Social time discounting: Institutional and analytical perspectives

Produced as part of the Managing climate risks and uncertainties and strengthening climate services CCCEP research programme theme

The key analytical aspects of social time discounting were largely resolved by the early 1970s, the main developments since then being empirical studies and more emphasis, since the mid 1990s, on the very long term. However approaches to social discounting in developed economies and international bodies vary. This is sometimes for institutional reasons, and sometimes because of persistent differences of analytical framing.