For individuals, climate change is the mother of all free-rider problems, compounded by behavioral biases; the same is true for nations. Large-scale emissions reductions are going to be essential for poor nations as well as rich ones, and that creates real challenges for international negotiators. To get those reductions, we are going to need to change incentives, if for no other reason than to stimulate the kinds of technological innovation that will be necessary to make breakthroughs. Incentives can come in many forms; for example, taxes, subsidies, target dates, and contests. But better
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