Each week, I review the papers, studies, reports, and briefings posted over at the RFF Library Blog.
House Resolution on Climate Change
[The Hill] On September 17, Rep. Chris Gibson (R-N.Y.) and 10 House Republican colleagues introduced a resolution calling upon the House of Representatives to work constructively to address climate change through mitigation efforts and efforts to balance human activities. The resolution affirms our moral obligation to steward our environment and economy responsibly for future generations and vulnerable peoples. It also recognizes the harmful effects climate change is already having upon human health, ecosystems, national security, and the economy. - via US House of Representatives
Go Climate Neutral Now: Online Platform for Voluntary Cancellation of Certified Emission Reductions (CER)
[From Press Release] Today, at the climate week in New York, the UN launched the “Go Climate Neutral Now” initiative– a new online platform to purchase carbon offsets generated by its Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). The initiative attempts to boost demand for CDM credits on the voluntary carbon market and for the aviation sector but fails to dodge the sale of bogus carbon offsets. - via UN
How Much Carbon Pricing is in Countries’ Own Interests? The Critical Role of Co-Benefits
This paper calculates, for the top twenty emitting countries, how much pricing of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions is in their own national interests due to domestic co-benefits (leaving aside the global climate benefits). On average, nationally efficient prices are substantial, $57.5 per ton of CO2 (for year 2010), reflecting primarily health co-benefits from reduced air pollution at coal plants and, in some cases, reductions in automobile externalities (net of fuel taxes/subsidies). Pricing co-benefits reduces CO2 emissions from the top twenty emitters by 13.5 percent (a 10.8 percent reduction in global emissions). However, co-benefits vary dramatically across countries (e.g., with population exposure to pollution) and differentiated pricing of CO2 emissions therefore yields higher net benefits (by 23 percent) than uniform pricing. Importantly, the efficiency case for pricing carbon’s co-benefits hinges critically on (i) weak prospects for internalizing other externalities through other pricing instruments and (ii) productive use of carbon pricing revenues. - via Belfer Center, Kennedy School, Harvard Univ. / Ian Parry, Chandara Veung, Dirk Heine
Weathering the Next Storm: A Closer Look at Business Resilience
[Press Release] …“Weathering the Next Storm: A Closer Look at Business Resilience,” released today at Climate Week NYC, examines how companies are preparing for climate risks and what is keeping them from doing more. C2ES also suggests companies and cities collaborate to strengthen climate resilience… - via Center for Climate and Energy Solutions / Katy Maher and Janet Peace
Exploring Nature-based Solutions — The Role of Green Infrastructure in Mitigating the Impacts of Weather- and Climate Change-related Natural Hazards
This report focuses on certain types of extreme events and natural hazards at European scale that will be very likely amplified by ongoing climate change, i.e. landslides, avalanches, floods and storm surges. In addition, the report also touches upon the green infrastructure and ecosystem services contributing to global climate regulation. The analysis is carried out using spatially explicit data centred on the physical capacity of ecosystems to deliver services that can mitigate natural hazard risks. - via European Environment Agency
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