Global Policy

Can Behavioural Economics save the Planet?

Can Behavioural Economics save the Planet?

While traditional economic models consider human beings as rational agents that maximize their pleasure (or “utility”), Behavioural Economics questions the rationality of people’s decisions. How can governments promote environmental policies more efficiently? We selected four policy insights from the Behavioural Economics literature.

bumpy-road-Paris-climate-deal

The bumpy road to action of the Paris climate deal

The end of 2018 is a crucial date for the implementation of the climate agreement adopted in Paris in 2015 and currently ratified by 178 countries. At COP24 in Katowice, Poland, countries are due to finalized and adopt the operational guidelines of the treaty, also known as “the Paris rulebook”.

The United Nations Decade of Ocean Science, Frontiers of International Ocean Governance, CMCC, Foresight

The New Frontiers of International Ocean Governance

Oceans are facing increasing pressures: biodiversity loss, pollution, over-exploitation and illegal activities; and diverse impacts of climate change, such as ocean warming, acidification and rising sea level, are increasingly alarming. From the headquarters of international organizations as well as in the most vulnerable and ocean dependent countries, it is acknowledged that it is time to change the way we manage oceans and their resources in order to keep them healthy, productive, safe, secure and resilient.

How can governments foster sustainable innovation?

How can governments foster sustainable innovation?

Human innovations created widespread human prosperity. However, they are also threatening the global environmental systems on which our economy and civilization depend. The likely solutions to these challenges will require yet more innovation: 3 policy proposals that would support more innovation of the environmentally beneficial kind.

How can climate policies be accepted politically?

How can climate policies be accepted politically?

If recent agreements show the worldwide political willingness to deal with climate change, countries’ promises have yet to be turned into practical policy designs. Carbon Taxes are widely praised by economists as the most efficient way to internalize the social impact of carbon emissions, yet their implementation is still slow. What are the barriers to their implementation and how can governments improve their policy designs? Some insights from a paper recently published.