Friday, October 18, 2013

Countries should make carbon pricing the cornerstone of climate policy, says OECD

Credible and consistent carbon pricing must be the cornerstone of government actions to tackle climate change, according to a new OECD report.

Releasing the report Climate and carbon: Aligning prices and policies during a Lecture organised jointly with the London School of Economics, OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría said that a transformation of the global energy system is needed if countries hope to limit climate change to a 2ºC temperature increase from pre-industrial levels, as agreed by the global community. He called for a coherent approach to carbon pricing, to ensure that price signals sent to consumers, producers and investors alike are consistent and facilitate the gradual phase-out of fossil fuel emissions. He also questioned how much impact existing climate policies can have when countries around the world continue to subsidise the exploration, production and use of fossil fuels. Read Mr. Gurría’s speech on The climate challenge: achieving zero emissions.

See full Press Release: http://www.oecd.org/newsroom/countries-should-make-carbon-pricing-the-cornerstone-of-climate-policy-says-oecd.htm