Tipping Climate Negotiations

19 Pages Posted: 18 Apr 2011 Last revised: 28 Oct 2024

See all articles by Geoffrey M. Heal

Geoffrey M. Heal

Columbia University - Columbia Business School, Finance; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Howard Kunreuther

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER); University of Pennsylvania - Wharton Risk Management and Decision Processes Center

Date Written: April 2011

Abstract

Thinking about tipping provides a novel perspective on finding a way forward in climate negotiations and suggests an alternative to the current framework of negotiating a global agreement on reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Recent work on non-cooperative games shows games with increasing differences have multiple equilibria and have a "tipping set," a subset of agents who by changing from the inefficient to the efficient equilibrium can induce all others to do the same. We argue that international climate negotiations may form such a game and so have a tipping set. This set is a small group of countries who by adopting climate control measures can make in the interests of all others to do likewise.

Suggested Citation

Heal, Geoffrey M. and Kunreuther, Howard C. and Kunreuther, Howard C., Tipping Climate Negotiations (April 2011). NBER Working Paper No. w16954, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1810308

Geoffrey M. Heal (Contact Author)

Columbia University - Columbia Business School, Finance ( email )

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HOME PAGE: http://www.gsb.columbia.edu/faculty/gheal/

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

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Howard C. Kunreuther

University of Pennsylvania - Wharton Risk Management and Decision Processes Center ( email )

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United States
215-898-4589 (Phone)

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

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