Carbon Balance and Management is calling for submissions to our Collection on the carbon policy landscape, integrating science, economics, and ethics for sustainable solutions.
The global urgency to address climate change has intensified the need for robust carbon policies that harmonize scientific insights, economic viability, and ethical considerations. Current policy frameworks often struggle to balance emission reduction targets with socioeconomic equity, technological feasibility, and cross-border cooperation. This Special Collection aims to bridge disciplinary divides by fostering interdisciplinary dialogue on carbon governance, emphasizing actionable pathways for achieving carbon neutrality while safeguarding sustainable development. Amidst the critical threshold of global warming (the 1.5 °C target under the Paris Agreement), carbon policies must urgently address climate justice, multilateral governance, and technology transfer. International collaboration—through bodies like the UNFCCC, IPCC, and regional blocs—is essential to reconcile divergent national interests and accelerate equitable decarbonization.
This Collection innovates by synthesizing three critical dimensions—science (climate modeling, carbon sequestration), economics (cost-benefit analysis, market mechanisms), and ethics (distributive justice, intergenerational equity)—to evaluate carbon policies holistically. It will explore emerging topics such as:
• Carbon policy design: Regulatory instruments, carbon taxation, and international agreements
• Carbon market mechanisms: Emissions trading systems, offset protocols, and market liquidity
• Energy transition: Renewable integration, fossil fuel phase-out, and green technology adoption, transition justice and equity
• Dual carbon goals (peaking emissions & achieving neutrality): Sectoral strategies, regional disparities, and timeline optimization
• Policy impacts: Economic growth, energy security, environmental co-benefits, and Sustainable development goal (SDG) alignment
• Climate thresholds & Policy alignment: Strategies for aligning national carbon policies with 1.5°C pathways, including carbon budget allocation and resilience planning
• Transnational cooperation: Case studies on cross-border initiatives (e.g., EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, Article 6 of the Paris Agreement) and the role of multilateral institutions in scaling climate finance.
