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“If the top 20 emitters in the world were to impose carbon charges that reflect only their domestic and environmental benefits, this would already reduce global emissions by over 10 percent,” she said.
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, who is expecting a record number of heads of state and government to participate on April 22 in a signing ceremony in New York for the Paris climate agreement said: “We must put a price on pollution and provide incentives to accelerate low carbon pathways. Market prices, market indices, and investment portfolios can no longer continue to ignore the growing cost of unsustainable production and consumption behaviors on the health of our planet.”
Momentum for putting a price on carbon pollution is growing. Some 90 countries included mention of carbon pricing in their national plans, called the Nationally Determined Contributions, known as NDCs, prepared for the Paris climate change conference. In addition, more than 450 companies around the world report using a voluntary, internal price on carbon in their business plans and more plan to follow suit in the next two years. The number of implemented or scheduled carbon pricing schemes has also nearly doubled since 2012, amounting to a collective value of $50b.
The Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition (CPLC), a global initiative that brings together more than 20 national and state governments, more than 90 businesses, and civil society organizations and international agencies, aims at garnering public-private support for carbon pricing around the world.
New partners joining the coalition include Côte d’Ivoire, Colombia, Finland and the United Kingdom; companies including Iberdrola, Rusal, and Tata Group; and Yale University.
Bank Group President Kim and IMF Managing Director Lagarde also convene the Carbon Pricing Panel, the high level leadership group that aims to spur further, faster action ahead of the Paris climate talks.