Abstract
In 1990, the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released its first assessment report laying the foundation for scientific knowledge on climate change and highlighting the crucial role of international cooperation in limiting its consequences. Nearly 30 years later, despite growing warnings from the scientific community over the risks associated with climate change, it must be acknowledged that little effort has been made to curb greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and evidence of the climate crisis is becoming increasingly visible, reinforcing the need for a rapid and massive decline in GHG emissions at the global level. This is the focal point of the book which stresses that the global collective action against climate change is “the most complex political and economic problem the world has ever faced”. The editors gathered contributions from leading academics and practitioners to help us understand the main challenges facing mitigation policies and the tools to address them. The book’s 12 chapters are well organised in four parts: the energy transition, the pricing of carbon emissions, the enforcement of climate agreements, and the role of sustainable finance.