The social cost of carbon is an economic estimate of the damage associated with emitting one additional ton of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. It measures the total cost to society from the impacts of climate change in monetary terms and acts as a tool to assess the potential impacts of actions that increase or reduce greenhouse emissions.
Click this link for an overview of the social cost of carbon and the history of its use in policy making.
Understanding and addressing climate change is critical to EPA's mission of protecting human health and the environment. EPA tracks and reports greenhouse gas emissions, leverages sound science, and works to reduce emissions to combat climate change.
EPA is committed to advancing the goals of environmental justice for all Americans, including those historically marginalized, overburdened, underserved, and living with the legacy of structural racism. Additional web content about climate change and environmental justice is currently under development.
*Government policy can be subject to frequent changes. Please be aware that links to government resources found in the Library catalog, on our Library Guides, and elsewhere may be affected by these changes. The best place to search for archives of older or missing government webpages is the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine.
The Earth's climate is changing. Temperatures are rising, snow and rainfall patterns are shifting, and more extreme climate events – like heavy rainstorms and record high temperatures – are already happening. Many of these observed changes are linked to the rising levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in our atmosphere, caused by human activities.
Click the link below and discover Climate Change Indicators for the followings:
