---
canonical_url: "https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-47/climate-change-and-productivity-an-exploration/"
title: "Climate Change and Productivity — An Exploration"
author:
  name: "CSLS"
  url: "https://csls.ca/author/cslc/"
date_published: "2026-07-13T08:15:24+00:00"
date_modified: "2026-07-17T09:59:35+00:00"
post_type: "ipm"
summary: ""
ipm_issue_period:
  - "Fall 2024"
ipm_keyword:
  - "climate change"
  - "energy productivity"
  - "materials productivity"
  - "MFP"
  - "natural capital"
  - "net zero"
  - "OECD"
  - "Pilat"
  - "Porter hypothesis"
  - "productivity"
  - "TPI"
ipm_research_theme:
  - "Well-being and living standards"
ipm_country_focus:
  - "Global"
  - "International"
  - "OECD"
featured_image: "https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/IPM_50_banner.webp"
status: "publish"
---

# Climate Change and Productivity — An Exploration

Canonical URL: https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-47/climate-change-and-productivity-an-exploration/

# Climate Change and Productivity — An Exploration

[Download full PDF article](https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IPM-Issue-47-4-Pilat.pdf)

Cite this article

×
Cite this article as:

Pilat, Dirk. 2024. “Climate Change and Productivity — An Exploration.” International Productivity Monitor, No. 47 (Fall 2024): 54–86. https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-47/climate-change-and-productivity-an-exploration/

## Author:

-
Dirk Pilat
Economic Analysis and Statistics Division, OECD

## IPM Issue 47

Fall 2024 pp. 54–86

## Related IPM articles

[Is the SNA Still Useful? A Review Article on The Measure of Progress: Counting What Really Matters

Paul Schreyer

Fall 2025 | IPM Issue 49 | pp. 116–124](https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-49/is-the-sna-still-useful-a-review-article-on-the-measure-of-progress-counting-what-really-matters/)
[The Relationship between Efficiencies Defenses for Mergers and TFP Growth

Robin Shaban

Fall 2025 | IPM Issue 49 | pp. 82–102](https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-49/the-relationship-between-efficiencies-defenses-for-mergers-and-tfp-growth/)

[Adult Skills and Productivity: New Evidence from PIAAC 2023

Dan Andrews, Balázs Égert, Christine de La Maisonneuve

Fall 2025 | IPM Issue 49 | pp. 41–63](https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-49/adult-skills-and-productivity-new-evidence-from-piaac-2023/)
[The Potential Impact of Pro-competitive Regulatory Reforms on Productivity and Growth in Canada

Gilbert Cette, Jimmy Lopez, Giuseppe Nicoletti, Océane Vernerey

Fall 2025 | IPM Issue 49 | pp. 3–40](https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-49/the-potential-impact-of-pro-competitive-regulatory-reforms-on-productivity-and-growth-in-canada/)

[De-industrialization and the Great Productivity Slowdown: What Comes Next?

Paul Fisher

Spring 2025 | IPM Issue 48 | pp. 115–138](https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-48/de-industrialization-and-the-great-productivity-slowdown-what-comes-next/)
[Appendix: UK Productivity Growth Rates Across Data Vintages and Studies

Josh Martin

Spring 2025 | IPM Issue 48 | pp. 65–73](https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-48/appendix-uk-productivity-growth-rates-across-data-vintages-and-studies/)

[Opportunities and Risks of Artificial Intelligence for Productivity

Francesco Filippucci, Peter Gal, Katharina Laengle, Matthias Schief, Filiz Unsal

Spring 2025 | IPM Issue 48 | pp. 1–26](https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-48/opportunities-and-risks-of-artificial-intelligence-for-productivity/)
[Using Ecosystem Accounting to Integrate the Environment in Measures of Multifactor Productivity

Carl Obst

Fall 2024 | IPM Issue 47 | pp. 87–108](https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-47/using-ecosystem-accounting-to-integrate-the-environment-in-measures-of-multifactor-productivity/)

[Eroding Natural Capital: An Alternative Explanation for the Secular Decline in Productivity Growth

Christina Caron

Fall 2024 | IPM Issue 47 | pp. 109–147](https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-47/eroding-natural-capital-an-alternative-explanation-for-the-secular-decline-in-productivity-growth/)
[How Does Industrial Policy Impact Output, Hours and Productivity? The Canadian Experience

Tim Sargent

Fall 2024 | IPM Issue 47 | pp. 39–53](https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-47/how-does-industrial-policy-impact-output-hours-and-productivity-the-canadian-experience/)

## Abstract

## Résumé

EN
FR

Copy link

Email

LinkedIn

This article explores the links between climate change and productivity. It finds that while much debate has focused on labour and multifactor productivity growth, improving productivity in the use of energy and materials is crucial to achieving net zero and requires much greater emphasis in productivity analysis. Although complementary productivity measures are available, these have not yet become mainstream. Productivity measurement also needs to be improved. Mainstream economic studies have long significantly underestimated the damaging impacts of climate change on growth and productivity. At the same time, studies today may overestimate the long-term costs of policies to address climate change. Standard measures of productivity show few signs of a transition to more sustainable growth. Multi-factor productivity growth – the combined efficiency of factors inputs – has been falling at the global level, and the transition to net zero will likely require large investments in resource-intensive fixed capital, and not just intangible and human capital. While energy and materials productivity are improving, global material use continues to grow rapidly. Moreover, although CO2 emissions have decoupled from GDP growth in many advanced economies, the current pace of decoupling is far below what is needed for net zero. The challenge for policy is how to design climate change policies to meet the global objective of net zero while limiting the impacts on productivity growth and living standards.

Cet article explore les liens entre le changement climatique et la productivité. Il constate que si le débat a largement porté sur la croissance de la productivité du travail et de la productivité multifactorielle, l’amélioration de la productivité dans l’utilisation de l’énergie et des matériaux est cruciale pour atteindre la carboneutralité et nécessite une attention bien plus grande dans l’analyse de la productivité. Bien que des mesures de productivité complémentaires soient disponibles, celles-ci ne sont pas encore courantes. Les études économiques traditionnelles ont longtemps sous-estimé de façon significative les impacts néfastes du changement climatique sur la croissance et la productivité, tandis que les études actuelles peuvent surestimer les coûts à long terme des politiques climatiques.

[Download full PDF](https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IPM-Issue-47-4-Pilat.pdf)
