Hopes for a climate deal were mercilessly shattered at Copenhagen and each of the successive COPs since then. One result is that “green growth” is promoted almost as if it were an alternative path. Obviously, green growth is in fact the goal, but the phrase is not a magic wand. The world economy will require tough policy instruments to become green — and it is naïve to think otherwise.
Even green growth will boost the demand for energy and coal is normally the cheapest source. The magnitude of the challenge is all the greater if we also consider the problems related to nuclear energy and, in some instances, to bioenergy (such as its competition for land that may be essential for the poor). This paper discusses some necessary ingredients for a long-term global climate strategy. We will still need a worldwide climate deal but, as we wait for the final (and maybe elusive) treaty, we must find intermediate policies that make sense and facilitate the development of such a treaty.
(Article in French)
