Abstract

Climate change presents us with an immense challenge, both globally and locally. It is an issue that requires a unified yet still flexible approach, which recognizes many factors like scientific urgency, technological feasibility, and political and economic realism. Effective climate policy must be something multidimensional, blending emissions reductions with just transitions, adaptive capacity building, and innovation incentives. In this essay I propose a dual-level strategy: a globally phased approach grounded in progressively binding bilateral agreements, as well as a U.S. centered national framework centered on carbon pricing, clean energy investment, and politically feasible decarbonization mechanisms. This strategy integrates climate equity, economic practicality, and institutional design to ensure climate action is ambitious yet still achievable.

Document Type

Paper

Student Type

Undergraduate

Department, Program, or Center

Chemistry and Materials Science, School of

College

College of Science

Campus

RIT – Main Campus

Publication Date

4-23-2025

Comments

2025 recipient of the Henry and Mary Kearse Writing Award

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