban) to extreme weather events leading to loss of life and property and compromised adaptive capacity. Therefore, the study recommends an adaptation financing framework aligned to different sectoral policies that can leverage diverse opportunities such as blended climate financing. The framework must foster synergies for improved impact and implementation of climate change adaptation initiatives for the country.

scholarly journals Managing for a Changing Climate: A Blended Interdisciplinary Climate Course

2020 ◽  
Vol 101 (12) ◽  
pp. E2138-E2148
Author(s):  
Elinor Martin ◽  
Renee McPherson ◽  
Emma Kuster ◽  
Aparna Bamzai-Dodson
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Informal Education ◽  
Climate Models ◽  
Climate Adaptation ◽  
Science Center ◽  
Holistic View ◽  
Changing Climate ◽  
South Central ◽  
The University

AbstractWe developed a blended (or hybrid) interactive course—Managing for a Changing Climate—that provides a holistic view of climate change. The course results from communication with university students and natural and cultural resource managers as well as the need for educational efforts aimed at the public, legislators, and decision-makers. Content includes the components of the physical climate system, natural climate variability, anthropogenic drivers of climate change, climate models and projections, climate assessments, energy economics, environmental policy, vulnerabilities to climate hazards, impacts of climate change, and decision-making related to climate adaptation and mitigation efforts. To convey most of the content, the course-development team created over 50 short videos (3–10 min each) in partnership with experts from a variety of academic, government, and industry institutions. The blended course has been offered as an upper-division, undergraduate course in the Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability and School of Meteorology (four times) and College of International Studies (in Italy, once) at the University of Oklahoma with over 100 total students. The course has also been presented online-only at no cost to the participants in four fall semesters with over 1,000 total registrations. Videos created for this course are freely available on the YouTube page of the South Central Climate Adaptation Science Center. This course and its associated materials comprise high-quality, formal climate training and education that can be adapted to other formal and informal education settings beyond the walls of the university.

scholarly journals Climate Change Policy and Power Sector Reform in Mexico under the Golden Age of Gas

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
José María Valenzuela ◽  
Isabel Studer
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Change Policy ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
The Political ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Political Commitment ◽  
Change Policy ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Term Energy ◽  
The One

Mexico’s low-carbon technology perspectives show lack of coherence with the rising ambition in climate change commitments, for which Mexico is internationally praised. The comparison of two recent energy reforms, corresponding to two administrations, explains this lack of coherence by, on the one hand, the permanence of a strong climate institutional framework devised as a means to increase energy security and, on the other hand, the political commitment to reduce electricity tariffs through the access to low-priced gas in North America. The chapter underscores the political economy trade-offs between the need for a strong climate commitment that provides a stable long-term energy transition pathway and the political and economic short-term benefits derived from low electricity tariffs.

Brazilian Climate Change Law

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen Alvarenga Oliveira
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Change Policy ◽  
National Policy ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Governance Structure ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Adaptation To Climate Change ◽  
Low Carbon Economy ◽  
Mitigation And Adaptation ◽  
Change Policy

This chapter examines the climate change policy of Brazil. In 2010 at the Sixteenth Conference of Parties in Cancún, Brazil announced its voluntary national target of significantly reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions between 36.1 per cent and 38.9 per cent of projected emissions by 2020. These targets were defined in the Brazilian National Policy on Climate Change (PNMC). The PNMC establishes principles, guidelines, and economic instruments for reaching the national voluntary targets. It relies on sectoral plans for mitigation and adaptation to climate change in order to facilitate the move towards a low-carbon economy. The PNMC defined various aspects related to the measurement of goals, formulation of sectoral plans and of action plans for the prevention and control of deforestation in all Brazilian biomes, and governance structure.

Prospects for Climate Change Litigation in China

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (02) ◽  
pp. 349-377 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yue Zhao ◽  
Shuang Lyu ◽  
Zhu Wang
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Change Policy ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Regulatory State ◽  
Public Authorities ◽  
Public Interest Litigation ◽  
Legal Rules ◽  
Legal Traditions ◽  
Change Policy ◽  
The Impact

AbstractWhile legal scholarship seeks mainly to assess the impact of climate change litigation (CCL) on the regulatory state and on climate change policy in common law countries, the potential influence of government climate policy on the judicial practices of jurisdictions with different legal traditions attracts much less attention. This article fills the gaps by exploring how courts in China, an authoritarian country with a civil law tradition, react to government climate policies and how this judicial response might affect relevant legal rules and eventually contribute to climate regulation. An empirical analysis of 177 Chinese judicial cases reveals that CCL in China consists mostly of contract-based civil actions steered by the government's low-carbon policies. Moreover, although the prospects of CCL against public authorities in China remain very bleak, there is scope for the emergence of tort-based CCL, backed by government policies. In this respect, recent tort-based public interest litigation on air pollution in China may serve as a substitute or, more promisingly, a gateway to the emergence of a tort-based branch of Chinese CCL.

Coal seam gas in Australia's progression to a low carbon economy

2009 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 577 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Petersen ◽  
Hugh McKerrow
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Coal Seam ◽  
Energy Supply ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Carbon Capture And Storage ◽  
Growth Potential ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Carbon Taxes ◽  
Coal Seam Gas ◽  
Intergovernmental Panel

The previous decade has witnessed an unprecedented increase in societal appreciation for the existence of climate change and its associated impacts. One need only look to the reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for evidence—between 1990 and 2007, scientific acceptance of the anthropogenic nature of climate change has risen from merely perhaps in 1990 to a certainty of 90% in 2007. As governments look to create imposts on the very emissions causing climate change, be it through emissions trading schemes (ETS) or through carbon taxes, an equally stark appreciation has occurred in relation to the need to switch to low emissions fuel source in the absence of carbon capture and storage. In contrast to the introduction of the EU ETS, fuel switching in Australia will be more problematic—now Australia sources only a small fraction of its energy supply from renewable energy sources and it will take some time for this to change. What is therefore needed, is a transition fuel—a fuel that will provide Australia with a stepping stone to a sustainable future while at the same time ensuring the security of our energy supply. Coal seam gas (CSG) could play an important part in this progression. Its role is not, however, without its complexities. In a world of daily regulatory and market developments, the CSG industry will need to incorporate both Australian and international climate change issues into its development plans - its physical, reputational, regulatory and market risks and opportunities. This extended abstract will examine the links between these exposures and the future growth potential of the industry.

Economics of a low-carbon future

2012 ◽  
Vol 103 (2) ◽  
pp. 149-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nick Hanley ◽  
Dervla Brennan
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Climate Change Impacts ◽  
Economic Factors ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Carbon Taxes ◽  
Adaptation To Climate Change ◽  
Market Mechanisms ◽  
Low Carbon Economy ◽  
The Cost

ABSTRACTThis paper sets out some of the economic factors underpinning Scotland's move to a low-carbon economy. Economics matters, since it addresses the costs of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the costs of climate change impacts, and the economic factors that motivate individuals' behaviour and the behaviour of businesses. All of these are important in understanding the barriers to meeting targets and to successful adaptation, and in thinking about how these barriers can be lifted. We discuss the relative merits of market mechanisms such as carbon taxes and cap-and-trade, the cost of including additional targets, and the issue of counting carbon embedded in imported goods. An efficient way of achieving carbon reductions is to widen the scope of carbon trading to include forestry, transport and agriculture. Energy efficiency in businesses and households and adaptation to climate change are a priority, because the benefits will be felt in the short term and at the local level.

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