And if the ecological transition was ultimately only a question of money?
The conclusion of a study published on Thursday could then help to speed up the process.
According to results published in the journal
Nature
, the overall cost of carbon emissions could be almost four times higher than in current calculations.
This study analyzes the "social cost of carbon", a method that compiles the negative effects (health, economic, etc.) of the emission into the atmosphere of one ton of CO2, one of the greenhouse gases resulting from human activity responsible for global warming.
An increased cost for health and agriculture
In particular, it makes it possible to assess the difference between this cost and the expenses to avoid releasing this ton of CO2 and makes it possible, for example, to assess the amounts of measures such as the carbon tax.
Most players in the fight against climate change agree on the importance of pricing greenhouse gas emissions to accelerate their reduction.
Last year, a group of experts mandated by the American administration evaluated this “social cost of carbon” at 51 dollars per ton, while acknowledging that this figure was undoubtedly underestimated.
According to the study published Thursday by a group of climate experts and economists, based in particular on modeling in the two fields, the real cost per ton would in fact be 185 dollars.
The results lead to "a complete revision" of the bases currently used by the American administration, underlines the principal author of the study Kevin Rennert, of the center Resources for the Future, based in Washington.
The main sectors where the cost has been revised upwards are health, to better take into account "rising mortality rates due to rising temperatures", and agriculture, he told the AFP.
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