Peterson Institute of International Economics Working Paper Series
July 2025
Abstract
We explore the future of global climate cooperation in light of US withdrawal from global climate agreements and the reversal of US federal climate policy. At present, the free-rider problem hampers global collective action; the world needs better mechanisms to incentivize bolder climate policy. Toward this end, we suggest a heavy industry climate coalition. Countries would “join” the coalition by committing to apply a carbon fee (or an equivalent emissions trading system) to emissions-heavy industries, and they would couple that fee with a carbon border adjustment mechanism. We suggest a tiered pricing approach that would be sensitive to countries’ economic development levels to broaden coalition participation. The coalition would pair the carbon-pricing mechanism with other inducements for members, including market access, climate finance commitments, and technology transfer agreements. We estimate that a heavy industry climate coalition has the potential to reduce worldwide emissions substantially, acting as a stepping stone for further international climate cooperation.
Citation
Clausing, Kimberly, Joe Aldy, Dustin Tingley, and Catherine Wolfram. "Global climate cooperation after 2024: A proposal for a heavy industry climate coalition." Peterson Institute of International Economics Working Paper Series, July 2025.