Confronting Greenhouse Challenges

📖 The Scoop

Canada and 168 other countries signed the Framework Convention on Climate Change in 1992, which called for industrial countries to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2000 and to stabilize them subsequently. The general inability to meet Convention goals has been evident for some time, and this paper puts forward the argument that Canada should continue to promote a voluntary approach to reaching any Convention targets, supplemented by development of a framework for a mandatory approach to GHG emissions reduction. The paper introduces as background the key facts, uncertainties, and risks with regard to global warming and GHG emissions. It then discusses the economics of controlling such emissions with reference to such matters as technical progress, capital stock turnover, and international trade and capital flows. Finally, criteria and principles are offered for effective action by Canada that takes into account costs of emissions reduction and their equitable distribution. These criteria are used to assess available instruments available to reduce GHG emissions or to curtail or offset their growth.

Genre: Science / Global Warming & Climate Change (fancy, right?)