An Introduction to Climate Change Economics and Policy

With the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reporting that humans are the "dominant cause" of global warming, interest in the impact and implications of climate change remains very high but there is a dizzying array of data, information and opinion all clambering for attention. Introduction to Climate Change Economics and Policyis a highly accessible introduction to the most relevant research and conclusions from various disciplines. The authors assume no prior knowledge on the part of the reader and start from the basics before building up a comprehensive, critical introduction to the issues and examining the policies that are needed to initiate the transformation to sustainability and avert the worst risks of climate catastrophe.

To emphasise the global nature of the issues, the book explores the impact of climate change on agriculture by providing a critical examination of how current policies that promote poor water usage and soil erosion are risking a catastrophic collapse of agriculture in the poorest and most populous countries in a warming world. The book also offers a critical examination of the constant demand for growth in the economies of rich countries which is a key factor driving climate change. The authors look at economic measures which are being pursued in an attempt to control climate change including switching taxes from labour to carbon and subsidies from fossil and nuclear energy to renewable alternatives as well as demand management and energy saving.

This second edition includes new material on nuclear energy post-Fukushima, the impact of the financial crisis on climate policy and the hype over shale gas to ensure that this book provides a completely up-to-date introduction for anyone interested in the economics and policy of climate change.

Felix FitzRoy is a Professor of Economics at the University of St Andrews.

Eliassos Papyrakis is a senior researcher at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam.