capitalism at bay

discussion on environment. capitalism, regulation and policy.

no one simple solution, but a portfolio

where does the money come from

key takeaways:

• land re-use matter
• price subsidies deters water utility proliferation
• markets for water are rare. compare to petroleum
• access to clean water is the largest roi of all initiatives on climate change
• how does change occur? think smoking in US in 80s. very fast. from top.

key issues, terms

density – america – the Marlboro man.  UK garden

life strives in the messy areas between extremes. book, pulse, robert frenay

NSMD – non state, market driven initiatives. binding and costly through market.

features:

1. governments do not require adherence to the rules
2. look like democracies. have rules about interactions
3. add costs. different from other private initiatives. e.g. ISO
4. third party compliance. outside auditor assess firms for compliance
5. trapped in value chain that ultimately ends with consumer. e.g. ‘fair-trade coffee’

who pays for climate change reduction investments?

• about 40% pay for themselves by imporvements
• 85% is private. 13% by government incentives

water

• pervasively under-priced. prices must go up
• paradox: prices must go up and more households (mostly poor) must gain access
• non connected houses are willing to pay a lot more than what currently connected houses pay

CDM clean development mechanism

a highly developed mechanism for carbon trading. developing countries only

about speakers

Benjamin W. Cashore
Professor, Environmental Policy & Governance & Political Science
Director, Program on Forest Policy & Governance
Lisa M. Curran
Professor of Tropical Resources
Director, Tropical Resources Institute
Bradford S. Gentry
Senior Lecturer, Sustainable Investments & Research Scholar
Co-Director, Center for Business & the Environment at Yale
Director, Research Program on Private Investment & the Environment
Sheila M.C. Olmstead
Associate Professor, Environmental Economics