The New Climate Economy

Here's a new report coauthored by Nicholas Stern, the author of the ground-breaking 2006 Stern Review, and a blue-ribbon team of politicos, investment bankers and captains o' industry. Published under the auspices of the UK government and six other countries, including Sweden and Norway -- three technologically advanced industrialized nations -- it comes with fairly significant mainstream credentials, and even greater Keynesian economic chops.

The economics of the report are essentially what I've been calling "Green Keynesianism", albeit without the direct challenge to China, Russia, and other dictatorships that I advocate.

Expect a major media backlash from the Koch-funded denialist organizations. This report will put them on the back foot.

Obviously we'll be talking about this in class.

Here's the "about" page excerpted:

The Global Commission on the Economy and Climate is a major new international initiative to analyse and communicate the economic benefits and costs of acting on climate change. Chaired by former President of Mexico Felipe Calderón, the Commission comprises former heads of government and finance ministers and leaders in the fields of economics and business.

The New Climate Economy is the Commission’s flagship project. It aims to provide independent and authoritative evidence on the relationship between actions which can strengthen economic performance and those which reduce the risk of dangerous climate change. It will report in September 2014.

The project is being undertaken by a global partnership of research institutes and a core team led by Programme Director Jeremy Oppenheim. An Advisory Panel of world-leading economists, chaired by Lord Nicholas Stern will carry out an expert review of the work.

We are working with a number of other institutions in various aspects of the research programme, including the World Bank and regional development banks, the International Monetary Fund, International Energy Agency, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, United Nations agencies and a variety of other research institutes around the world.

The Global Commission on the Economy and Climate was commissioned by seven countries – Colombia, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Norway, South Korea, Sweden and the United Kingdom – as an independent initiative to report to the international community.

And here's the link to the video introduction:

http://newclimateeconomy.report/