Fix The Climate: Advice for Policymakers

Policy Advice

In 2009, the Copenhagen Consensus Center commissioned new research on the economics and feasibility of different responses to global warming, and then used Nobel Laureate economists to evaluate that research and identify the best and worst ways to counter this global challenge. 

Their work centered around the key question, 

"If the global community wants to spend up to, say, $250 billion per year over the next 10 years to diminish the adverse effects of climate changes, and to do the most good for the world, which solutions would yield the greatest net benefits?"

After scrutinizing the 21 research papers, the Expert Panel agreed upon a prioritized list showing the most – and least – effective ways of reining in temperature increases. They concluded that the most effective use of resources would be to invest in:

• Researching solar radiation management technology;
• A technology-led policy response to global warming that is designed to develop green technology faster;
• Researching carbon storage technology;    

In the Advice for Policymakers publication, the authors go a step further, by outlining the arguments for investment in each of the Expert Panel’s top-rated proposals. These papers provide a timely and useful contribution to discussion about the best responses to global warming.