Special report | On the other hand...

The many prices of carbon dioxide

Not all tonnes are created equal

An image showing a cube made up of a cloudy sky with the symbol for carbon from the periodic table against a gradient background.
Image: Ben Denzer

Ask an economist what something scarce should cost and they will normally say whatever someone is willing to pay for it. They will go on to say that the best way to establish that willingness is through markets. There are various systems that price carbon dioxide that way. But they do not provide the same answers. And nor do they tally with what economists think might actually be the right answer.

This article appeared in the Special report section of the print edition under the headline “The many prices of carbon dioxide ”

From the November 25th 2023 edition

Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents

Explore the edition