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We determine optimal climate policy using a dynamic climate model that accounts for the damages to capital and human health from burning fossil fuels. Our theoretical macroeconomic approach incorporates a separate health sector into an integrated climate-economy framework and provides closed-form analytical solutions for the main model variables. Economic growth is endogenously driven by innovation, with labor availability and productivity, and thus human health, being critical. Calibrating the model, we find that 44% of total resource stock should be extracted when considering damages to capital, but only 1% when health damages are included. The health perspective requires optimal environmental policies that are much more stringent than those normally advocated in climate economics, since harm to human health has negative effects on economic growth. Socially optimal growth exceeds the rate under free market conditions., Economics Working Paper Series, 19/317

International Economics and Economic Policy, 19 (2), ISSN:1612-4804, ISSN:1612-4812

The paper develops the concept of "Economic Pathways" (EPs), which characterize theory-based scenarios for an economy that strives to achieve decarbonization by mid-century. The theoretical framework derives closed-from analytical solutions for consumption, innovation, emissions, and population. The EPs differ in the stringency of assumed policies and associated income and emission development. Unlike the well-known "Shared Socioeconomic Pathways", they allow important causalities between the economy and the environment to be included and significantly narrow the scope of likely future developments. The quantitative part serves to illustrate the long-term consequences of climate policy. I show that deep decarbonization only moderately delays economic development, but requires increasing escalation of the carbon price. Subsidies to the research sector support income development significantly. The paper argues that the adoption of more stringent climate policies becomes more likely as the phase-out of fossil fuels increases. The "Green Road" is not only feasible, but also attractive and realistic.