What is the Social Cost of Carbon?

WHAT IS THE SOCIAL COST OF CARBON? WRI Launches Platform for Environmental Insights . WRI provides independent, unbiased research, expert analysis and recommendations on the most important environmental issues facing the world today. But in today's rapid-fire, fragmented information culture, understanding can be increasingly hard to come by. WRI Insights provides a measure of clarity to pressing sustainability issues that are often complex but can be made more accessible through conversation and exchange - in plain language.   The "Social Cost of Carbon" and Climate Change Policy . Economist Frank Ackerman has called the "social cost of carbon" the most important number you never heard of. The Obama Administration (and the Bush Administration before it) uses the social cost of carbon to assess the benefits of regulations that would limit emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2). What is the social cost of carbon, where do the numbers come from, and why should policymakers take care when using them? Full story >>> Related report: More than Meets the Eye: The Social Cost of Carbon in U.S. Climate Policy, in Plain English Six Things Companies Need to Know About Climate Change Adaptation . Businesses worldwide are beginning to see the risks and economic impacts of more frequent and intense storms, water scarcity, declining agricultural productivity and poor health. In a survey of global businesses, 86% described responding to climate risks or investing in adaptation as a business opportunity. A new study - by the UN Global Compact, UNEP, Oxfam and WRI - makes the business case for private sector adaptation to climate change in ways that build the resilience of vulnerable communities in developing countries. Full story >>> Related report: Adapting for a Green Economy: Companies, Communities and Climate Change   Improved Internet Access Brings Better Mapping and Spatial Data to Kenya. Spatial information - including where different populations live and where natural resources are located - is essential for sound development planning and decision-making. A new website, Virtual Kenya, opens up a wealth of maps and spatial data about the country for citizens and students to use. Member of Parliament Hon. Dr. Wilbur Ottichilo explains, "You can't talk of planning without information. This country has failed for the last forty years in our endeavor to develop because planning has not been based on information, but on political whims. I want planning to be objective, and to be able to do that, you need information."           Full story >>>   San Francisco Launches Solar@Work . The City of San Francisco launched Solar@Work, a new program that offers solar energy systems to businesses in the Bay Area through an innovative group purchase model. The new program makes it possible, for the first time, for small- and mid-sized businesses and commercial property owners to pay less for solar power than they pay for electricity from the grid, without local rebates. As the first major commercial group purchase of solar power in the United States, Solar@Work will bring together interested participants to buy more than 2MW of solar power over the next 6 months.           Full story >>>   Should America Follow Europe's Lead On Energy? . Should the U.S. follow other nations' lead in prohibiting certain types of energies and technologies because of their environmental and health risks? Jennifer Morgan responds, "As the United States sorts out its next moves on energy policies to enhance long-term security and strengthen its economy, policymakers will need to weigh both benefits and risks of various energy sources. Looking at what other countries are doing is a good place to start. European countries' recent moves have one thing in common: each is moving to cleaner energy sources and greater energy efficiency."           Full story >>>   Are Governments Ready For Rio 2012? In late spring 2011, The Access Initiative (TAI) submitted 5 questions to governments focusing on how states were progressing in their preparations for Rio+20 and implementing this principle nationally. The "5 Questions Campaign" asked 24 governments questions related to Rio+20; governments were given 60 days to respond. Fifteen of the 24 governments responded with information directly related to the questions; most provided indefinite progress reports and were non-committal in their preparation efforts.           Full story >>>   EMBARQ Report Presents Transportation Strategies to Reduce U.S. Oil Consumption and Greenhouse Gas Emissions. A new EMBARQ report - The Role of Driving in Reducing GHG Emissions and Oil Consumption: Recommendations for Federal Transportation Policy - explores future U.S. transportation scenarios to evaluate how the U.S. can reduce oil consumption and cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through improvements in transportation technology and reductions in the amount Americans drive. The report analyzes driving reductions necessary to meet target levels for GHG emissions and oil consumption suggested in recent legislation.           Full story >>>   The Right Mix: The Philippines Achieving Its Renewable Energy Goals . The global energy system is undergoing a transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy. There are clear signs that the pace of change is accelerating. 2009 was the second year in a row that more money was invested worldwide in renewable electricity generation projects than in fossil fuel-powered plants, according to data published by the United Nations. Many people are under the impression that the transition to renewable energy is being led by developed countries, while developing countries follow. To the contrary, preliminary analysis finds that developing countries are at the forefront of renewable energy policies.           Full story >>> Related working paper: Grounding Green Power: Bottom-Up Perspectives on Smart Renewable Energy Policy in Developing Countries   "Looking for the Radical:" Clean Energy Game-Changers in Asia . Jennifer Morgan delivered the following speech at the closing plenary of the 6th Annual Asian Clean Energy Forum in Manila, Philippines. Morgan explained, "Asia is particularly vulnerable to climate change, and for some countries in this region, how the world responds to the climate crisis is an issue of survival. It is therefore essential that Asia is moving towards a clean energy economy, faster than many other regions in the world. This week, we've learned that countries are already making this shift. However, we all know that it is not yet at the scale or speed necessary to avoid the very dangerous impacts."           Full story >>>   "Shocking" New Report Confirms Threats to World's Oceans and Reefs . A IPSO/IUCN report on the state of the world's oceans gained considerable attention last month. The report warns that combined threats to oceans are creating conditions where there is "a high risk of entering a phase of extinction of marine species unprecedented in human history." Dr. Alex Rogers, scientific director of the IPSO, calls the new findings "shocking." While to some this language may seem extreme, the reality is that an unprecedented range of threats - most caused by caused by human activity - are coming together to challenge the health of oceans and underwater life.           Full story >>>   New Fact Sheet Helps Chesapeake Bay States Design Nutrient Trading Programs . Last December, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) that establish the amount of nutrient and sediment pollution that the Bay and its tidal tributaries can safely receive each year. The TMDLs divide the pollution loads among sources, such as urban areas regulated for stormwater runoff, wastewater treatment plants, and agricultural lands. Now, responsibility for implementing the TMDLs falls to states in the Bay watershed that have been delegated authority from EPA to run water quality programs.           Full story >>>     Find out more about WRI's ongoing work - visit WRI in the News. Invest in Results. Give Today. Today's environmental challenges are complex and global in nature. They call for visionary and ambitious action grounded in sound science and objective analysis - the kind of action that has distinguished WRI's record of effectiveness for over 25 years. Through donations from individuals and organizations, WRI achieves results like those accomplished through our Project POTICO efforts in Indonesia. Deforestation in Indonesia is caused in part by the expansion of oil palm plantations. But what if Indonesia used "degraded" land - areas that were already cleared of forests and now have low levels of biodiversity and low carbon stocks - instead of forested land? WRI's Project POTICO and local partner Sekala articulated this new approach, developed a methodology for identifying acceptable degraded lands, mapped them, initiated an on-the-ground pilot, and built support for the strategy among local groups, businesses, and decision-makers. In May 2010, the President of Indonesia declared a new national strategy to develop oil palm plantations on degraded land, instead of on forests or peatlands. Furthermore, Norway and the U.K. committed significant funding to support this strategy. Your gift to WRI will help us to continue to achieve results through our activities and partnerships. We value each dollar invested in WRI and hold ourselves accountable for delivering a positive change in the world. Become a partner in our work -- make a tax-deductible donation online or mail your gift to: