The Social Cost of Carbon
A federal Working Group recently estimated the "social cost of carbon" at around $43 per ton—some two-thirds above an estimate of two years ago. That such a number could serve as the basis for a carbon tax or increased regulations has stirred political apprehensions. But, as RFF’s Joel Darmstadter and Alan Krupnick note, the Working Group analysis has also resonated positively.
In a separate post on RFF’s blog Common Resources, Darmstadter and Krupnick discuss what some have judged as a rejection of the Working Group's effort by MIT’s Robert Pindyck. They write that “a closer parsing of his statements suggests that his point is to stop overselling the precision of [the models] while pressing ahead with a [social cost of carbon] to get the process started.”
Sweden and California as Climate Leaders
Last week, President Obama met with the Swedish Prime Minister to discuss partnering on clean energy issues. He called the nation “an extraordinary leader” in tackling climate change, noting “we can learn from it.”
In the United States, California has played a leading role in developing programs to combat climate change, and RFF’s Dallas Burtraw and colleagues have worked closely with the Golden State to help its leaders implement smart policies. Recently, RFF co-hosted a conference with the Swedish Mistra Indigo program and the ClimateWorks Foundation in San Francisco to analyze the success that California and Sweden have had in forging new ground toward mitigating climate change. Read a summary of the conference, including perspectives from the 19 expert panelists, here: What is the Value of Being First? Perspectives from the California and Sweden Experiences.
