ECONOMICS

The economic implications of climate change are vast. This section focuses solely on what will happen if we do nothing, and what will happen if we do something. Of course, there is a great deal in between as we work our way to a renewable future.

We are also looking to share opportunities to wield influence to encourage action – for individuals, communities, financial organizations (such as pension funds) and corporations, including insurance companies.

Within this section, you will find information on investing and divesting to facilitate a green economy.

And, on another financial note, you may well find information on sustainable products (like boxed water instead of plastic) from time to time.

CURRENT NEWS

KEY RESOURCES

Moving To A Finite Earth Economy – Crew Manual

Moving To A Finite Earth Economy By 2030 Addresses Two Critical Human Issues: The Existential Threat Of Climate Change, And The Fact That Growth Economies Are The Root Cause.

Resources as a Constraint on Growth By William D. Nordhaus

Things which have traditionally been treated as free goods-air, water, quiet, natural beauty-must now be treated with the same care as other scarce goods.

MORE NEWS

CNBC

Mnuchin says Greta Thunberg can tell us what to do ‘after she goes and studies economics in college’

By Sam Meredith Video by CNBC 1/23/20

U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin sharply criticized the financial credentials of Swedish climate activist Greta Thunbergon Thursday, saying the 17-year-old should study economics at college before lecturing the U.S. on fossil fuel investments.

The Washington Post

Mnuchin said Thunberg needed to study economics before offering climate proposals. So we talked to an economist.

By Philip Bump 1/23/20

The Washington Post contacted someone who did study economics in college and asked him to explain it to us.

Economic heavyweights highlight climate risks

Economic heavyweights highlight climate risks By Jonathan Marshall, CCL Economics Policy Network Whatever you think of billionaires, it’s almost always better to have them on your side rather than as foes. That’s why news from…

Reuters

Warren calls on big U.S. banks for steps on climate risk

By Ann Saphir and Lindsay Dunsmuir Photo: Brian Snyder/REUTERS 1/22/20

SAN FRANCISCO/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren, a contender for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination, is asking the biggest U.S. banks for details on their assessments of and preparations for risks related to global…

ABC NEWS

Climate change and economic inequality loom large as the powerful descend on Davos

By Catherine Thorbecke Photo by Denis Balibouse 1/21/20

The world’s political and economic elite are descending on the small Swiss Alps town of Davos this week for the annual World Economic Forum meeting where they hope to set this year’s “global, regional and…

The New York Times

Conservative States Seek Billions to Brace for Disaster. (Just Don’t Call It Climate Change.)

By Christopher Flavelle Photo by David J. Phillip 1/20/20

The Trump administration is about to distribute billions of dollars to coastal states mainly in the South to help steel them against natural disasters worsened by climate change.

CNBC

‘How can he face himself?’: Architect of Paris Agreement slams Trump’s approach to climate crisis

By Sam Meredith Photo by Vaughan Ridley/Sportsfile for Web Summit 1/20/20

The architect of the landmark 2015 Paris Agreement told CNBC on Monday that it cannot be easy for President Donald Trump to justify his approach to the climate crisis — both to himself and citizens…

Yearwood and McKibben: Want to do something about climate change? Follow the money

Chase Bank, Wells Fargo, Citibank and Bank of America are the worst offenders….

Bloomberg

Here’s What Putting $10,000 in These Assets Would Have Returned in 2019

By Gregor Stuart Hunter and Eric Lam 12/29/19

In 2018, seemingly every asset class was a loser. In 2019 it’s been the reverse, with opportunities abounding — and some of the biggest winners have come from unexpected corners of the market.

Federal Reserve

Why Climate Change Matters for Monetary Policy and Financial Stability

By Lael Brainard 08/11/19

By participating more actively in climate-related research and practice, the Federal Reserve can be more effective in supporting a strong economy and a stable financial system.

Why Climate Change Hurts the Poor the Most

By Mallika Khanna If you’ve read anything about climate change over the past year, you’ve probably heard about the IPCC report that gives a 12-year deadline for limiting climate change catastrophe. But for many parts…

Climate Crocks

Climate Adaptation, but Only for the Rich

By Peter Sinclair 21/03/19

In November, as wildfires ripped through California, Kim Kardashian hired a squad of private firefighters to protect her $50m estate in Calabasas. During the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Blackwater security guards defended the houses…

bloomberg

Climate Challenge Will Be Harder Than It Seems, JPMorgan Executive Warns

By Christopher Flavelle Photo by Carla Gottgens 03/20/2019

The world isn’t cutting carbon emissions anywhere near quickly enough, a senior executive at J.P. Morgan Asset Management told clients this week — and changing that will require far harder choices than most people realize.

The New Yorker

The False Choice Between Economic Growth and Combatting Climate Change

By Carolyn Kormann 04/02/19

In 1974, the economist William Nordhaus described the transition from a “cowboy economy” to a “spaceship economy.” In the former, he wrote, “we could afford to use our resources profligately,” and “the environment could be…

The New Yorker

The False Choice Between Economic Growth and Combatting Climate Change

By Carolyn Kormann Photo: Fernando Moleres / Panos Pictures / Redux 2/4/19

Medium

The Economics of Climate Change Explained

By Brayden Gerrard 21/01/19

Climate change is well known for its destructive impacts — ranging from rising sea levels to more fierce natural disasters.

Wired

Bitcoin Will Burn the Planet Down. The Question: How Fast?

By Adam Rogers 11/5/18

Max Krause was thinking of buying some bitcoin, as one does. But Krause is an engineer—mostly he works on modeling greenhouse gas emissions from landfills—so his first step was to run the numbers.

Bloomberg

Pension Funds Point Finger at Lobbyists of Polluting Companies

By Anna Hirtenstein Photo: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg 28/10/18

A group of pension funds that control $2 trillion are pushing for 55 large European energy, mining and transportation companies to scale back their anti-climate lobbying.

Axios

Where climate change will hit the U.S. hardest

By Eileen Drage O'Reilly and Alison Snyder 23/06/18

Left unmitigated, rising temperatures from climate change will increase inequality and mortality rates in the U.S. by the end of the 21st century, a team of economists and climate scientists warn in astudy published today. It’s…