| 摘要 | The research programme on “Climate Change and Sustainable Development” addresses the two inter-related issues of climate change and sustainable development and a corollary of key topics in the field of environmental economics. The programme builds upon over twenty years of successful FEEM research in the field. In the specific area of climate change, FEEM has achieved a leading position in the international research community, as a result of the in-house development and application of several methodologies for the economic analysis of climate and energy policies. FEEM models address world-wide vulnerability to changes in climatic conditions, and investigate the economics of mitigation and adaptation to these changes. In the specific area of sustainable development, FEEM research covers a variety of issues: sustainable management of natural resources, the economics of natural hazards and extreme events, and the use of indicators to measure sustainability and growth beyond GDP. FEEM can also rely on a strong research team of applied economists who investigate the economic performance of various environmental and climate policy instruments. The twofold goal of this research programme is to contribute to science while guiding policies and informing the public debate.
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During the past years, we have witnessed the various impressive, shocking and frightening effects of a rather mysterious, partially misunderstood phenomenon, rather impersonally labeled as “climate change”. The reality under this deceitful nickname triggers large-scale events of immense power and consequences - duly covered by our news media - which often strike densely populated lands. Sudden landslides affecting valley floors dotted by villages and farms, towns and coastlines devastated by typhoons of unprecedented fury, or even the sea level rising at a previously unknown pace, the alarming collapse of seemingly eternal seasonal change, which greatly affects our agricultural system. Largely ignored by Western media, an even worse problem is currently threatening one of the wildest parts of our planet, very far from human habitation: the Arctic, whose acute illness echoes in every sea and land mass on Earth. Peter Wadhams, Professor of Ocean Physics at the University of Cambridge and leader of over 40 polar expeditions from the ‘70s until today, outlines an alarming scenario based on images, data and graphics.
ISBN Number 9788890991868
FEEM Press, Climate Change and Sustainable Development Series, 6/2015 |
