BIOL 1055 Lecture Notes - Lecture 30: 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference, Fuel Efficiency, 2Degrees
Cap and Trade
- Government can reduce number of permits each year to reduce GG emissions
- Flexibility for businesses
- Economic incentive to be efficient
- Pay penalties if you go over your permits
- Carbon offsets — an alternative to buying more permits
Carbon Tax
- Predictable and steady increasing tax on fossil fuels
- Will drive businesses to be more efficient
- Might be simpler and faster way to reduce emissions
- Might increase cost of energy too much
- Politically harder to “sell” than cap/trade
COP 21 (Paris Agreement)
- Goals:
- Keep warming below 2 degrees Celsius
- Zero net emissions by 2nd half of this century
- Rich countries should fund 100 billion/year to poorer countries (by 2020)
COP 23, Bonn (Germany)
- Goals:
Document Summary
Government can reduce number of permits each year to reduce gg emissions. Pay penalties if you go over your permits. Carbon offsets an alternative to buying more permits. Predictable and steady increasing tax on fossil fuels. Will drive businesses to be more efficient. Might be simpler and faster way to reduce emissions. Might increase cost of energy too much. Zero net emissions by 2nd half of this century. Rich countries should fund 100 billion/year to poorer countries (by 2020) Think about how to help vulnerable nations (extreme weather) Think about how to fast-track innovation and solutions. To talk more about oceans and climate change than we"ve been doing so far (impact to oceans, role oceans can play in solutions, etc) Energy independence and security act of 2008 raised vehicle efficiency standards. Clean air act regulates greenhouse gases as of 2008. 7-20% reduction from current emissions for new vehicles.
