July 26, 2017

The IPCC Investment Numbers Are Correct

A comment to a paper published by Energy Policy arguing that investment data reviewed by Chapter 16 of the IPCC Working Group III Fifth Assessment Report - which I co-authored - was totally flawed.



Abstract: Trainer (2017) criticizes cost estimates of climate change mitigation presented in the Working Group III Report to the IPCC and is concerned by lack of transparency and dubious practices in summarizing the literature. This commentary shows that this critique is based on several mistakes. Trainer (2017) mixes evidence on investment changes and evidence on macroeconomic costs, which are discussed in two different parts of the report because they are different indicators of the economic impact of climate mitigation policy. This commentary also argues that when the report was prepared evidence on investments in mitigation technologies was limited but methodologically sound and transparently reported, contrary to what suggested in Trainer (2017).

Massetti, E., C. Carraro, S. Gupta, J. Harnish and R.J. Kopp. 2017. “Investments in and Macroeconomic Costs of Climate Mitigation in the Working Group III Contribution to the Fifth Assessment Report of the IPCC.” Energy Policy, 109: 414–417.