Economic issues of global warming

Climate change is a reality. Its scale and intensity pose major risks for the environment, society and the economy. The poorest regions, with the lowest CO ₂ emissions, will be the hardest hit, exacerbating already precarious situations. For several years now, economists have been mobilizing and developing tools to help and guide policy towards a low-carbon economy. From carbon taxes and quota markets to regulation, education and innovation... economists are proposing a range of tools and levers that sometimes come up against social acceptance or political will. Far from being fatalistic, economists believe that an energy transition, if well managed, should create opportunities, in terms of jobs and innovation in particular, and have a positive impact on the economy as a whole. This article is taken from Revue Générale Nucléaire, May-June 2015 n° 3.