Climate Policies: A Burden, or a Gain?

Thierry Brechet and Henry Tulkens
Authors registered in the RePEc Author Service: Thierry Bréchet and Henry Tulkens

The Energy Journal, 2015, vol. Volume 36, issue Number 3

Abstract: That climate policies are costly is evident and therefore often create major fears. But the alternative (no action) also has a cost. Therefore, mitigation costs netted of the damage costs avoided are the only figure that can seriously be considered as the "genuine cost" of a policy. We elaborate on this view of a policy's cost by distinguishing between its "direct" cost component and its avoided damage cost component; we then confront the two so as to evaluate its genuine cost. As damages avoided are equivalent to the benefits generated, this brings climate policies naturally in the realm of benefit-cost analysis. However, the sheer benefit-cost criterion may not be a sufficient incentive for a country to be induced to cooperate internationally, a necessary condition for an effective global climate policy. We therefore also explore how to make use of this criterion in the context of international climate cooperation.

JEL-codes: F0 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Related works:
Journal Article: Climate Policies: A Burden, or a Gain? (2015)
Working Paper: Climate policies: a burden, or a gain? (2015)
Working Paper: Climate Policies: A Burden or a Gain? (2013)
Working Paper: Climate Policies: A Burden or a Gain? (2013)
Working Paper: Climate policies: a burden or a gain? (2013)
Working Paper: Climate Policies: a Burden or a Gain? (2013)
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