Beyond Kyoto

Mitigating climate change will require profound changes in world energy production and use. While the full effects of climate change are not likely to be felt for decades, the need for action is more immediate, for changes in greenhouse gas concentrations are almost irreversible. Solutions exist in the form of energy efficiency improvements, fuel switching to non-carbon sources, and carbon recovery and storage. But the long-term costs of mitigation and the precise extent and pace of climate damage remain uncertain. So policy-makers face the task of conceiving and implementing measures in a context of uncertainty - and global inequity -, and run the risk of taking either excessive or insufficient action. This volume details the options available in the energy sector to reduce climate change. It explores the type of international agreement that could cope with the uncertainty inherent in implementing a climate program at the national and international level. It identifies mechanisms to deal with both international equity and economic uncertainty, and addresses the fundamental question: how can we proceed beyond Kyoto?