Reports
Articles in peer-reviewed journals are the gold-standard for academic research; however, these publications sometimes lag behind the latest developments in climate science and policy.
A survey of recent reports by economists finds rigorous economic support for a large-scale response to the climate crisis based on the latest scientific findings and policy proposals.
The reports included here generally reflect and build on the following principles:
- Risk and uncertainty are fundamental to the climate problem; the magnitude and the irreversibility of uncertain, but possible, worst-case climate impacts dominate the analysis of policy options.
- Ethics and equity are inseparable from economic analysis; there are deep questions of fairness between rich and poor today, and between present and future generations, at stake in the debate.
- The severity of the problem and the scope of the required response are so great that marginal analysis of small changes and modest adjustments of market-based instruments are inadequate to the task of understanding and protecting the earth’s climate.
Reports are organized by the topic areas below and are alphabetized by lead author within each topic area.
General Perspectives | Benefits/Damage Valuation | Climate Policy Mechanisms and Impacts | Costs of Mitigation | Equity and Global Distribution
General Perspectives
How should we frame the problem of climate change in economic terms? Which economic principles need to be changed or emphasized to comprehend and analyze the current crisis?
Debating Climate Economics: The Stern Review vs. Its Critics
Frank Ackerman - Stockholm Environment Institute - US Center
The Need for a Fresh Approach to Climate Change Economics
Frank Ackerman, Stephen DeCanio, Richard Howarth, Kristen Sheeran - E3 Network
Benefits/Damage Valuation
Economists have tried to assign dollar values to expected climate damages; early estimates often projected surprisingly small economic impacts. Which damages can be evaluated in monetary terms? Are newer estimates of expected damages growing larger?
The Last Drop: Climate Change and the Southwest Water Crisis
Frank Ackerman, Elizabeth Stanton – Stockholm Environment Institute – US Center
The Water-Energy Nexus in the Western States: Projections to 2100
Frank Ackerman, Elizabeth Stanton – Stockholm Environment Institute – US Center
California Water Supply and Demand: Technical Report
Frank Ackerman, Elizabeth Stanton – Stockholm Environment Institute – US Center
The Cost of Climate Change: What We Will Pay if Climate Change Continues Unchecked
Frank Ackerman, Elizabeth Stanton - Stockholm Environment Institute - US Center
The Caribbean and Climate Change: The Costs of Inaction
Frank Ackerman, Elizabeth Stanton - Global Development and Environment Institute
Florida and Climate Change: The Costs of Inaction
Frank Ackerman, Elizabeth Stanton - Global Development and Environment Institute
Climate Change and Damage from Extreme Weather Events
Robert Repetto, Robert Easton - Political Economy Research Institute
Climate Policy Mechanisms and Impacts
What policy mechanisms are available to address the climate problem? What impacts could those policy mechanisms have on jobs, household income, economic growth, and competitiveness?
Greenhouse Gases and the American Lifestyle: Understanding Interstate Differences in Emissions
Frank Ackerman, Elizabeth Stanton, and Kristen Sheeran
CLEAR Economics: State-Level Impacts of the Carbon Limits and Energy for America’s Renewal Act on Family Incomes and Jobs
James Boyce, Matthew Riddle - Political Economy Research Institute
Cap and Dividend: A State by State Analysis
James Boyce, Matthew Riddle - Political Economy Research Institute
Keeping the Government Whole: The Impact of a Cap-and-Dividend Policy for Curbing Global Warming on Government Revenue and Expenditure
James Boyce, Matthew Riddle - Political Economy Research Institute
Cap and Dividend: How to Curb Global Warming while Protecting the Incomes of American Families
James Boyce, Matthew Riddle - Political Economy Research Institute
Greenhouse Gas Regulation under the Clean Air Act: A Guide for Economists
Dallas Burtraw, Arthus G. Fraas, and Nathan Richardson – Resources for the Future
Options for Returning the Value of CO2 Emissions Allowances to Households
Dallaw Burtraw, Ian W.H. Parry- Resources for the Future
Climate Policy and Economic Growth in California: New Studies Agree California's Economy Will Grow Strongly With AB 32 Implementation
Chris Busch - Center for Resource Solutions
Climate Policy and Economic Growth in California: A Comparative Analysis of Different Economic Impact Projections
Chris Busch - Center for Resource Solution
Energy Efficiency in the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009: Impacts of Current Provisions and Opportunities to Enhance the Legislation
Rachel Gold, Laura Furrey, Steven Nadel, John “Skip” Laitner, and R. Neal Elliott - American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy
The Positive Economics of Climate Change Policies: What the Historical Evidence Can Tell Us
John A. “Skip” Laitner - American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy
The American Power Act and Enhanced Energy Efficiency Provisions: Impacts on the U.S. Economy
John A. “Skip” Laitner, Rachel Gold, Steven Nadel, Therese Langer, R. Neal Elliott, and Daniel Trombley - American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy
Moving U.S. Climate Policy Forward: Are Carbon Taxes the Only Good Alternative?
