Profitably Stabilizing Global Climate

The editorial contends that anthropogenic climate change is a result of economically inefficient resource use and that modern technologies in energy, farming, and forestry can stabilize the climate while saving money. It rebuts ten common myths, asserting that 'no-regrets' actions make scientific uncertainty irrelevant to policy and that abatement is a profitable investment rather than a cost. The author argues that market failures, not a lack of cost-effective technology, hinder progress, and that these efficiencies are essential for equitable global development.

• Global warming is characterized not as a natural outcome of optimal economic activity, but as a result of the inefficient use of resources, particularly energy.
• Most current methods for abating climate change are profitable and can be implemented via market forces rather than government regulation.
• Policy action does not need to wait for absolute scientific certainty because the necessary abatement measures are 'no-regrets' actions that save money regardless of the climate outcome.
• Econometric claims that cutting CO2 emissions are costly are based on outdated price elasticities and ignore empirical evidence that saving fuel is often cheaper than burning it.
• The failure to adopt available energy efficiency is caused by specific market failures, including poor consumer information, high implicit discount rates for efficiency, and perverse regulatory signals.
• Resource efficiency does not require a reduction in comfort or lifestyle quality; instead, superior engineering can maintain or improve services while using fewer joules.
• High levels of resource efficiency are essential for the development of poorer nations because they make necessary infrastructure investments affordable.

APA

Lovins, A. (1992). Profitably Stabilizing Global Climate. RMI. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_E92-7-Profitably-Stabilizing-Climate-An-Editorial.pdf

Chicago

Lovins, A.B. Profitably Stabilizing Global Climate. RMI, 1992. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_E92-7-Profitably-Stabilizing-Climate-An-Editorial.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Lovins |first1=A.B. |title=Profitably Stabilizing Global Climate |publisher=RMI |date=6 January 1992 |url=https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_E92-7-Profitably-Stabilizing-Climate-An-Editorial.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{lovins1992profitably, author = {Lovins, A.B.}, title = {{Profitably Stabilizing Global Climate}}, publisher = {RMI}, year = {1992}, month = jan, url = {https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_E92-7-Profitably-Stabilizing-Climate-An-Editorial.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }