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Low-carbon societies: a challenging transition for an attractive future

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  • JEAN-CHARLES HOURCADE
  • RENAUD CRASSOUS

Abstract

The Low-Carbon Society (LCS) research project (Strachan et al., 2008a) is examined for its insights about the scale, nature and timing of the deployment of low-carbon technologies. In addition to 'carbon price only' policies, other incentives and demand-side efforts are needed in order to embed climate policies into broader development approaches. The question of what constitutes transition pathways is considered. Fundamental institutional, individual and social changes are needed to accompany economic and technological change as energy is embedded in overall development patterns. The cost assessment of decarbonization policies may be too optimistic if it is only considered as the final outcome of a LCS, and if the inevitable hindrances and setbacks along the transition pathway are disregarded. The significance of transition costs is highlighted, together with their causes: social and short- and medium-term economic costs and adjustments in macroeconomic dynamics. Although the overall welfare costs of LCS are likely to be smaller than the benefits (including the co-benefits), a clear and realistic understanding of potential transition difficulties is necessary in order to define the robust policy mix needed to underpin it.

Suggested Citation

  • Jean-Charles Hourcade & Renaud Crassous, 2008. "Low-carbon societies: a challenging transition for an attractive future," Climate Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 8(6), pages 607-612, November.
  • Handle: RePEc:taf:tcpoxx:v:8:y:2008:i:6:p:607-612
    DOI: 10.3763/cpol.2008.0566
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Stern,Nicholas, 2007. "The Economics of Climate Change," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521700801, January.
    2. Robert Stavins & Judson Jaffe & Todd Schatzki, 2007. "Too Good to Be True? An Examination of Three Economic Assessments of California Climate Change Policy," NBER Working Papers 13587, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
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    Cited by:

    1. Strand, Jon & Miller, Sebastian & Siddiqui, Sauleh, 2011. "Infrastructure investments under uncertainty with the possibility of retrofit : theory and simulations," Policy Research Working Paper Series 5516, The World Bank.
    2. Ottmar Edenhofer & Susanne Kadner & Christoph von Stechow & Gregor Schwerhoff & Gunnar Luderer, 2014. "Linking climate change mitigation research to sustainable development," Chapters, in: Giles Atkinson & Simon Dietz & Eric Neumayer & Matthew Agarwala (ed.), Handbook of Sustainable Development, chapter 30, pages 476-499, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    3. Céline Guivarch & Renaud Crassous & Olivier Sassi & Stéphane Hallegatte, 2011. "The costs of climate policies in a second-best world with labour market imperfections," Climate Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 11(1), pages 768-788, January.
    4. Céline Guivarch & Renaud Crassous & Olivier Sassi & Stéphane Hallegatte, 2009. "The costs of climate policies in a second best world with labour market," CIRED Working Papers hal-00866429, HAL.
    5. Wakiyama, Takako & Zusman, Eric & Monogan, James E., 2014. "Can a low-carbon-energy transition be sustained in post-Fukushima Japan? Assessing the varying impacts of exogenous shocks," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 654-666.
    6. Anna Davies & Niamh Kirwan, 2010. "Rescaling climate justice: sub-national issues and innovations for low carbon futures," The Institute for International Integration Studies Discussion Paper Series iiisdp340, IIIS.
    7. Xiangsheng Dou & Huanying Cui, 2017. "Low-carbon society creation and socio-economic structural transition in China," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 19(5), pages 1577-1599, October.
    8. Lin, Weiming & Chen, Jianling & Zheng, Yi & Dai, Yongwu, 2019. "Effects of the EU Emission Trading Scheme on the international competitiveness of pulp-and-paper industry," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).
    9. Strand, Jon & Miller, Sebastian & Siddiqui, Sauleh, 2014. "Long-run carbon emission implications of energy-intensive infrastructure investments with a retrofit option," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 308-317.

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