Message Davos: Put high enough price on pollution to avert climate crisis

The document frames climate change as a form of 'climate debt' where the true cost of pollution is shifted to future generations and society. It highlights the economic impact of extreme weather, noting that the 2017 North Atlantic hurricane season caused $215 billion in losses. To address this, the author advocates for increasing the coverage and level of carbon pricing globally to ensure emitters face the full cost of their pollution, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions and funding adaptation for vulnerable communities.

• The World Economic Forum's Global Risks Report for 2018 identified climate change as the primary global threat, following a trend of increasing economic losses from extreme weather events since 1980, with global costs reaching approximately US$ 330 billion in the preceding year.
• The author describes the failure to price the full cost of greenhouse gas emissions as an 'externality' akin to public debt, where current emitters borrow value from the planet that future generations must repay through climate-proof infrastructure or the loss of essential natural resources.
• Recent data illustrates the severe human and economic toll of climate-related events: 76% of people displaced from their homes in 2016 were forced to leave due to natural disasters, and the 2017 North Atlantic hurricane season resulted in record losses of $215 billion.
• While approximately 17% of global greenhouse gas emissions are currently priced, the document calls for a significant increase in both the level and coverage of carbon pricing to internalize costs, generate public revenue for support, and reduce inequality by aiding vulnerable communities.

APA

Dufrasne, G. (2018). Message Davos: Put high enough price on pollution to avert climate crisis. Carbon Market Watch. https://carbonmarketwatch.org/2018/01/23/message-davos-put-high-enough-price-pollution-avert-climate-crisis/

Chicago

Dufrasne, Gilles. Message Davos: Put high enough price on pollution to avert climate crisis. Carbon Market Watch, 2018. https://carbonmarketwatch.org/2018/01/23/message-davos-put-high-enough-price-pollution-avert-climate-crisis/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Dufrasne |first1=Gilles |title=Message Davos: Put high enough price on pollution to avert climate crisis |publisher=Carbon Market Watch |date=23 January 2018 |url=https://carbonmarketwatch.org/2018/01/23/message-davos-put-high-enough-price-pollution-avert-climate-crisis/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{dufrasne2018message, author = {Dufrasne, Gilles}, title = {{Message Davos: Put high enough price on pollution to avert climate crisis}}, publisher = {Carbon Market Watch}, year = {2018}, month = jan, url = {https://carbonmarketwatch.org/2018/01/23/message-davos-put-high-enough-price-pollution-avert-climate-crisis/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }