Warwick McKibbin, Peter J. Wilcoxen, and Adele Morris
Publication Date:
10-2008
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Lowy Institute for International Policy
Abstract:
To estimate the emissions reductions and costs of a climate policy, analysts usually compare a policy scenario with a baseline scenario of future economic conditions without the policy. Both scenarios require assumptions about the future course of numerous factors such as population growth, technical change, and non-climate policies like taxes. The results are only reliable to the extent that the future turns out to be reasonably close to the assumptions that went into the model.