Climate Change Reconsidered II: Fossil Fuels

The fifth volume in the Climate Change Reconsidered series, Climate Change Reconsidered II: Fossil Fuels, produced by the Nongovernmental International Panel on Climate Change (NIPCC), was publicly released on December 4, 2018 in Katowice, Poland — the host city of the 24th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 24) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The 768-page print edition was released in March 2019 and is available for purchase online at the Heartland Institute store and at Amazon.com. A Kindle ebook edition is also available.

Climate Change Reconsidered II: Fossil Fuels assesses the costs and benefits of the use of fossil fuels (principally coal, oil, and natural gas) by reviewing scientific and economic literature on organic chemistry, climate science, public health, economic history, human security, and theoretical studies based on integrated assessment models (IAMs). It is the fifth volume in the Climate Change Reconsidered series and, like the preceding volumes, it focuses on research overlooked or ignored by the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Previous volumes in the Climate Change Reconsidered series were published in 2009, 2011, 2013, and 2014. Those volumes — along with separate executive summaries for each report— are available for free online on this site. Use the links on this page or use the pull-down menu that appears when clicking on the tab titled “Volumes” at the top of this page. Print copies can be ordered at The Heartland Institute’s online store or at Amazon.com.

The Nongovernmental International Panel on Climate Change (NIPCC) is an international network of climate scientists sponsored by three nonprofit organizations: the Center for the Study of Carbon Dioxide and Global Change, the Science and Environmental Policy Project (SEPP), and The Heartland Institute. It was convened in 2003 to provide an independent review of the reports produced by the United Nations’ IPCC.

Additional background information about Climate Change Reconsidered II: Fossil Fuels is available at these links:

Free Copies

Download the Full Report
Summary for Policymakers
Press release
Background materials

Front Matter

Part 1: Foundations

  1. Environmental Economics
  2. Climate Science

Part II: Benefits of Fossil Fuels

  1. Human Prosperity
  2. Human Health Benefits
  3. Environmental Benefits

Part III: Costs of Fossil Fuels

  1. Air Quality
  2. Human Security
  3. Cost-Benefit Analysis

Appendix 1: Acronyms
Appendix 2: Authors, Contributors, and Reviewers


Watch video of the public release of Climate Change Reconsidered II: Fossil Fuels on December 4, 2018  from Katowice, Poland.