Consulta: subjectFacets:"Q48"
Registros recuperados: 92
Data/hora: 11/06/2024 04:29:38

The Next Generation of Market-Based Environment Policies
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Stavins,   Robert N.; Whitehead,   Bradley W.
We examine what will be required if market-based environmental policy instruments are to become a major force in U.S. environmental policy. We define market-based instruments, and specify five categories: pollution charges; tradable permits; deposit refund systems; reducing market barriers; and eliminating government subsidies. We review major U.S. applications, including: EPA's emissions trading program; the leaded gasoline phasedown; water quality permit trading; CFC trading; SO2 allowance trading; and the RECLAIM program. We assess the U.S. experience in terms of the relatively limited use of these instruments and in terms of the mixed record of performance of implemented instruments. We ask how the next generation of market-based instruments can be...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Environmental Economics and Policy; Q28; Q48.
Ano: 1996
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/10640

Interaction of European Carbon Trading and Energy Prices
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Bunn,   Derek W.; Fezzi,   Carlo.
This paper addresses the economic impact of the EU Emission Trading Scheme for carbon on wholesale electricity and gas prices. Specifically, we analyse the mutual relationships between electricity, gas and carbon prices in the daily spot markets in the United Kingdom. Using a structural co-integrated VAR model, we show how the prices of carbon and gas jointly influence the equilibrium price of electricity. Furthermore, we derive the dynamic pass-trough of carbon into electricity price and the response of electricity and carbon prices to shocks in the gas price.
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Carbon Emission Trading; Energy Markets; Structural VECM; Resource /Energy Economics and Policy; Q48; L94; C32.
Ano: 2007
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/9092

The U.S. Proposed Carbon Tariffs, WTO Scrutiny and China’s Responses
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Zhang,   ZhongXiang.
With countries from around the world set to meet in Copenhagen to try to hammer out a post-2012 climate change agreement, no one would disagree that a U.S. commitment to cut greenhouse gas emissions is essential to such a global pact. However, despite U.S. president Obama’s recent announcement to push for a commitment to cut U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 17% by 2020, in reality it is questionable whether U.S. Congress will agree to specific emissions cuts, although they are not ambitious at all from the perspectives of both the EU and developing countries, without the imposition of carbon tariffs on Chinese products to the U.S. market, even given China’s own recent announcement to voluntarily seek to reduce its carbon intensity by 40-45% over the same...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Post-2012 Climate Negotiations; Border Carbon Adjustments; Carbon Tariffs; Emissions Allowance Requirements; Cap-And-Trade Regime; Lieberman-Warner Bill; Waxman-Markey Bill; World Trade Organization; Kyoto Protocol; China; United States; Environmental Economics and Policy; F18; Q48; Q54; Q56; Q58.
Ano: 2010
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/60682

Efficiency and Distributional Impacts of Tradable White Certificates Compared to Taxes, Subsidies and Regulations
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Giraudet,   Louis-Gaetan; Quirion,   Philippe.
Tradable White Certificates (TWC) schemes, also labelled Energy-Efficiency Certificates schemes, were recently implemented in Great Britain, Italy and France. Energy suppliers have to fund a given quantity of energy efficiency measures, or to buy so-called "white certificates" from other suppliers who exceed their target. We develop a partial equilibrium model to compare TWC schemes to other policy instruments for energy efficiency, i.e., energy taxes, subsidies on energy-saving goods and regulations fixing a minimum level of energy-efficiency. The model features an endogenous level of energy service and we analyse the influence of the substitutability between energy and energy-saving goods to produce the energy service, as well as the influence of the...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Energy Saving Policies; Energy-Efficiency Certificates; White Certificates; Rebound Effect; Resource /Energy Economics and Policy; Q38; Q48; Q58.
Ano: 2008
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/46554

Alternative Land Use Policies: Real Options with Costly Reversibility
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Song,   Feng; Zhao,   Jinhua; Swinton,   Scott M.
This paper adopts a real options framework to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of four types of subsidies that aim to encourage a socially desirable land use under return uncertainties and costly reversibility of land use change.  We first present a land conversion model to show how the subsidies that are expected net present value (ENPV) equivalent can change a representative farmer’s optimal land conversion rules differently for converting land into an alternative use as well as converting out of it. This is because these subsidies affect the land conversion costs, land return level and uncertainty differently. Then in the context of encouraging energy crop production, we compare the probabilities of inducing the representative farmer to convert land from...
Tipo: Conference Paper or Presentation
Palavras-chave: Monte Carlo simulations; Real options; Agricultural subsidies; Cost-effectiveness; Two-way land conversion; Agricultural and Food Policy; Resource /Energy Economics and Policy; Q24; Q48.
Ano: 2010
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/61510

Biofuel Economics in a Setting of Multiple Objectives &amp; Unintended Consequences
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Jaeger,   William K.; Egelkraut,   Thorsten M.
This paper examines biofuels from an economic perspective and evaluates the merits of promoting biofuel production in the context of the policies’ multiple objectives, life-cycle implications, pecuniary externalities, and other unintended consequences. The policy goals most often cited are to reduce fossil fuel use and to lower greenhouse gas emissions. But the presence of multiple objectives and various indirect effects complicates normative evaluation. To address some of these complicating factors, we look at several combinations of policy alternatives that achieve the same set of incremental gains along the two primary targeted policy dimensions, making it possible to compare the costs and cost-effectiveness of each combination of policies. For example,...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Biofuel; Biodiesel; Cost-Effectiveness; Indirect Land Use Change Effects; Net Energy; Multiple Objectives; Ethanol; Ghg; Resource /Energy Economics and Policy; Q42; Q48; Q54.
Ano: 2011
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/108203

The Near-Term Impacts of Carbon Mitigation Policies on Manufacturing Industries
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Morgenstern,   Richard D.; Ho,   Mun S.; Shih,   Jhih-Shyang; Zhang,   Xuehua.
Who will pay for new policies to reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions in the United States? This paper considers a slice of the question by examining the near-term impact on domestic manufacturing industries of both upstream (economy-wide) and downstream (electric power industry only) carbon mitigation policies. Detailed Census data on the electricity use of four-digit manufacturing industries is combined with input-output information on interindustry purchases to paint a detailed picture of carbon use, including effects on final demand. This approach, which freezes capital and other inputs at current levels and assumes that all costs are passed forward, yields upper-bound estimates of total costs. The results are best viewed as...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Distribution of carbon mitigation costs; Industrial impacts of carbon policies; Environmental Economics and Policy; Q28; Q48.
Ano: 2002
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/10706

Should Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) Standards Be Tightened?
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Parry,   Ian W.H.; Fischer,   Carolyn; Harrington,   Winston.
This paper develops analytical models to estimate the welfare effects of higher Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards on new passenger vehicles. The analysis incorporates a broad range of fuel-and-driving-related externalities, fuel taxes, different assumptions concerning consumers' valuation of fuel saving technologies and their alternative value in enhancing other vehicle attributes, and endogenous vehicle fleet composition. To implement the analysis, we develop estimates of CAFE's impact on local pollution, nationwide congestion, and traffic accidents. We find that higher fuel economy standards can produce anything from moderate welfare gains, to very little or no effect, to substantial welfare losses, depending on how consumers value fuel...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Fuel economy standards; Oil dependency; Carbon emissions; Rebound effect; Gasoline tax; Resource /Energy Economics and Policy; R48; Q48; H23.
Ano: 2004
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/10605

Climate Change Meets Trade in Promoting Green Growth: Potential Conflicts and Synergies
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Zhang,   ZhongXiang.
To date, border adjustment measures in the form of emissions allowance requirements (EAR) under the U.S. proposed cap-and-trade regime are the most concrete unilateral trade measure put forward to level the carbon playing field. If improperly implemented, such measures could disturb the world trade order and trigger a trade war. Because of these potentially far-reaching impacts, this paper focuses on this type of unilateral border adjustment, which requires importers to acquire and surrender emissions allowances corresponding to the embedded carbon contents in their goods from countries that have not taken climate actions comparable to that of home country. This discussion is mainly on the legality of unilateral EAR under the WTO rules. Given that the...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Post-2012 climate negotiations; Border carbon adjustments; Carbon tariffs; Emissions allowance requirements; Cap-and-trade regime; Lieberman-Warner bill; Waxman-Markey bill; World Trade Organization; Kyoto Protocol; Developing countries; United States; Environmental Economics and Policy; F18; Q48; Q54; Q56; Q58.
Ano: 2010
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/59475

The Induced Innovation Hypothesis and Energy-Saving Technological Change
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Newell,   Richard G.; Jaffe,   Adam B.; Stavins,   Robert N.
We develop a methodology for testing Hick's induced innovation hypothesis by estimating a product-characteristics model of energy-using consumer durables, augmenting the hypothesis to allow for the influence of government regulations. For the products we explored, the evidence suggests: (i) the rate of overall innovation was independent of energy prices and regulations, (ii) the direction of innovation was responsive to energy price changes for some products but not for others, (iii) energy price changes induced changes in the subset of technically feasible models that were offered for sale, (iv) this responsiveness increased substantially during the period after energy-efficiency product labeling was required, and (v) nonetheless, a sizeable portion of...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Induced innovation; Energy efficiency; Technological change; Economic incentives; Regulation; Standards; Climate change; Resource /Energy Economics and Policy; L51; O31; O38; Q40; Q20; Q48.
Ano: 1998
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/10521

The Benefits of Reduced Air Pollutants in the U.S. from Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Policies
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Burtraw,   Dallas; Toman,   Michael.
Policies that reduce emissions of greenhouse gases can simultaneously alter emissions of conventional pollutants that have deleterious effects on human health and the environment. This paper first describes how these "ancillary" benefits--benefits in addition to reduced risks of climate change--can result from greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation efforts. It then discusses methodologies for assessing ancillary benefits and provides a critical review of estimates associated with reductions of criteria air pollutants. We find that these benefits in the U.S. may be significant, indicating a higher level of "no regrets" greenhouse gas abatement than might be expected based on simple economic calculations of abatement cost. However, the magnitude of ancillary...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Climate change; Greenhouse gas; Ancillary benefits; Air pollution; Co-control benefits; Environmental Economics and Policy; H23; I18; Q48.
Ano: 1997
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/10496

Wind Power Development: Opportunities and Challenges
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: van Kooten,   G. Cornelis; Timilsina,   Govinda R.
In this study, the prospects of wind power at the global level are reviewed. Existing studies indicate that the earth’s wind energy supply potential significantly exceeds global energy demand. Yet, only 1% of the global electricity demand is currently derived from wind power despite 40% annual growth in wind generating capacity over the last 25 years. More than 98% of total current wind power capacity is installed in the developed countries plus China and India. Existing studies estimate that wind power could supply 7% to 34% of global electricity needs by 2050. Wind power faces a large number of technical, financial, institutional, market and other barriers. To overcome these, many countries have employed various policy instruments, including capital...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Wind energy; Renewable energy; Electricity grids; Resource /Energy Economics and Policy; Q25; Q32; Q42; Q48.
Ano: 2008
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/45665

Inflationary Effect of Oil-Price Shocks in an Imperfect Market: A Partial Transmission Input-output Analysis
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Wu,   Libo; Li,   Jing; Zhang,   ZhongXiang.
This paper aims to examine the impacts of oil-price shocks on China’s price levels. To that end, we develop a partial transmission input-output model that captures the uniqueness of the Chinese market. We hypothesize and simulate price control, market factors and technology substitution - the three main factors that restrict the functioning of a price pass-through mechanism during oil-price shocks. Using the models of both China and the U.S., we separate the impact of price control from those of other factors leading to China’s price stickiness under oil-price shocks. The results show a sharp contrast between China and the U.S., with price control in China significantly preventing oil-price shocks from spreading into its domestic inflation, especially in...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Oil-price Shocks; Price Transmission; Price Control; Input-output Analysis; Inflation; Industrial Structure; China; The United States; Resource /Energy Economics and Policy; Q43; Q41; Q48; O13; O53; P22; E31.
Ano: 2011
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/102507

Market-Based Approaches to CO2 Emissions: Implications for Agriculture
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Raymond,   Leigh; Shively,   Gerald E.
Tipo: Journal Article
Palavras-chave: Environmental Economics and Policy; H00; Q28; Q48.
Ano: 2008
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/94505

