Global Warming and the Asian Pacific

'This well structured volume covers an important topic in a timely and comprehensive manner. The editors have brought together a knowledgeable and distinguished team of writers, who clearly articulate the Asia Pacific viewpoint on climate change. They should be congratulated on producing a nicely written book which will be of great interest to students, researchers and policymakers.' - Mohan Munasinghe, Munasinghe Institute for Development (MIND), Colombo, Sri Lanka and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Geneva, Switzerland This unique book examines the problem of global warming from the perspective of Asian Pacific countries. The unprecedented economic and demographic growth over the past two decades has increased the importance of the Asian Pacific region. It has become both a very large source of greenhouse gases as well as an important site to measure climate change impacts. Complex economic tools including computable general equilibrium models, international input-output models and engineering-economic models are used to assess the baseline emission levels and abatement costs for the economies examined. All outcomes suggest that abatement is possible, but will be expensive. The studies also suggest that the more energy efficient the economy, the higher the costs of further abatement. The book reveals how Asian countries in the tropics are more likely to be harmed than those in the temperate zone.