Skip to main content

The optimal timing of greenhouse gas emission abatement, individual rationality and intergenerational equity

  • Chapter
International Environmental Agreements on Climate Change

Abstract

A paper published by Wigley et al. in Nature in 1996 aroused considerable discussion. Wigley et al. (WRE, henceforth) concluded that cost-effective trajectories towards stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere have a typical shape: a cost-effective trajectory closely follows the business as usual path in earlier decades, to sharply bend away from it in later decades, deeply cutting emissions from baseline in later years. Later studies confirm this (Edmonds et al., 1997; Manne and Richels, 1997a,b; Peck and Teisberg, 1996; Weyant, 1997). Apparently, the conclusion is that it is better to postpone substantial emission reduction for at least a decade.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Alcamo, J. and Kreileman, E. (1996) Interim Environmental Impacts of Delaying Emission Controls (preliminary results) (draft).

    Google Scholar 

  • Edmonds, J.A., Dooley, J. and Wise, M. (1997) The role of energy technology in atmospheric stabilization. In: Flannery, B.E, Kohlhase, K.R. and LeVine, D.G. (Eds) Critical Issues in the Economics of Climate Change. London: IPIECA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goulder, L.H. (1996) Notes on the Implications of Induced Technological Change for the Costs and Benefits of Carbon Abatement (draft).

    Google Scholar 

  • Goulder, L.H. and Schneider, S.H. (1997) Induced Technological Change, Crowding Out, and the Attractiveness of CO2 Emissions Abatement (draft).

    Google Scholar 

  • Grubb, M.J. (1997) Technologies, energy systems and the timing of CO2 emissions abatement. Energy Policy, 25, 159–172.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gruebler, A. and Messner, S. (1996) Technological Change and the Timing of Abatement Measures (draft).

    Google Scholar 

  • Ha Duong, M., Grubb, M.J. and Hourcade, J.C. (1996) Optimal Emission Paths Towards CO2 Stabilisation and the Cost of Deferring Abatement: The Influence of Inertia and Uncertainty (draft).

    Google Scholar 

  • Manne, A.S. and Richels, R.G. (1997a) On Stabilizing CO2 Concentrations: Cost-Effective Emission Reduction Strategies (draft).

    Google Scholar 

  • Manne, A.S. and Richels, R.G. (1997b) The Greenhouse Debate — Economic Efficiency, Burden Sharing and Hedging Strategies. In Flannery, B.P., Kohlhase, K.R. and LeVine, D.G. (Eds) Critical Issues in the Economics of Climate Change. London: IPIECA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Peck, S.C. and Teisberg, T.J. (1996) International CO2 emissions targets and timetables: an analysis of the AOSIS proposal. Environmental Modeling and Assessment, 1, 219–227.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rawls, J. (1972) A Theory of Justice. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tol, R.S.J. (1997) On the difference in impact between two almost identical climate scenarios. Energy Policy (in press).

    Google Scholar 

  • Weyant, J.P. (1997) Insights from integrated assessment. In: Flannery, B.P., Kohlhase, K.R. and LeVine, D.G. (Eds) Critical Issues in the Economics of Climate Change. London: IPIECA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wigley, T.M.L., Richels, R.G. and Edmonds, J.A. (1996) Economic and environmental choices in the stabilization of atmospheric CO2 concentrations. Nature, 379, 240–243.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1999 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Tol, R.S.J. (1999). The optimal timing of greenhouse gas emission abatement, individual rationality and intergenerational equity. In: Carraro, C. (eds) International Environmental Agreements on Climate Change. Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (Feem) Series on Economics, Energy and Environment, vol 13. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-9169-0_10

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-9169-0_10

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-90-481-5155-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-015-9169-0

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics