engleski

Towards a low carbon economy and growth

Anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) found to be a primary cause of global warming and ongoing climate change. Historically, developed countries have contributed to the climate change problem much more than developing countries and are primarily responsible for high levels of GHG emissions (Kyoto Protocol, 2001). The Kyoto Protocol uses the term “common but differentiated responsibilities” to distinguish between developed and developing countries and their impact on climate change. In accordance with the Protocol, developed countries need to reduce GHG emissions, while developing countries only need to report their emissions. At the same time, a country’s activities that generate growth are associated with an increase in carbon emissions. The challenge for developing countries is to achieve growth at any cost, without taking into account any carbon reductions. Theoretically, reducing carbon emissions in developing countries would imply slowing down growth or reducing the use of energy from fossil fuels, while increasing the use of renewables. This paper gives an overview of current theoretical and empirical findings on a low-carbon economy and growth. It deals with the idea of reducing (carbon) emissions, while increasing growth, thereby decoupling emissions from economic growth.

low-carbon economy, low-carbon growth, energy, European Union

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