Read the Label! Energy Star Appliance Awareness and Uptake Among U.S. Consumers
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Murray,   Anthony G.; Mills,   Bradford F.
The Energy Star label program to promote the diffusion of energy efficient home appliances is arguably the most significant government effort to reduce U.S. residential energy consumption. Program effectiveness requires that consumers are aware of the labeling scheme and also change their purchase decisions based on label information.  This paper examines the factors associated with consumer awareness of the Energy Star label of recently purchased ‘white’ major appliances and the factors associated with the choice of Energy Star labeled appliances. The paper finds that household characteristics have a much stronger association with consumers awareness of labels than with the choice of Energy Star appliances. Renting the home, Hispanic ethnicity, being poor...
Tipo: Conference Paper or Presentation
Palavras-chave: Energy Star; Household Energy Efficiency; Technology Adoption; Consumer/Household Economics; Resource /Energy Economics and Policy; O33; Q40; Q48.
Ano: 2011
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/103328

The Impact of Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Participation on Household Energy Insecurity
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Murray,   Anthony G.; Mills,   Bradford F.
Tipo: Presentation
Palavras-chave: LIHEAP; Energy Security; Program Evaluation; Resource /Energy Economics and Policy; Q48.
Ano: 2012
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/123968

EPA MANDATE WAIVERS CREATE NEW UNCERTAINTIES IN BIODIESEL MARKETS
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Thompson,   Wyatt; Meyer,   Seth D.
Tipo: Journal Article
Palavras-chave: Biodiesel; Biofuel Mandate; Waivers; Resource /Energy Economics and Policy; Q11; Q16; Q42; Q48.
Ano: 2011
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/109485

Agriculture and Greenhouse Gas Cap-and-Trade
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Adams,   Damian C.
Tipo: Report
Palavras-chave: Environmental Economics and Policy; International Relations/Trade; Q18; Q48; Q54.
Ano: 2009
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/93679

A Theory of Dynamic Biofuel Tax Credit
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Ye,   Fanglin; Lu,   Liang; Du,   Xiaoxue.
In this paper, we set up a social cost minimization problem for a government. Using dynamic optimization tools, we analytically shows how exogenous parameters could affect the optimal social cost and the optimal tax credit policy path.
Tipo: Presentation
Palavras-chave: Optimal Control; Biofuel; Tax Credit; Environmental Economics and Policy; Resource /Energy Economics and Policy; Q42; Q48.
Ano: 2012
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/123750

Conditions Necessary for Private Investment in the Ethanol Industry
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Kenkel,   Philip L.; Holcomb,   Rodney B.
While agricultural economics literature has become rife with the economics of ethanol production and cellulosic ethanol feedstock production, little has been written about capital investment necessary for the magnitude of industry development mandated by the Energy Security and Independence Act of 2007. Financing the development of the ethanol industry to meet the 36 billion gallon production capacity set for 2022 (with 16 billion gallons from cellulosic ethanol) will require capital investments exceeding $100 billion for production facilities, plus extensive investment in feedstock establishment and transportation/handling infrastructure. Federal support associated with political mandates does not address all of the financial issues related with the...
Tipo: Journal Article
Palavras-chave: Biofuel policy; Cellulosic ethanol; Industry legitimacy; Private investment; Agribusiness; Agricultural Finance; Crop Production/Industries; Resource /Energy Economics and Policy; Q13; Q42; Q43; Q48.
Ano: 2009
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/53092

The French Biodiesel Production: An Assessment of the Impacts and Interaction Effects of Policy Instruments
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Doumax,   Virginie.
Replaced with revised  version of paper 07/18/10.
Tipo: Conference Paper or Presentation
Palavras-chave: Biofuels; Blend mandate; Subsidy; Social costs; Agricultural and Food Policy; Resource /Energy Economics and Policy; H23; Q41; Q42; Q48.
Ano: 2010
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/61698

