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Calculating the cumulative cost of carbon dioxide emissions
gives new insights into the question of who is responsible for climate change.
One of the major reasons for the failure of the 2009 Climate
Convention Conference in Copenhagen was the issue of carbon debt. Developed
countries called for emission reductions in developing countries, while the
latter use the former’s historical emissions, their carbon debt, as a reason
for inaction. An article recently published in Scandinavian Economic History Review suggests how to finally settle this question of historical
responsibility.