Question

UPSC Prelims 2020 Question:

Which one of the following statements best describes the term 'Social Cost of Carbon'? It is a measure, in monetary value, of the

1. long-term damage done by a tonne of CO2 emissions in a given year.
2. requirement of fossil fuels for a country to provide goods and services to its citizens, based on the burning of those fuels.
3. efforts put in by a climate refugee to adapt to live in a new place.
4. contribution of an individual person to the carbon footprint on the planet Earth.

Answer (Detailed Solution Below)

Option 1: long-term damage done by a tonne of CO2 emissions in a given year.

Detailed Solution

Explanation:

The Social Cost of Carbon (SCC) is a monetary estimate of the economic costs of emitting one additional tonne of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere in a given year. The SCC translates the effects of climate change into economic terms to assist policymakers and other decisionmakers in understanding the economic implications of decisions to increase or decrease emissions.

Therefore, option (1) is the correct answer.

Subject: Environment | Climate Change

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