Demand-Side Management Programs Under Retail Electricity Competition
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Brennan,   Timothy J.
Demand-side management programs comprise subsidies from franchised electric utilities for the purchase of high-efficiency appliances; e.g., air conditioners. Competition in power generation threatens the viability of these programs. However, it should also reduce the warrant for them. Under regulation, the justification for such programs depends, somewhat paradoxically, on below marginal-cost pricing. Eliminating regulation should permit pricing flexibility to discourage excessive on-peak energy use. It should also eliminate the assurance of returns that may have encouraged overbuilding of generation capacity. Entrants and incumbent utilities should find it easier to offer "energy services," i.e., to bundle electricity with appliances, if consumers are too...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Electricity restructuring; Energy conservation; Regulatory policy; Resource /Energy Economics and Policy; L51; L94; Q48.
Ano: 1998
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/10615

Forest Carbon Sinks: European Union, Japanese, and Canadian Approaches
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Amano,   Masahiro; Sedjo,   Roger A.
This report compares the approaches of the governments of Japan, Canada, and the European Union member countries toward using carbon sinks to meet their respective Kyoto Protocol carbon reduction targets. Various policies have been proposed by which governments can sequester carbon by promoting afforestation and reforestation, slowing deforestation, and undertaking forest management activities under Articles 3.3 and 3.4. At this time, carbon emissions reduction programs are still under development, both within individual countries and within the context of the protocol. Although some of the details have been worked out, concrete definitions are often still lacking, especially as regards impermanence of forests, additionality, leakage, and socioeconomic and...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Climate; Sinks; Kyoto Protocol; Forestry; Canada; Japan; European Union; Resource /Energy Economics and Policy; F01; Q23; Q28; Q48.
Ano: 2003
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/10913

The Emergence of an Agro-Energy Sector: Is Agriculture Importing Instability from the Oil Sector?
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Muhammad,   Andrew; Kebede,   Ellene.
Tipo: Journal Article
Palavras-chave: Corn; Oil; Ethanol; Biofuels; Prices; Agribusiness; Q11; Q42; Q48.
Ano: 2008
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/94695

On the Integration of Carbon Capture and Storage into the International Climate Regime
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Bode,   Sven; Jung,   Martina.
As GHG emissions did not decline as anticipated early of the 1990ties Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) recently gained more and more attention as a climate change mitigation option. However, CO2 suppressed in geological reservoirs is likely to lead to future releases of the CO2 stored. This "non-permanence" must be considered if an environmentally sound policy is desired. Against this background, the present article analyses a potential integration of CCS in the international climate regime. It is based on existing rules and modalities regarding non-permanence of sequestration in the Land use, Land-use change and Forestry (LULUCF) sector. Interestingly, the experience from LULUCF has almost completely been neglected during the discussion on CCS. We argue...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage; Permanence; Sequestration; LULUCF; Climate Policy; Environmental Economics and Policy; Q25; Q28; Q38; Q48.
Ano: 2004
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/26279

Exogenous Oil Shocks, Fiscal Policy and Sector Reallocations in Oil Producing Countries
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Cologni,   Alessandro; Manera,   Matteo.
Previous literature has suggested that different mechanisms of transmission of exogenous oil shocks are responsible for the negative effects on the economic performances of oil exporting countries. This paper aims at providing further evidence on the role of sectoral reallocation between private and public sectors in explaining the impact of shocks to oil revenues on the economic growth rates of major oil producing countries (namely the GCC - Gulf Corporation Council - countries). The effects of oil shocks and expansionary fiscal policy on the business cycle of oil producing countries are examined. The possibility to distinguish between various components of public sector spending policy (that is, purchases of consumption goods, investments in productive...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Oil Shocks; Dutch Disease; Resource Curse and Real Business  Cycle Modelling; Resource /Energy Economics and Policy; C61; E22; E62; Q48.
Ano: 2011
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/115726