Ian W.H. Parry, Roberton C. Williams III – Resources for the Future
Green Investments and the Path to Prosperity
Robert Pollin - Political Economy Research Institute
Robert Pollin, James Heintz, Heidi-Garrett-Peltier - Political Economy Research InstituteJob Opportunities for the Green Economy: A State-by-State Picture of Occupations that Gain from Green Investments
Robert Pollin, Jeannette Wicks-Lim - Political Economy Research Institute
State Economic Forecasts under Cap-and-Trade Legislation
Robert Pollin, Ben Zipperer
How Low-Income Consumers Would Fare in the Kerry-Lieberman Climate-Change Bill
Dottie Rosenbaum, Sharon Parrott, and Chad Stone - Center for Budget Policy Priorities
Protecting the Poor While Fighting Global Warming
Chad Stone and Hannah Shaw - Center for Budget & Policy Priorities
Costs of Mitigation
The big question for public policy: how expensive will it be to do something about the problem? This complex topic has several subtopics, including:
- No-regrets options — How much can be done for zero net cost? Why hasn’t it been done already?
- Job creation — How do the jobs created by climate policy compare to the jobs lost, in numbers, skill levels, and locations?
- Endogenous technology and path dependence — How do the costs of new low-carbon technologies change as we invest in them and gain experience? What does this imply for long-term cost predictions?
The Economics of 350: The Benefits and Costs of Climate Stabilization
Frank Ackerman, Elizabeth Stanton, Stephen DeCanio, Eban Goodstein, Richard Howarth, Richard B. Norgaard, Catherine S. Norman, Kristen A. Sheeran – E3 Network
The Size of the U.S. Energy Efficiency Market: Generating a More Complete Picture
Karen Ehrhardt-Martinez, John A. “Skip” Laitner - American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy
Appliance and Equipment Efficiency Standards: A Money Maker and Job Creator
Rachel Gold, Steven Nadel, John A. “Skip” Laitner, and Andrew deLaski – American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy
New Jobs — Cleaner Air: Employment Effects - Under Planned Changes to the EPA’s Air Pollution Rules
James Heintz, Heidi Garrett-Peltier, and Ben Zipperer- Political Economy Research Institute
Reducing U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions: How Much at What Cost?
McKinsey Institute
Climate Change Policy as an Economic Redevelopment Opportunity: The Role of Productive Investments in Mitigating Greenhouse Gas Emissions
John A. “Skip” Laitner - American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy
Equity and Global Distribution
Climate protection is a pure public good; emission reductions anywhere benefit people everywhere. What international arrangements are needed to coordinate reductions worldwide and overcome the free-rider problem? What is the appropriate standard of equity in allocating the costs of global policies to nations and individuals?
The Right to Development in a Climate Constrained World
Paul Baer, Tom Athanasiou, Sivan Kartha - EcoEquity
Greenhouse Development Rights Framework
Paul Baer, Tom Athanasiou, Sivan Kartha, Eric Kemp-Benedict - EcoEquity
Europe's Share of the Climate Challenge: Domestic Actions and International Obligations to Protect the Planet
Charles Heaps, Peter Erickson, Sivan Kartha, Eric Kemp-Benedict - Stockholm Environment Institute - US Center