How to make climate promises count

The authors contend that current climate strategies, including those of the European Union, the United States, and China, are insufficient because they rely on emissions targets without effective implementation tools. They argue that a global carbon price is essential to prevent global warming from exceeding 2C and call for the Paris summit to move beyond 'feel-good' political agreements toward a coordinated, legally binding framework based on carbon pricing.

• Experts from the International Monetary Fund, OECD, and World Bank, as well as the IPCC, assert that an effective carbon-pricing system is necessary for any successful climate plan. The IPCC specifically indicates that without a single global carbon price, it will be nearly impossible to keep global warming below 2C above preindustrial levels.
• The European Union's 2030 policy framework for climate and energy is criticized for lacking a solid foundation, as its goal to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions by 40% by 2030 relies on non-binding targets and a failing Emissions Trading System rather than carbon-pricing reform.
• The bilateral agreement between the United States and China is viewed as welcome progress but is deemed insufficient because it lacks the necessary instruments to support its ambitions.
• The authors warn against a 'political' or 'feel-good' agreement at the Paris summit consisting of vague, unenforceable targets, suggesting instead a debate to determine a global carbon price that considers equity, efficiency, and effectiveness.

APA

Dion, S., & Laurent, É. (2014). How to make climate promises count. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/energy-transition/how-to-make-climate-promises-count/

Chicago

Dion, Stéphane, and Éloi Laurent. How to make climate promises count. World Economic Forum, 2014. https://www.weforum.org/stories/energy-transition/how-to-make-climate-promises-count/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Dion |first1=Stéphane |last2=Laurent |first2=Éloi |title=How to make climate promises count |publisher=World Economic Forum |date=2 December 2014 |url=https://www.weforum.org/stories/energy-transition/how-to-make-climate-promises-count/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{dion2014how, author = {Dion, Stéphane and Laurent, Éloi}, title = {{How to make climate promises count}}, publisher = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2014}, month = dec, url = {https://www.weforum.org/stories/energy-transition/how-to-make-climate-promises-count/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }