Discounting in integrated assessments of climate change

doi:10.1016/0301-4215(95)90165-4

Energy Policy

Volume 23, Issues 4–5, April–May 1995, Pages 403-409

https://doi.org/10.1016/0301-4215(95)90165-4 Get rights and content

Abstract

One of the key decisions that economists working on integrated studies of climate change face is the selection of the method of accounting for damages resulting from possible climate change across a long temporal scale and the method for the intertemporal comparison of the costs associated with possible greenhouse gas abatement strategies. Sensitivity tests show that the method applied and the resulting discount rate has a major impact on the optimal climate strategy. The paper is intended to provide a short review of the various techniques that have been proposed and applied in various integrated models of climate change. The underlying problem is as follows. We can attempt to be consistent with the economic theory and empirical observations, but in this case the derived discount rate will be on the order of 5 to 8%. As a result, even possibly significant damages from climate change turn out to be negligible when considered at their present value. The artificially low discount rate based on ethical reasoning, on the other hand, makes our climate related decisions and resource allocations inconsistent with the majority of other public policy decisions.

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PaperDiscounting in integrated assessments of climate change

Abstract

Energy Policy

Journal of Environmental Economics and Management

Counting the Cost of Global Warming

The Economics of Global Warming

Reducing Global Carbon Emissions: Costs and Policy Options

The economic costs of global warming: some monetary estimates

The social costs of greenhouse gas emissions: an expected value approach

The Energy Journal

A primer on the major issues relating to the discount rate for evaluating national energy options

Paper
Discounting in integrated assessments of climate change