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Why Climate Matters: Pricing Climate

2025/1/29
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Why It Matters

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Kate Mackenzie
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Michael Greenstone
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@Kate Mackenzie : 我认为从经济角度讨论气候变化能引起更多人的关注。在美国,人们对政治化问题很谨慎,所以在金融和经济背景下谈论气候变化更安全。用简单的标准来分析气候变化,能让人们更容易理解。2020年是关键一年,我们需要尽快降低排放增长率。目前的排放轨迹不符合目标,国际进程和各国履行《巴黎协定》承诺的程度也存在问题。我们不应依赖疫情来改善环境。在金融市场中,气候变化主要通过碳密集型经济转型和物理风险影响企业。投资煤炭公司风险很高,因为气候法规和可再生能源会降低其价值。气候变化的物理风险会导致企业和经济损失。金融市场具有前瞻性,一旦市场参与者看到气候变化的出现,就会开始将其纳入定价。BlackRock是世界上最大的资产管理公司,其行动具有重要影响。他们期望公司提供更多信息披露,并威胁说,如果公司董事未能充分披露气候风险,将投票反对重新任命。Larry Fink强调,讨论气候变化是为了盈利和回报,而不是政治或道德议程。监管对于实现广泛的企业变革至关重要,因为企业受到现有规则和惯例的约束,而这些规则和惯例的制定并没有考虑到气候变化。 @Michael Greenstone : 我认为公司开始尝试发挥领导作用,但任何一家公司所能完成的事情都是有限的。微软和苹果在减少自身排放方面做得非常出色。一些公司在公开场合宣称环保,但实际行动却无关紧要,这被称为“漂绿”。最有效的排放监管类型是对二氧化碳征收价格或税,然后让市场决定在哪里进行最便宜的减排。欧盟和美国东海岸的一些州以及加利福尼亚州都有成功的碳排放总量管制和交易计划。美国政府应该设定社会碳成本,每减少一吨二氧化碳,就能产生实际效益。市场是人们的信念和政府的构建,政府设定了规则,如果没有政府政策,市场很难系统地做出反应。政府制定强有力的气候政策后,市场会对化石燃料的使用和生产进行重新评估。在正确的政策和激励措施下,市场可以释放其力量来帮助减缓气候变化,而不是加速气候变化。气候变化是全球性的,如果世界其他地区不认为减少排放是有利的,那么很难取得很大进展。我们应该将气候变化危机视为全球能源挑战,包含确保社会获得廉价可靠的能源、避免空气污染的健康影响以及降低气候变化的可能性这三个主要目标。仅靠美国减少碳排放是不够的,需要找到能够缓解全球能源挑战相关权衡的创新方法。经济中价格信号的影响力非常强大,例如保险公司提高沿海房屋的保险费率。对物理影响和政策进行定价非常重要,人们对明确而强烈的价格信号的反应远胜于慈善呼吁。

Deep Dive

Chapters
This chapter introduces the concept of pricing climate change, highlighting the conflict between profit and environmental protection. It sets the stage by discussing the rising costs of climate disasters and the changing stances of major financial institutions on climate action.
  • Larry Fink, CEO of BlackRock, initially recognized climate risk as investment risk but later withdrew from climate action groups.
  • The episode explores whether financial incentives can encourage businesses and individuals to reduce their carbon footprint.
  • The economic dilemma of climate change and the potential role of financial markets in mitigating it are discussed.

Shownotes Transcript

What does it mean to price our climate? The goal of fees like the “carbon tax” is to put a price on pollutants such as carbon dioxide that contribute to climate change, and incentivize businesses to reduce their emissions and make cleaner choices. But many companies are continuing to value profit over protecting the planet, backing out of their clean energy goals and sinking more money into fossil fuels and other short-term investments that harm the Earth. This has been happening for years, but has ramped up in anticipation of a new Trump administration which has pulled away from climate initiatives like the Paris Accord and Inflation Reduction Act since taking office.

This episode was originally released on July 29, 2020.

Featured Guests

Kate Mackenzie, Green Columnist, Bloomberg

Michael Greenstone, Professor of Economics, University of Chicago

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/pricing-our-climate