Climate Capitalism
Global Warming and the Transformation of the Global Economy

Explores how we should react to the political dilemmas of adapting the global economy to confront climate change.

Peter Newell (Author), Matthew Paterson (Author)

9780521194853, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 27 May 2010

222 pages, 4 b/w illus. 3 tables
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.6 cm, 0.5 kg

'Climate Capitalism examines whether capitalism can survive the challenge of addressing global warming induced by emissions of greenhouse gases … Can the market and private capital develop new governance mechanisms, such as carbon trading, and deliver new low-carbon technologies that will decarbonize the economy while ensuring growth and full employment? … the authors … adopt a political economy approach that locates climate change as a problem rooted in the way our production is organized, our economy is structured, and our patterns of growth and consumption … the result is an excellent review of the shifting business response to climate change and the emergence of market-based efforts to address GHG emissions … [the] style … is lucid, informative, and relatively free of jargon, though with enough detail (and comprehensive glossary) of the multitude of organizations and initiatives that it can serve as a guide to 'speaking carbon'.' David Levy, Climate Inc. (climateinc.org)

Confronting climate change is now understood as a problem of 'decarbonising' the global economy: ending our dependence on carbon-based fossil fuels. This book explores whether such a transformation is underway, how it might be accelerated, and the complex politics of this process. Given the dominance of global capitalism and free-market ideologies, decarbonisation is dependent on creating carbon markets and engaging powerful actors in the world of business and finance. Climate Capitalism assesses the huge political dilemmas this poses, and the need to challenge the entrenched power of many corporations, the culture of energy use, and global inequalities in energy consumption. Climate Capitalism is essential reading for anyone wanting to better understand the challenge we face. It will also inform a range of student courses in environmental studies, development studies, international relations, and business programmes.

Preface
Acknowledgements
List of acronyms
1. Introducing climate capitalism
2. Histories of climate, histories of capitalism
3. Climate for business: from threat to opportunity
4. Mobilising the power of investors
5. Searching for flexibility, creating a market
6. Caps, trades, and profits
7. Buying our way out of trouble
8. The limits of climate capitalism
9. Governing the carbon economy
10. What futures for climate capitalism?
Conclusions
Glossary
Index.

Subject Areas: Environmental science, engineering & technology [TQ], Social impact of environmental issues [RNT], Meteorology & climatology [RBP], Environmental factors [MBNH2], Environmental economics [KCN], Politics & government [JP]