Is Long-Term Climate Policy Feasible?

The author argues that while long-term climate policy is challenged by short-term political cycles and 'deep uncertainty', it is feasible through specific design options. These include increasing transparency via regional climate indices, establishing a voluntary liability system for emissions-based compensation, and using 'infrastructures' as pre-commitment strategies. The paper also highlights that political capacity and democracy levels correlate with the ability to reduce per capita carbon emissions, particularly in developing countries.

• Global climate change is defined as a long-term policy challenge because it lasts at least one human generation, involves 'deep uncertainty' regarding economic and political schemes for transition, and creates a common 'bad' through the aggregation of greenhouse gas emissions.
• The feasibility of enlightened long-term climate policy depends on five primary conditions: cumulative evidence of worsening climate trends, sufficient time before catastrophes occur, the existence of low-cost options, the possibility of incremental implementation, and the availability of aid for those needing external help.
• Research indicates that political factors influence carbon emission reductions differently based on a country's development status: in developed countries, 'political capacity' (the ability to extract taxes) increases the ability to reduce per capita emissions, whereas in developing countries, the 'degree of democracy' is the primary driver of long-term mitigation.
• To improve long-term policy, the author suggests three specific tools: regional climate indices to increase transparency, a voluntary liability system where contributors pay based on their share of aggregated emissions to fund climate damages, and investment in 'infrastructures' (such as coastal defenses or R&D) as a pre-commitment strategy.
• The author posits that a 'sandwich solution' is more likely than a single global deal, combining international decision-making with domestic, regional, and sectoral experimentation.

APA

Sprinz, D. F. (2010). Is Long-Term Climate Policy Feasible? World Resources Institute. https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2023-01/wrr-2010-11-question-2-response-1.pdf

Chicago

Sprinz, Detlef F. Is Long-Term Climate Policy Feasible? World Resources Institute, 2010. https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2023-01/wrr-2010-11-question-2-response-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Sprinz |first1=Detlef F. |title=Is Long-Term Climate Policy Feasible? |publisher=World Resources Institute |date=2010 |url=https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2023-01/wrr-2010-11-question-2-response-1.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{sprinz2010longterm, author = {Sprinz, Detlef F.}, title = {{Is Long-Term Climate Policy Feasible?}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2010}, url = {https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2023-01/wrr-2010-11-question-2-response-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }