What can we do to fix the climate problem?

This research paper by Amory B. Lovins argues that climate protection is profitable rather than costly, primarily through energy efficiency and the adoption of decentralized 'micropower' systems. The author contends that market-driven transitions to energy productivity and low-carbon supplies can eliminate oil dependence and reduce carbon emissions without requiring new taxes or mandates.

• Climate solutions are presented as profitable because the cost of saving fuel is lower than the cost of purchasing it. Some companies are already generating billions in profit by reducing carbon emissions or intensity at annual rates of 5–8%.
• Stabilizing carbon emissions requires increasing energy productivity (GDP per GJ) by 2% per year, while stabilizing the climate requires approximately 3% per year. The author notes that the U.S., California, and China have historically achieved or exceeded these rates.
• Energy efficiency is identified as the primary tool for profitable climate protection. In the U.S., it is estimated that half of oil and gas could be saved at average costs of $12/bbl and $0.9/GJ (2000 $), respectively, and three-quarters of electricity could be saved at approximately $0.01/kWh, all of which are below short-run marginal costs.
• The author argues that U.S. oil use could be eliminated by the 2040s through a combination of redoubled oil efficiency and the substitution of saved natural gas and advanced biofuels. The average cost of this transition is estimated at ~$15/bbl, which is one-fifth of recent prices.
• Decentralized 'micropower' (low-carbon combined-heat-and-power and carbon-free renewables) provided one-sixth of global electricity and one-third of new electricity in 2005. The author claims micropower added four times the electricity and 8–11 times the capacity of nuclear power globally in 2005.

APA

LOVINS, A. B. (2006). What can we do to fix the climate problem? RMI. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_C06-10_FixTheClimateProb.pdf

Chicago

LOVINS, AMORY B. What can we do to fix the climate problem? RMI, 2006. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_C06-10_FixTheClimateProb.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=LOVINS |first1=AMORY B. |title=What can we do to fix the climate problem? |publisher=RMI |date=31 October 2006 |url=https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_C06-10_FixTheClimateProb.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{lovins2006what, author = {LOVINS, AMORY B.}, title = {{What can we do to fix the climate problem?}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2006}, month = oct, url = {https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_C06-10_FixTheClimateProb.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }