Sustainable Economic Policies for Climate Action
Summary
Sustainable economic policies for climate action seek to align fiscal and regulatory frameworks with the decarbonisation of industries, the promotion of clean energy and the protection of vulnerable communities. Central instruments include carbon pricing mechanisms, green fiscal incentives such as subsidies for renewable energy and emissions-reducing technologies, and public investment in low-carbon infrastructure. Complementary measures encompass regulatory standards for energy efficiency, support for research and development in clean technologies and targeted labour and social policies to ensure a just transition. By integrating environmental and economic objectives, these policies aim to mobilise private and public capital, stimulate innovation and foster equitable growth while meeting international climate targets. Practical applications range from national climate funds to regional green bonds, all designed to internalise environmental costs, reduce market failures and secure long-term resilience.
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Sustainable Economic Policies for Climate Action publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in sustainable economic policies for climate action across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Carbon pricing: An economic instrument that assigns a monetary cost to greenhouse gas emissions to incentivise reduction.
Green fiscal policy: Budgetary measures, including taxes, subsidies or green bonds, designed to promote environmentally sustainable activities.
Decarbonisation: The process of reducing the carbon intensity of energy systems and economic sectors towards net-zero emissions.
Just transition: A framework ensuring fair distribution of economic and social costs and benefits during the shift to a low-carbon economy.
Techno-economic assessment: An integrated analysis combining technological performance metrics with economic cost-benefit evaluations to inform policy decisions.
References
- The European Union facing climate change: a window of opportunity for technological development and entrepreneurship. Sustainable Technology and Entrepreneurship (2023).
- Meeting decarbonization targets: Techno-economic insights from the Italian scenario. DeCarbon (2023).
- Green New Deal proposals: Comparing emerging transformational climate policies at multiple scales. Energy Research & Social Science (2021).
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