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Emission abatement versus development as strategies to reduce vulnerability to climate change: An application of FUND

journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-08, 11:09 authored by Richard TolRichard Tol
Poorer countries are generally believed to be more vulnerable to climate change than richer countries because poorer countries are more exposed and have less adaptive capacity. This suggests that, in principle, there are two ways of reducing vulnerability to climate change: economic growth and greenhouse gas emission reduction. Using a complex climate change impact model, in which development is an important determinant of vulnerability, the hypothesis is tested whether development aid is more effective in reducing impacts than is emission abatement. The hypothesis is barely rejected for Asia but strongly accepted for Latin America and, particularly, Africa. The explanation for the difference is that development (aid) reduces vulnerabilities in some sectors (infectious diseases, water resources, agriculture) but increases vulnerabilities in others (cardiovascular diseases, energy consumption). However, climate change impacts are much higher in Latin America and Africa than in Asia, so that money spent on emission reduction for the sake of avoiding impacts in developing countries is better spent on vulnerability reduction in those countries.

History

Publication status

  • Published

Journal

Environment and Development Economics

ISSN

1355-770X

Publisher

Cambridge University Press

Issue

5

Volume

10

Page range

615-629

Department affiliated with

  • Economics Publications

Notes

cite

Full text available

  • No

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2012-04-19

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