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Valuing the Ozone-Related Health Benefits of Methane Emission Controls

Author

Listed:
  • Marcus C. Sarofim

    (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA, 6207A))

  • Stephanie T. Waldhoff

    (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)

  • Susan C. Anenberg

    (Environmental Health Analytics, LLC)

Abstract

Methane is a greenhouse gas that oxidizes to form ground-level ozone, itself a greenhouse gas and a health-harmful air pollutant. Reducing methane emissions will both slow anthropogenic climate change and reduce ozone-related mortality. We estimate the benefits of reducing methane emissions anywhere in the world for ozone-related premature mortality globally and for eight geographic regions. Our methods are consistent with those used by the US Government to estimate the social cost of carbon (SCC). We find that the global short- and long-term premature mortality benefits due to reduced ozone production from methane mitigation are (2011) $790 and $1775 per tonne methane, respectively. These correspond to approximately 70 and 150 % of the valuation of methane’s global climate impacts using the SCC after extrapolating from carbon dioxide to methane using global warming potential estimates. Results for monetized benefits are sensitive to a number of factors, particularly the choice of elasticity to income growth used when calculating the value of a statistical life. The benefits increase for emission years further in the future. Regionally, most of the global mortality benefits accrue in Asia, but 10 % accrue in the United States. This methodology can be used to assess the benefits of methane emission reductions anywhere in the world, including those achieved by national and multinational policies.

Suggested Citation

  • Marcus C. Sarofim & Stephanie T. Waldhoff & Susan C. Anenberg, 2017. "Valuing the Ozone-Related Health Benefits of Methane Emission Controls," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 66(1), pages 45-63, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:enreec:v:66:y:2017:i:1:d:10.1007_s10640-015-9937-6
    DOI: 10.1007/s10640-015-9937-6
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Waldhoff, Stephanie & Anthoff, David & Rose, Steven K. & Tol, Richard S. J., 2014. "The marginal damage costs of different greenhouse gases: An application of FUND," Economics - The Open-Access, Open-Assessment E-Journal (2007-2020), Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel), vol. 8, pages 1-33.
    2. Hammitt James K. & Robinson Lisa A, 2011. "The Income Elasticity of the Value per Statistical Life: Transferring Estimates between High and Low Income Populations," Journal of Benefit-Cost Analysis, De Gruyter, vol. 2(1), pages 1-29, January.
    3. Marten, Alex L. & Newbold, Stephen C., 2012. "Estimating the social cost of non-CO2 GHG emissions: Methane and nitrous oxide," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 957-972.
    4. David Anthoff & Richard Tol, 2013. "The uncertainty about the social cost of carbon: A decomposition analysis using fund," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 117(3), pages 515-530, April.
    5. Hammitt James K. & Robinson Lisa A, 2011. "The Income Elasticity of the Value per Statistical Life: Transferring Estimates between High and Low Income Populations," Journal of Benefit-Cost Analysis, De Gruyter, vol. 2(1), pages 1-29, January.
    6. David Anthoff & Richard Tol, 2013. "Erratum to: The uncertainty about the social cost of carbon: A decomposition analysis using fund," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 121(2), pages 413-413, November.
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    Cited by:

    1. Jon Sampedro & Stephanie Waldhoff & Marcus Sarofim & Rita Dingenen, 2023. "Marginal Damage of Methane Emissions: Ozone Impacts on Agriculture," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 84(4), pages 1095-1126, April.
    2. Tingru Yang & Wenling Liu, 2019. "Health Effects of Energy Intensive Sectors and the Potential Health Co-Benefits of a Low Carbon Industrial Transition in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(17), pages 1-18, August.
    3. Yabin Da & Yangyang Xu & Bruce McCarl, 2022. "Effects of Surface Ozone and Climate on Historical (1980–2015) Crop Yields in the United States: Implication for Mid-21st Century Projection," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 81(2), pages 355-378, February.
    4. Christian Azar & Jorge García Martín & Daniel JA. Johansson & Thomas Sterner, 2023. "The social cost of methane," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 176(6), pages 1-22, June.

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