Avoiding a global carbon crisis: Learning from the financial crisis

Paul Shrivastava, Timo Busch

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

The global financial crisis originated in the subprime mortgage market in the United States in 2008 and its effects spread to all of the world's major financial markets. Only governmental programs and subsidies have prevented an outright crash of the world economy. What can the financial crisis teach us about the impending carbon crisis? What is needed to move the global economy toward sustainability, using renewable energy regimes, and low carbon consumption and production? This paper provides a nontechnological response to these questions by highlighting six key sociocultural lessons and suggesting two key recommendations in how to overcome the current carbon lock-in. Firms should establish proactive climate strategies. Policymakers can facilitate this by developing farsighted governance mechanisms and setting the right incentives and boundary conditions. We conclude that a mix of both is required to prevent the global carbon crisis from becoming a reality.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)647-658
Number of pages12
JournalThunderbird International Business Review
Volume55
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 2013

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Business and International Management
  • Geography, Planning and Development
  • Political Science and International Relations

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Avoiding a global carbon crisis: Learning from the financial crisis'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this