The America’s Global Warming Solutions study, undertaken by the Tellus Institute, suggests that policies – financial incentives, regulatory changes and market measures – would result in as much as a $43 billion saving per year and the creation of more than 870,000 new jobs by 2010. The package of policies used in the study would also result in the US doubling carbon emission cuts specified in the Kyoto Protocol.

“If the US were to adopt the set of policies contained in this report, the rewards would be of a sufficient level that it might be possible to avoid going overseas for carbon credits,” Jon Coifman, speaking for WWF, told edie. It has been generally assumed that carbon trading arrangements, a trading system accepted by the Kyoto treaty, would result in the US importing rather than exporting carbon credits.

Referring to the study’s conclusion that a doubling of the Kyoto carbon emission reduction target could be achievable, Coifman said that: “WWF wanted to raise the bar and show America that it can do much more than they think is possible”.

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