Better sharing of CO_2 emissions targets

摘要

Researchers have developed a scheme in which a country's targets for reducing CO_2 emissions are determined by its citizens' income distribution. Shoibal Chakravarty et al. say this could be a fair way to determine who must shoulder the responsibility of reducing CO_2 emissions. Models from 1992 divided the world into developed or developing countries, but their total emissions are now roughly equal. The authors' method identifies thernworld's highest emitters, regardless of where they live, and has a mechanism that allows extra emissions for the world's poorest countries. The scheme takes into account the fact that a developing country may have a growing middle class or industries with high carbon emissions, while giving the world's poor leeway to develop. The authors found that reducing annual emissions by 13 gigatonnes in 2030 would identify 1.13 billion high emitters worldwide, divided roughly equally among China, the United States, other member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and the remaining countries of the world. These 4 regions would have to reduce their emissions by similar amounts. The authors found that the United States and China would have the largest CO_2 reduction targets, whereas Russia, India, the Middle East, South Africa, and northern Africa would have sizable targets as well because of their energy industries.