Abstract

Economics seems unable to make decisive contributions to the climate change debate. Perhaps because its models do not include, except as exogenous variables, the drivers that are significantly affecting the fate of our Planet. Technical progress, which disrupted the economic-political debate in the mid-1960s, is the focus of the contributions of Robert J. Gordon (innovation and growth have ended and we are entering the era of secular stagnation), Joel Mokyr (technological progress is unstoppable and it will support growth and help us solve the problems of environmental degradation), and Philippe Aghion (like Mokyr he believes that innovation, as a driver of change, is necessary to counter climate change, supported by the active role of the State and a strong economic policy).