An Economic Perspective
on Climate Change Policy
Robert N. Stavins
Albert Pratt Professor of Business and Government
John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University
Director, Harvard Environmental Economics Program
Director, Harvard Project on Climate Agreements

ALPS International Symposium
Research Institute of Innovative Technology for the EarthTokyo, JapanFebruary 4, 2014

Basic Economics and Geopolitics of Climate Change Climate change is a global commons problem
 Any jurisdiction taking action – a country, province, or city – incurs
the costs of its actions
 But the benefits (averted climate change) are distributed globally Hence, for virtually any jurisdiction, the benefits it reaps from its
actions will be less than the costs it incurs ….
 despite the fact that the global benefits may be greater –possibly much greater – than the global costs

 This presents a classic free-rider problem, ….
 which is why international, if not global, cooperation is essential, and this is why the highest levels of effective government should beinvolved, i.e., nations …...
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A View of the International Domain:
Placing Climate Negotiations in Perspective
 Cliché about baseball season applies to international climate change policy: it’sa marathon, not a sprint Scientifically: stock, not flow environmental problem
 Economically: cost-effective path is gradual global ramp-up in target severity (toavoid unnecessary capital-stock obsolescence) Economically: technological change is key, hence long-term price signals
 Administratively: creation of durable international institutions is essential

 International climate negotiations will be an ongoing process – much like tradetalks – not a single task with a clear end-point
 So, sensible goal for climate negotiations is progress on sound foundation formeaningful long-term action, not necessarily an immediate “solution”
2Searching for the Path Forward The Harvard Project on Climate Agreements
 Mission: To help identify key design elements of a scientifically sound,
economically rational, and politically pragmatic international policy architecture
for global climate change Drawing upon research & ideas from leading thinkers around the world from: Academia (economics, political science, law, international relations) Private industry
 NGOs Governments

 50 research initiatives in Argentina, Australia, China,Europe, India, Japan, and the United States3

Potential International Climate Policy ArchitecturesCentralized architectures
 Kyoto Protocol
 Formulas for Assigning Targets
 Portfolio of International Agreements

Harmonized national policies
 Harmonized National Carbon Taxes Trading Regimes
 Standards

Decentralized architectures and coordinated national policies
 Linkage of Regional, National, & Sub-National Cap-and-Trade Systems
 Linkage of Heterogeneous National Policies
 Portfolio of Commitments: Pledge & Review
4Four lessons have emerged
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Market-based approaches are essential

2.

Getting (carbon) prices right is necessary, but not sufficient

3.

4.

•

Because of public-good nature of R&D, private sector will under-invest•

Possible need for government-funding of private-sector R&D, such as for CCS“Developing county” participation is essential•

Impossible to address climate change without meaningful participation by China &other key emerging economies (even if OECD emissions were zero)•Central task in international negotiations is developing means of bringing keyemerging economies on board

Defacto interim (or post-2020) policy architecture may already be emerging
Direct and indirect linkage of regional, national, and sub-national cap-and-trade andother policy instruments
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An Additional Lesson – that has emerged fromInternational Negotiations
 Negotiations in Copenhagen (2009) illustrated limitations of process under UN
Size: 197 countries, when 20 account for about 90% of global emissions

UN culture polarizes factions: industrialized vs developing world
UNFCCC (default) voting rule: consensus, interpreted as unanimity
 Lack of consensus behind Copenhagen Accord due to objections of 5 countries(not major emitters), with their accusations of “undemocratic” procedures:– Bolivia, Cuba, Nicaragua, Sudan, & Venezuela

6Possible Institutional Venues Going Forward Major Economies Forum (MEF)– accounts for 90% of global emissions; initiatedand led by U.S. (formerly “Major Emitters Meeting” – MEM) Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, European Union, France, Germany, India, Indonesia,Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, United Kingdom, and United States

 G20 – finance ministers; since 1999; have met on climate change Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy,Japan, Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, United Kingdom,and United States Other multilateral (C30); bilateral, including China-U.S.
 UNFCCC – too soon for obituaries
 Kyoto Protocol continues at least through 2020
 Substantial constituency
 International “legitimacy”
7How did we get here? Where are we going?
International climate negotiations
 The Rio Earth Summit (1992)
 United Nations Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) – principle of “common
but differentiated responsibilities” (CBDR) First Conference of the Parties (COP-1, Berlin, 1995)
 Berlin Mandate – interpretation of CBDR: Annex I (OECD+/-) countries willcommit to targets for emission reductions, but no commitments for other countries

 Kyoto Protocol (1997)
 KP fulfilled Berlin Mandate with quantitative targets for Annex I countries only The Problem
 Annex I countries alone cannot reduce global emissions
 Fifty non-Annex I countries have greater per capita income than poorest of Annex I Dichotomous distinction makes progress impossible

8International Climate Negotiations
 Copenhagen Accord (COP-15, 2009) & Cancun Agreements (COP-16, 2010)
 Began to blur – while still maintaining – the Annex I/non-Annex I distinction (in a nonbinding pledge & review system) Durban Negotiations (COP-17, 2011)
 COP-17 extended Kyoto Protocol for a second commitment period (2013-20)
 Durban Platform for Enhanced Action – mandate to adopt by 2015 a new legal
framework to include all (key) countries for implementation in 2020
 This broke with the Berlin Mandate, and set the negotiations on a new path
 This won’t satisfy 350.org crowd, and may annoy opponents of climate policy action,
 but in the real world of international climate negotiations, this is what success looks like.

9International Climate Negotiations
 Doha Negotiations (COP-18, 2012) – the “Doha Gateway”
 Kyoto Protocol second commitment period, 2013-2020
 Only EU and Australia participating, covers 14% of global emissions

 Durban Platform for Enhanced Action
 No progress, but did no harm

 Loss and Damage – agreed to discuss mechanism for compensating vulnerable
communities for loss and damage due to climate change Resisted by developed countries (particularlythe U.S.) – fears of unlimited liability
 Could be source of heated debate

 The climate negotiations are a long relay
race, with each negotiation being one leg ofthe race. In Doha, the baton was passed …

 … to Warsaw (November 2013),
 … Lima (2014), and Paris (2015).
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Path Ahead: Options for a New International Climate Regime
Arising from the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action
 A Hybrid International Climate Policy Architecture
Bottom-up: National targets and actions that arise from – or are at leastconsistent with – national policies and goals.
Top-down: Centralized oversight, guidance, and coordination.

 Key Questions
 Can such an agreement be anchored indomestic political realities,

While adequately recognizing theimperatives to address emissions andclimate impacts?
Are there ways to enable and facilitate
increased ambition over time?

11For More Information
Harvard Project on Climate Agreementswww.belfercenter.org/climate

Harvard Environmental Economics Program
www.hks.harvard.edu/m-rcbg/heep/

www.stavins.com

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