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Paper Presentation : Political Economy of Carbon Policy by Robert Cairns

From

23
4:00 pm October 2019

To

23
6:00 pm October 2019

Climate change is said to be the greatest externality that humanity has ever faced. Greenhouse gases (GHGs) such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) are emitted from various human and natural sources. The human sources have been increasing rapidly in the past couple of generations and are the source of the externality: since the GHGs are quickly diffused throughout the atmosphere, damages caused by the emissions affect everyone, not just the emitters. In effect, the emitters are depleting common property, with a great value, without having to pay for it.

Carbon dioxide or simply carbon for short is most commonly studied because carbon dioxide is emitted from burning fossil fuels for energy. What can be controlled are emissions related to human activities, to a great extent from burning fossil fuels. However, a charge equal to its own social cost should be imposed on any greenhouse gas.

To solve the problem of climate change it is not enough for a jurisdiction to institute a price on carbon unilaterally. An effective, efficient policy must apply a (nearly) uniform, comprehensive, universal charge on carbon emissions, whatever their source.

Through his presentation, Mr Robert Cairns will discuss the Political Economy of Carbon Policy by identifying the existing policy frame as well as the alternatives policies that are being pursued. Mr Cairns will shed the light particularly on the climate policy with a link to the issues of governance and decision making through five study cases namely, China, USA, European Union, India & Russia.

For further information, please contact Ms Imane Lahrich, program officer: i.lahrich@policycenter.ma

 

AGENDA

16:00 – 16:05

Registration

16:05 – 16:15

Bouchra Rahmouni, Director of Research, Partnerships & Events, Policy Center for the New South

16:15 – 18:00 

Paper Presentation: Political Economy of Carbon Policy

Speaker:  Robert Douglas Cairns, Professor, Department of Economics, McGill University

18:00 – 18:30

Coffee break

Speakers