Climate change is possibly the greatest threat our generation will face. The results are looking increasingly dire, and a lack of action has so far underpinned our response.

But what government policies are actually going to get us there?

Carbon Pricing

Carbon pricing isn't the sexiest government policy, but it's likely the most effective. The idea is pretty simple; for every ton of emissions put out, whoever put it out must pay a set amount. In this way, it effectively works as an "anti-subsidy" against all emissions.

This method is largely both cheaper and more effective than subsidies for a couple of reasons. It targets all emissions, where as electric vehicle subsidies can only target those in consumer cars. It also charges in proportion to how much something emits. So while renewable energy sources boost solar and wind, they also treat natural gas and coal the same, despite the fact that coal is significantly worse. A carbon price would naturally favor natural gas over coal, and solar energy over both since it emits nothing.

This policy alone should be able to do the heavy lifting to solve climate change. However, governments still have to take it seriously enough to get the results we need. A World Bank estimate says the price of carbon should be between $100 and $150 to put us on a path towards 2 degrees of warming. Currently, only one country has a price on carbon that high (Sweden).

If governments are to truly solve climate change, they'll have to get far more serious about the policies that will do it.