An Evaluation of Overseas Oil Investment Projects under Uncertainty Using a Real Options Based Simulation Model
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Zhu,   Lei; Zhang,   ZhongXiang; Fan,   Ying.
This paper applies real options theory to establish an overseas oil investment evaluation model that is based on Monte Carlo simulation and is solved by the Least Squares Monte-Carlo method. To better reflect the reality of overseas oil investment, our model has incorporated not only the uncertainties of oil price and investment cost but also the uncertainties of exchange rate and investment environment. These unique features have enabled our model to be best equipped to evaluate the value of oil overseas investment projects of three oil field sizes (large, medium, small) and under different resource tax systems (royalty tax and production sharing contracts). In our empirical setting, we have selected China as an investor country and Indonesia as an...
Tipo: Working Paper
Palavras-chave: Overseas Oil Investment; Project Value; Real Options; Least Squares Monte-Carlo; Resource /Energy Economics and Policy; Q41; Q43; Q48; G31; O13; O22; C63.
Ano: 2011
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/119106

Research Frontiers in the Economics of Climate Change
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Toman,   Michael.
Academic and policy debates over climate change risks and policies have stimulated economic research in a variety of fields. In this article I briefly discuss eight overlapping areas of current research in which further effort particularly is warranted. These areas include decision criteria for policy; risk assessment and adaptation; uncertainty and learning; abatement cost and the innovation and diffusion of technology; and the credibility of policies and international agreements. Further analysis in these areas not only will advance academic understanding but also will provide insights of considerable importance to policymakers.
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Climate change; Sustainable development; Integrated assessment; Environmental uncertainty; Environmental policy; Environmental Economics and Policy; Q25; Q28; Q48.
Ano: 1998
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/10507

Liberalizing Climate-Friendly Goods and Technologies in the WTO: Product Coverage, Modalities, Challenges and the Way Forward
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Zhang,   ZhongXiang.
The Doha Round Agenda (paragraph 31(3)) mandates to liberalize environmental goods and services. This mandate offers a good opportunity to put climate-friendly goods and services on a fast track to liberalization. Agreement on this paragraph should represent one immediate contribution that the WTO can make to fight against climate change. This paper presents the key issues surrounding liberalized trade in climate-friendly goods and technologies in WTO environmental goods negotiations. It begins with what products to liberalize and how. Clearly, WTO environmental goods negotiations to date show that WTO member countries are divided by this key issue. Focusing on the issue, the paper explores options available to liberalize trade in climate-friendly goods...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Environmental Goods and Services; Low-Carbon Goods and Technologies; Doha Round; WTO; Environmental Economics and Policy; F18; F13; Q56; Q54; Q58; Q48.
Ano: 2010
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/94620

Comparison of a Fixed and Variable Corn Ethanol Subsidy
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Tyner,   Wallace E.; Quear,   Justin.
Tipo: Journal Article
Palavras-chave: Agricultural and Food Policy; Crop Production/Industries; Q48.
Ano: 2006
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/94404

Do Current U.S. Ethanol Policies Make Sense?
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Yano,   Yuki; Blandford,   David; Surry,   Yves R.
Tipo: Report
Palavras-chave: Agricultural and Food Policy; Q48; Q42; Q27; Q28.
Ano: 2010
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/93686

Technology Adoption and Aggregate Energy Efficiency
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Pizer,   William A.; Harrington,   Winston; Kopp,   Raymond J.; Morgenstern,   Richard D.; Shih,   Jhih-Shyang.
Improved technology is often cited as a means to alter the otherwise difficult trade-off between the economic burden of regulation and environmental damage. Focusing on energy-saving technologies that mitigate the threat of climate change, we find that both energy prices and financial health influence technology adoption among a sample of industrial plants in four heavily polluting sectors. Based on a model linking technology adoption to growth in aggregate efficiency, we estimate that a doubling of energy prices, after raising the growth rate to 2.1%, would require slightly more than 50 years to generate a 50% improvement in aggregate efficiency relative to the baseline forecast.
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Energy efficiency; Endogenous technological change; Technology adoption; Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies; O31; O38; Q43; Q48.
Ano: 2002
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/10616

