Implications for Climate-Change Policy of Research on Cooperation in Social Dilemmas
The problem of climate change seems to be a tragedy of the commons: despite the global benefits of reducing green-house gas emissions, no individual has any incentive to reduce his or her own emissions. Yet many people are making efforts to reduce...
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| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2012
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| Online Access: | http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/main?menuPK=64187510&pagePK=64193027&piPK=64187937&theSitePK=523679&menuPK=64187510&searchMenuPK=64187283&siteName=WDS&entityID=000158349_20090720154009 http://hdl.handle.net/10986/4199 |
| Summary: | The problem of climate change seems to
be a tragedy of the commons: despite the global benefits of
reducing green-house gas emissions, no individual has any
incentive to reduce his or her own emissions. Yet many
people are making efforts to reduce emissions and putting
pressure on businesses and governments to do the same.
Although the size of these efforts is unclear, their very
existence might seem puzzling. The efforts are consistent,
however, with some theoretical and empirical evidence about
the extent of cooperation in other social dilemmas. This
evidence does not imply that greenhouse-gas emissions will
be reduced to desirable levels, but it does suggest that the
potential for voluntary cooperation should not be ignored.
It also suggests that cooperation can be promoted by (i)
allowing cooperators to punish defectors without withdrawing
their own cooperation; (ii) publicly emphasizing the social
benefits and extent of cooperation and the social norms that
require it; and (iii) improving the quantity and timeliness
of public information about cooperation and defection. |
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