Can climate change be reversed under capitalism?

This contribution seeks to examine the prospects for tackling climate change in a world dominated by capitalist economies. Since climate change is a relatively new phenomenon, we have to review the successes and failures of such economies in addressing other environmental issues. This review reveals a mixed picture, but the evidence suggests that once an issue is raised in the public consciousness the prospects for effective action are quite good as long as there is openness and transparency. Experience certainly indicates that the prospects are better in capitalist than in centrally planned economies. In the case of climate change the magnitude of the changes needed is immense and time is now running Out. Studies indicate that convergence in living standards between the North and the South through development is possible with strict carbon targets, but it will need agreement on the allocation of rights and, furthermore, a system in which either such rights are traded or a common carbon tax is imposed. Such a system must be seen as fair by all parties and these parties must trust each other and the institutions they set up. That is where the biggest problems still lie.