Developing countries and international environmental negotiations: The risks of poorly informed choices

Almost all basic research and economic and policy analysis on global environmental issues is done in the North. Dissemination of findings is not widespread and their relevance to developing countries is not assessed. A good example of this discontinuity can be found in the arguments surrounding the global warming debate. Several studies from the South have indicated that most Northern studies overestimate Southern emissions and responsibilities. The central points of this article are that the North understates the potential costs of reducing energy consumption in the South, and the economic policy usually advocated in the North to curb carbon emissions—a carbon tax—is among the most costly alternatives for the South.

Keywords:

• CO₂ emissions
• developing countries
• global warming
• international environmental negotiations