Forum Climate Economics 9

Virtual Roundtable Series

08 - 10 Jun 2021

Roundtable Series – Forum Climate Economics 9 — © BeholdingEye – iStockphoto

The Forum Climate Economics 9 “Increasing Global Climate Ambition - How to get Lower-Income Countries and Fossil-Fuel Exporters on Board?“ on June 22, 2021 has been preceded by virtual roundtable discussions on June 8 and 10, 2021. This roundtable series discussed specific aspects of this forum in small groups with invited guests and provided input for the panel discussion on June 22.

Roundtable 1

Capital Markets, Institutions, and Distributional Effects – Towards Ambitious Climate Policy for Low- and Middle-Income Countries

11:00 - 12:45

June 8, 2021

organised by:
Dr. Waldemar Marz | ifo Institute
Dr. Jan Steckel | MCC Berlin

With their steep trajectories in income, population, and carbon emissions, low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) are key to reach the goals of the Paris Agreement, but they show only modest climate policy efforts. It is unclear if their institutions and capital markets can attract and absorb public transfers and private investments effectively to lower the high welfare costs of climate measures and counterbalance the perceived trade-off with development goals. In addition, behavioral and cultural barriers, distributional impacts, and special-interest groups can inhibit the adoption of technologies and climate policies. At this Roundtable experts from politics, research, and society discuss the followoing questions: Which climate policy instruments are feasible and effective in LMIC countries? What issues dominate their domestic climate policy discussions? What kind of assistance would enable effective climate mitigation there?

Roundtable 2

Beyond Fuel Exports – Perspectives for a Transition of Fossil-Resource Rich Countries to Ambitious Climate Policy

11:00 - 12:45

June 10, 2021

organised by:
Prof. Dr. Karen Pittel | ifo Institute
Dr. Franziska Holz | DIW Berlin

The group of countries that supply oil, gas, and coal play a special role in reaching the goals of the Paris Agreement, even though their political and economic contexts are very diverse. Ambitious global climate efforts threaten their often single most important source of income and the profitability of their logistics and processing infrastructure. Their consumption is highly carbon intensive and energy efficiency is often low due to fossil subsidies that guarantee political stability. Climate policy is therefore perceived as extraordinarily costly not only from an economic, but also from a political perspective. Consequently, the emission reduction targets of fossil-fuel rich countries are below average and still uncertain to be reached. In this Roundtable, stakeholders from fossil-resource rich countries and OECD countries meet with policy makers and researchers to discuss the following questions: What are key economic, political or societal obstacles for increasing climate policy ambitions in resource-rich countries? Which economic opportunities beyond fossil exports do these countries have? How can other countries and/or the international community support a transformation and higher climate ambitions?

Virtual Roundtable Series

Roundtable 1

Roundtable 2

The Financial Sector as Climate Protector? The Potential of Sustainable Finance

Virtual Roundtable Series

Insurance of Climate Risks - Between Private Provision and Public Intervention

Increasing Global Climate Ambition – How to get Lower-Income Countries and Fossil Fuel Exporters on Board?

System Message

Kiel Institute for
the World Economy