Fossil Fuel Producers, Climate Change and the Decarbonising Debate
As efforts for a post-Kyoto climate regime intensify, fossil fuel producers are faced by a unique conundrum where their participation in the international consensus could potentially damage their most significant economic strength. Since the move towards a low carbon future involves a cut-back on use of carbon-intensive fuels, fossil fuel producers are concerned about the impacts climate action would have on their income and well-being. In this context, the proposed paper will analyse the position of fossil fuel producers in the climate change debate. It will discuss what decarbonisation would imply for these countries and the companies in the fossil fuels sector. Clearly, countries vary in their strength to grapple with the resultant changes, and will need to make their economies and societies resilient. This calls for proactive economic, political and social interventions. The paper will examine the current initiatives in this direction, and how diverse international stakeholders could collaborate to further dynamic growth in these countries.
Status: Ongoing
Duration: October 2010 – April 2011
Project SupportLOWY institute and the Centre for International Security Studies, Australia
