Contraction And Convergence Flashcards
Who first riposted the concept of carbon capture and storage
The global commons institute
What is the global asymmetry in CO2 emissions?
1/3 of the population have 94% of the global purchasing power and emit 90% of greenhouse gas emissions
What is contraction
Rapid reduction of GHG emissions by the rich
What is convergence
Permitted small increases in GHG emissions by the poor
What is contraction and convergence
So emissions per capita by all converge resulting in a trajectory towards a stable CO2 concentration
What is the advantage of contraction and convergence?
It recognises an equal right to emit CO2, addressing unequal power relations
What did David King, the former uk chief scientific advisor, say in 2008
Europe needs to reduce its annual per capita emissions by 80% from 11 tonnes CO2 per person to Indias current level of 2.2 tonnes per person by 2050
Why should countries work together to stop climate change?
It is a global problem that requires a global solution
How could developing countries benefit economically from contraction and convergence?
Hey could sell their surplus emissions to the developed world at a profit
They would also have a clear incentive to reinvest the profits into zero emissions technologies, making this a vast growth sector
Why is Cand C such a manageable solution?
Because negotiations are reduced to just 2 variables: the rate of contraction and the date of convergence
Therefore an equitable framework is more likely to be achieved by all countries
Why does smith (2006) argue that contraction and convergence wouldn’t work in the real world?
Because it would only work by being enforceable, which implies effective international policing
“There is no mileage in morality when affluent lifestyles are threatened”
What does smith suggest might make it work?
A focus on the decarbonising of energy at source rather than changes in individual behaviour
What does smith (2009) suggest to decarbonise industry?
Technologies drawing energy from renewable sources: wind, rivers, seas
Tidal, wave and wind power could more than match today’s nuclear power output
