Francisco C. de la Chesnaye

Human-induced climate change: An interdisciplinary assessment

Bringing together many of the world’s leading experts, this volume is a comprehensive, state-of-the-art review of climate change science, impacts, mitigation, adaptation, and policy. It provides an integrated assessment of research on the key topics that underlie current controversial policy questions. The first part of the book addresses recent topics and findings related to the physical–biological earth system, including air pollution–climate interactions, climate interactions with the carbon cycle, and quantitative probability estimates of climate sensitivity and change. The next part of the book surveys estimates of the impacts of climate change for different sectors and regions, describes recent studies for individual sectors, and examines how this research might be used in the policy process. The third part examines current topics related to mitigation of greenhouse gases and explores the potential roles of various technological options that would limit greenhouse-gas emissions and enhance terrestrial carbon sinks. The last part focuses on policy design under uncertainty. Dealing with the scientific, economic, and policy questions at the forefront of the climate change issue, this book will be invaluable for graduate students, researchers, and policymakers interested in all aspects of climate change and the issues that surround it.

Cost-effective reductions of non-CO2 greenhouse gases

Abstract To date, most of the focus on greenhouse gas emission reductions has been on energy-related CO 2 emissions. This is understandable since CO 2 emissions currently account for about 82 percent of the total US greenhouse gas emissions weighted by 100-year global warming potentials (EPA, www.epa.gov/globalwarming/publications/emissions, 2001a). 1 However, a number of analyses suggest that the non-CO 2 greenhouse gases included in the Kyoto Protocol—methane, nitrous oxide, and the high-GWP (global warming potential) gases (HFCs, PFCs, and SF 6 )—can make a significant contribution to cost-effective emission reductions for the US and other countries. Our current estimate for the US is a reduction in non-CO 2 emissions of 105 million metric tons of carbon equivalent (MMTCE) at

The Potential for Cost-Effective Reductions of Non-Carbon Dioxide Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the U.S.

50/ton carbon equivalent in 2010. This paper provides a perspective on the current and projected emissions of greenhouse gas; outlines the potential methods for achieving emissions reductions for various sources; and summarizes several recent studies on the cost of reductions for the US and other countries. Although the paper does not specifically address the potential for reductions of these gases in individual countries outside the US and the European Union, its findings are generally applicable to many countries.

Overview of EMF-21: Multigas Mitigation and Climate Policy

To date, most of the economic analyses of greenhouse gas emission reductions have focused on energy-related carbon emissions since carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions currently account for about 82 percent of the total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions weighted by 100-year global warming potentials (EPA, 1999a). A number of recent analyses, however, suggest that the inclusion of mitigation options for the non-CO2 greenhouse gases included in the Kyoto Protocol — methane, nitrous oxide, and the high GWP (global warming potential) gases (HFCs, PFCs, and SF6) — can make a significant contribution to cost-effective emission reductions for the U.S.