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Time to try carbon labelling

Nature Climate Change volume 1, pages 4–6 (2011)Cite this article

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A Correction to this article was published on 06 May 2011

A global private carbon-labelling scheme for consumer products could fill the climate-policy gap by influencing the behaviour of consumers and corporate supply chains.

Most analysts agree that the economically efficient way to reduce greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions is by pricing them. However, such prices will not be in place globally or in the largest emitting nations in the near term. The climate system has substantial inertia. Difficult-to-identify nonlinearities and tipping points are also likely. Thus waiting for a 'best' policy may increase the likelihood of severe impacts1. The policy challenge is to develop near-term strategies that can bend the global carbon-growth curve to buy time, reduce costs and build support for more efficient approaches.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Lisa Kenney and Amanda Carrico for their assistance.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Michael P. Vandenbergh is at the Climate Change Research Network, Vanderbilt University Law School, Nashville, Tennessee 37203, USA,

    Michael P. Vandenbergh

  2. Thomas Dietz is in Sociology and Environmental Science and Policy, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48864, USA,

    Thomas Dietz

  3. Paul Stern is at Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education, National Research Council, 500 Fifth Street NW, Washington DC 20001, USA,

    Paul C. Stern

Authors
  1. Michael P. Vandenbergh
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  2. Thomas Dietz
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  3. Paul C. Stern
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Correspondence to Michael P. Vandenbergh.

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Vandenbergh, M., Dietz, T. & Stern, P. Time to try carbon labelling. Nature Clim Change 1, 4–6 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate1071

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