Climate Change and Institutional Competence

Scientists will long debate the extent to which our climate is changing as a result of anthropogenic releases of greenhouse gases. But the debate over whether the earth is experiencing climate change-and in particular, global warming, is pretty much over. Much good work is being done to address climate change and its consequences both at the policy and technology levels. Technology promises to increase the efficiency of our cars, appliances, buildings, and power plants, and to provide new ways to generate electricity that minimize or eliminate greenhouse gases, or provide for their sequestration underground. Several potentially “game-changing” technologies are showing real promise. So why are the prospects for a near-term solution so dim? Put simply, the problem is with our political institutions. Our current political machinery is poorly constituted to address a problem that arises slowly and incrementally, and whose most serious consequences will most likely occur many years in the future. Just as we seek scientific and technological innovations, we need to find new decision-making models that can overcome the infirmities of our current political system. This article describes the weaknesses in our existing institutions and the characteristics of a model that might overcome them. It begins with a review of climate science and the range of expected outcomes under various scenarios. This is followed by a review of technological innovations and possible future innovations that could, if implemented, stabilize and then reverse current greenhouse gas emission levels. It then looks at current efforts to address climate change and suggests why those efforts will almost certainly fall short of what is needed. Finally, the article examines political institutions and explains why current governance models are likely to fall short of what is needed to address climate change