The Ancillary Benefits from Climate Policy in the United States |
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Authors: | Britt Groosman Nicholas Z Muller Erin O’Neill-Toy |
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Institution: | (1) Environmental Defense Fund, New York, NY, USA;(2) Economics Department, Middlebury College, 303 College Street, Middlebury, VT 05770, USA;(3) Golden, CO, USA |
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Abstract: | This study investigates the benefits to human health that would occur in the United States (US) due to reductions in local
air pollutant emissions stemming from a federal policy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In order to measure the impacts
of reduced emissions of local pollutants, this study considers the Warner-Lieberman bill (S.2191) of 2007 and the paper considers
the impacts of reduced emissions in the transport and electric power sectors. This analysis provides strong evidence that
climate change policy in the US will generate significant returns to society in excess of the benefits due to climate stabilization.
The total health-related co-benefits associated with a representative climate policy over the years 2010–2030 range between
103 billion and103 billion and 1.2 trillion in present value terms. Much of the co-benefit stems from between 32,000 and 189,000 avoided
premature mortalities associated with exposure to PM2.5 and O3. Most of the co-benefits are due to reduced emissions of SO2 from coal-fired power plants since these are an important contribution to ambient concentrations of PM2.5. Among the most important determinants of co-benefits is the relationship between climate policy and existing policies governing
SO2 discharges from coal-fired power generation capacity. If SO2 emissions are permitted to remain at current levels, total co-benefits are cut by 65%. We find that the co-benefit per ton
of CO2 emissions ranges between 1 and1 and 77 depending on modeling assumptions and year. |
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