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Friday 23 august 2024
What has worked to fight climate change?

Policies where someone pays for polluting, study finds

They bunched the policies
Continued from Front in four broad categories —
pricing, regulations, subsidies
"The key ingredient if you and information — and ana-
want to reduce emissions is lyzed four distinct sectors of
that you have pricing in the the economy: electricity,
policy mix," said study co-au- transportation, buildings and
thor Nicolas Koch, a climate industry.
economist at the Potsdam In what Koch called "the
Institute for Climate Impact reverse causal approach,"
Research in Germany. "If the team looked for emis-
subsidies and regulations sion drops of 5% or more in
come alone or in a mix with different sectors of countries'
each other, you won't see economies and then figured
major emission reductions. out what caused them with
But when price instruments help of observations and ma-
come in the mix like a car- chine learning. Researchers
bon energy tax then they compared emissions to simi-
will deliver those substantial lar nations as control groups
emissions reductions." and accounted for weather
The study also found that and other factors, Koch said.
what works in rich nations An offshore wind farm is visible from the beach in Hartlepool, England, Nov. 12, 2019. The team created a statisti-
doesn't always work as well Associated Press cally transparent approach
in developing ones. that others can use to up-
Still, it shows the power of the stituted a mix of 11 different the 63 successful instances "It basically shows we have to date or reproduce it, includ-
purse when fighting climate policies starting in 2012, in- of climate policies trimmed do a better job," said Koch, ing an interactive website
change, something econo- cluding a phaseout of coal 600 million to 1.8 billion met- who is also head of the policy where users can choose
mists always suspected, said and a pricing scheme involv- ric tons of the heat-trapping evaluation lab at the Merca- nations and economic sec-
several outside policy ex- ing emission trading, which gas, the study found. Last tor Research Institute in Berlin. tors to see what's worked.
perts, climate scientists and he said nearly halved emis- year the world spewed 36.8 Niklas Hohne at Germany's And it could eventually be
economists who praised the sions — "a huge effect." billion metric tons of carbon New Climate Institute, who applied to the 2022 Biden
study. Of the 63 success stories, the dioxide while burning fossil wasn't part of the study said: climate package, he said.
"We won't crack the climate biggest reduction was seen fuels and making cement. "The world really needs to That package was heavy on
problem in wealthier nations in South Africa's building sec- If every major country some- make a step change, move subsidies.
until the polluter pays," said tor, where a combination how learned the lesson of into emergency mode and John Sterman, a manage-
Rob Jackson, a Stanford Uni- of regulation, subsidies and this analysis and enacted make the impossible possi- ment professor at MIT Sloan
versity climate scientist and labeling of appliances cut the policies that work best, ble." Sustainability Institute who
author of the book Clear Blue emissions nearly 54%. it would only shrink the United Koch and his team looked wasn't part of the research,
Sky. "Other policies help, but The only success story in the Nations "emissions gap" of 23 at emissions and efforts to said politicians find it easier
nibble around the edges." United States was in transpor- billion metric tons of all green- reduce them in 41 countries to pass policies that subsidize
"Carbon pricing puts the tation. Emissions dropped 8% house gases by about 26%, between 1998 and 2022 —so and promote low-carbon
onus on the owners and from 2005 to 2011 thanks to the study found. The gap is it doesn't include the United technologies. He said that's
products causing the cli- a mix of fuel standards — the difference between how States' nearly $400 billion in not enough.
mate crisis," Jackson said in which amount to regulation much carbon the world is on climate-fighting spending "It's also necessary to dis-
an email. — and subsidies. track to put in the air in 2030 package passed two years courage fossil fuels by pric-
A great example of what Yet even the policy tools that and the amount that would ago as a cornerstone of Pres- ing them closer to their full
works is in the electricity sec- seem to work still barely put keep warming at or below ident Joe Biden's environ- costs, including the costs of
tor in the United Kingdom, a dent in ever-rising carbon internationally agreed upon mental policy — and logged the climate damage they
Koch said. That country in- dioxide emissions. Overall, levels. 1,500 different policy actions. cause," he said.q

USPS proposes changes to save $3B

per year, starting in 2025

track some delivery sched- take place next year are the proposed changes will
ules with greater precision. necessary to "enable us to be discussed with stake-
Election mail won't be af- operate more efficiently holders before being sub-
fected, officials said. and reliably, grow our busi- mitted to the Postal Regu-
The proposal, announced ness and give us a chance latory Commission.
Thursday, would adjust mail for a viable future" after an Election mail and holiday
delivery times while main- 80% drop in first-class mail shipments won't be affect-
taining a commitment to since 1997 and a corre- ed because the proposed
U.S. Postal Service delivery vehicles are parked outside a post a maximum five-day deliv- sponding growth in pack- changes would not take
office in Boys Town, Neb., Aug. 18, 2020. ery for the flagship "Ground ages. All told, the Postal place until the next cal-
Associated Press Advantage" nationwide Service has amassed more endar year, officials said.
By DAVID SHARP reflect its greater reliance and a maximum three-day than $87 billion in losses Medications also should
Associated Press on streamlined regional delivery for local first-class from 2007 through 2020. continue to be delivered
The U.S. Postal Service networks — while retaining mail. Details were unveiled by at their current speed, or
wants to save $3 billion local mail delivery times Postmaster General Louis the Postal Service ahead of faster, under the proposal,
annually on changes that of one to three days and DeJoy said the changes to a Sept. 5 meeting in which officials said. q