Climate Change Policy: A Survey

Questions surrounding the issue of climate change are evolving from is it happening? to what can be done about it? . The primary obstacles to addressing it at this point are not scientific but political and economic; nonetheless a quick resolution is unlikely. Ignorance and confusion surrounding the issue - including lack of understanding of climate science, its implications for the environment and society, and the range of policy options available - contributes to the political morass over dealing with climate change in which we find ourselves. This text addresses that situation by bringing together a wide range of writings that examine the many dimensions of the topics most important in understanding climate change and policies to consider it. The chapters consider: climate science in historical perspective; analysis of uncertainties in climate science and policy; the economics of climate policy; north-south and intergenerational equity issues; the role of business and industry in climate solutions; and policy mechanisms including joint implementation, emissions trading, and the so-called clean development mechanism.