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Time discounting and long-run issues: the controversy raised by the Stern Review of the economics of climate change

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  • Olivier Godard

Abstract

The Stern Review on the economics of climate change has been a huge international event. It also raised an ardent controversy on the use of economic methodology. Did the Stern team cook the book to reach desired catastrophic outcomes? This paper is focused on the specific debate on time discounting when the far distant future is at stake. Examining arguments of protagonists, it concludes that the Stern Review's foundations were consistent with the utilitarian philosophy without falling into empirically erring conclusions, while critics of the Review had to reveal the dubious set of assumptions on which their own views were based. But the standard translation of utilitarianism into cost-benefit analysis can be questioned. Various avenues of progress are identified. Copyright 2009 The Author. Journal compilation 2009 Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries.

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  • Olivier Godard, 2009. "Time discounting and long-run issues: the controversy raised by the Stern Review of the economics of climate change," OPEC Energy Review, Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, vol. 33(1), pages 1-22, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:opecrv:v:33:y:2009:i:1:p:1-22
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    Cited by:

    1. Mouez Fodha, 2015. "Nuclear waste storage and environmental intergenerational externalities," International Journal of Sustainable Development, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 18(1/2), pages 94-114.
    2. repec:hal:pseose:insu-01105358 is not listed on IDEAS

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