Climate change, tipping points, and economics

Abstract

This paper discusses the response of the economics profession to a possible occurrence of tipping points in natural systems, with a drop in welfare. For a climate tipping point, the hazard-rate model is relevant, and the paper shows that in a Ramsey growth model with climate tipping, the effect on policy is increased saving and increased taxation of greenhouse gas emissions. Climate change is often seen as a tragedy of the commons because incentives to deviate undermine cooperation and prevention of climate change. However, a climate tipping point can be prevented in a Nash equilibrium or with partial cooperation if the drop in welfare is sufficiently high. In case of uncertainty about the threshold, this result remains if the uncertainty is not too large. In the conclusion, the paper makes a few remarks on including tipping points in teaching environmental and resource economics.