THREE VIEWS OF TWO DEGREES

Carlo Jaeger () and Julia Jaeger
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Carlo Jaeger: Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Telegraphenberg A 31, 14473 Potsdam, Germany;
Julia Jaeger: European Climate Forum (ECF), P. O. Box 60064, 14406 Potsdam, Germany

Climate Change Economics (CCE), 2010, vol. 01, issue 03, 145-166

Abstract: Limiting global warming to 2°Celsius above pre-industrial global mean temperature has become a widely endorsed goal for climate policy. It has also been severely criticized. We show how the limit emerged out of a marginal remark in an early paper about climate policy and distinguish three possible views of it. The catastrophe view sees it as the threshold separating a domain of safety from a domain of catastrophe. The cost-benefit view sees it as a strategy to optimize the relation between the costs and benefits of climate policy. The focal point view sees it as a solution to a complex coordination problem. We argue that the focal point view is the most appropriate. It leads to an emphasis on implementing effective steps towards a near-zero emissions economy, without panicking in the face of a possible temporary overshooting. After several decades of practical experiences, the focal point may or may not be redefined on the basis of knowledge gathered thanks to these experiences.

Keywords: 2 degree limit; climate policy; dangerous anthropogenic interference; tipping points; cost-benefit analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2010
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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DOI: 10.1142/S2010007810000133

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