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Many analyses of what the conflict in the Middle East means for China's energy security have rightly focused on China's oil and natural gas imports from the region.
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For years, the energy transition was discussed as a shift that would happen in steady, predictable increments. But the last 24 months have shattered that illusion. Energy providers...
External Publications by Noah Kaufman & Peter Marsters • August 17, 2020
The social cost of carbon (SCC) is commonly described and used as the optimal CO2 price. However, the wide range of SCC estimates provides limited practical assistance to policymakers setting specific CO2 prices. Here we describe an alternate near-term to net zero (NT2NZ) approach, estimating CO2 prices needed in the near term for consistency with a net-zero CO2 emissions target. This approach dovetails with the emissions-target-focused approach that frames climate policy discussions around the world, avoids uncertainties in estimates of climate damages and long-term decarbonization costs, offers transparency about sensitivities and enables the consideration of CO2 prices alongside a portfolio of policies. We estimate illustrative NT2NZ CO2 prices for the United States; for a 2050 net-zero CO2 emission target, prices are US$34 to US$64 per metric ton in 2025 and US$77 to US$124 in 2030. These results are most influenced by assumptions about complementary policies and oil prices.
On March 20, Governor Kathy Hochul proposed significant changes to New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA), the landmark climate law passed in 2019.
In January 2026, the UK government publicly released an intelligence report analyzing the security implications of global environmental destruction.
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External Publications by Noah Kaufman & Peter Marsters • August 17, 2020