National Academy of Sciences : Approaches to Update the Social Cost of Carbon Dioxide - New Report Jan. 11

Approaches to Update the Social Cost of Carbon Dioxide - New Report Jan. 11

The social cost of carbon dioxide (SC-CO) is an estimate in dollars of the net damages society would incur from a 1 metric ton increase in carbon dioxide emissions in a given year. The SC-CO is intended to be a comprehensive estimate of the net costs and benefits associated with climate change impacts caused by carbon emissions -- for example, changes in agricultural productivity, risks to human health, and damage from events such as floods. As required by executive orders and a court ruling, U.S. government agencies use the SC-CO when analyzing the impacts of various regulations, including standards for vehicle emissions and fuel economy, regulation of emissions from power plants, and energy efficiency standards for appliances.

A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine examines potential approaches for a comprehensive update to the current methodology for estimating the SC-CO for U.S. regulatory analyses to ensure that estimates reflect the best available science.

DETAILS:

Members of the committee that wrote the report will present their findings and recommendations at a public briefing beginning at 1 p.m. EST on Wednesday, Jan. 11, in Room 100 of the National Academies' Keck Center, 500 Fifth St. N.W., Washington, D.C. Those who cannot attend may view a live webcast at www.nationalacademies.org.

Advance copies of Valuing Climate Damages: Updating Estimation of the Social Cost of Carbon Dioxide will be available to reporters only beginning at noon EST Tuesday, Jan 10. The report is embargoed and not for public release before 1 p.m. EST on Wednesday, Jan. 11. To request a copy or to attend the event, please contact the Academies' Office of News and Public Information; tel. [phone] or e-mail [e-mail].