Environmental Security and its Implications for China’s Foreign Relations
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Mochizuki,   Junko; Zhang,   ZhongXiang.
China’s emerging standing in the world demands a major rethinking of its diplomatic strategies. Given its population size, geographical scale, economic power and military presence, China is poised to play a larger political role in the twenty-first century, and is thus perceived by the international community to have greater capacities, capabilities and responsibilities. At the same time, environmental stresses caused by China’s energy and resources demands have become increasingly evident in recent years, urging China to cultivate delicate diplomatic relations with its neighbors and strategic partners. Tensions have been seen in areas such as transboundary air pollution, cross-border water resources management and resources exploitation, and more recently...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Acid Rain; Climate Change; Energy; Environmental Security; Transboundary Air Pollution; Water Resource Management; Asia; Environmental Economics and Policy; Q25; Q34; Q48; Q42; Q53; Q54; Q56; Q58; O13; P28.
Ano: 2011
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/102508

Ancillary Benefits of Reduced Air Pollution in the United States from Moderate Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Policies in the Electricity Sector
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Burtraw,   Dallas; Krupnick,   Alan J.; Palmer,   Karen L.; Paul,   Anthony; Toman,   Michael; Bloyd,   Cary.
This paper considers how moderate actions to slow atmospheric accumulation of greenhouse gases from fossil fuel use also could reduce conventional air pollutants in the United States. The benefits that result would be "ancillary" to greenhouse gas abatement. Moreover, the benefits would tend to accrue locally and in the near term, while benefits from reduced climate change mostly accrue globally and over a time frame of several decades or longer. The previous literature suggests that changes in nitrogen oxides (NOx) would be the most important consequence of moderate carbon policies. We calculate these changes in a detailed electricity model linked to an integrated assessment framework to value changes in human health. A tax of $25 per metric ton of carbon...
Tipo: Conference Paper or Presentation
Palavras-chave: Climate change; Greenhouse gas; Ancillary benefits; Air pollution; Co-control benefits; Nitrogen oxides; Sulfur dioxide; Carbon dioxide; Particulates; Health; Environmental Economics and Policy; H23; I18; Q48.
Ano: 2001
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/10664

Incentives Matter: Assessing Biofuel Policies in the South
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Miller,   J. Corey; Coble,   Keith H.
As a result of the increase in the real cost of fossil fuel-based energy in recent years, federal and state governments have taken a more active role in energy policy by creating incentives to develop alternative sources of energy, including biofuels. However, policymakers often become focused on the specific type of energy and not the energy services consumers ultimately value. The lack of recognition of energy as a commodity results in policies that ignore the characteristics of the associated markets: easy entry and exit, no barriers to entry, and sensitivity to changes in supply and demand. Consequently, energy industries may fail to arise because entrepreneurs must be able to account for all costs and earn—at a minimum—a competitive return on the...
Tipo: Journal Article
Palavras-chave: Alternative energy; Biofuels; Energy policy; Resource /Energy Economics and Policy; Q41; Q42; Q48.
Ano: 2011
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/113534

The Linkages between Energy Efficiency and Security of Energy Supply in Europe
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Bigano,   Andrea; Arigoni Ortiz,   Ramon; Markandya,   Anil; Menichetti,   Emanuela; Pierfederici,   Roberta.
It can be argued that one way to reduce the dependence from external energy sources, is simply to reduce the demand for energy. Energy savings may thus be considered a policy priority when concerns for energy security are particularly strong. Drawing on an original econometric approach, we check whether policies and measures that affect indicators of energy efficiency performance have an analogous effect on security of supply indicators, both at the whole economy level and within the main sectors of energy use in the EU 15 countries and Norway. Our analyses show that the indicators studied are affected by a number of policies and measures; however very few of them seem able to tackle effectively and simultaneously, energy efficiency, carbon efficiency and...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Energy Efficiency; Energy Security; Policy Effectiveness; Europe; Resource /Energy Economics and Policy; Q40; Q48; Q58; C33.
Ano: 2010
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/90950

The European Emission Trading Scheme and Renewable Energy Policies: Credible Targets for Incredible Results?
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Borghesi,   Simone.
This paper discusses the merits and limits of the recent European energy policy aimed at reducing carbon emissions, devoting particular attention to the European Trading System of carbon permits and to the measures that the European Union has adopted to promote renewable energy sources. From the comparison of past goals and present results, it is argued that more credible targets for carbon emission reductions and renewable shares would probably help the transition towards an alternative energy system and the necessary reduction of greenhouse gases.
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Pollution; Sustainable Development; Climate Change; Fossil Fuels; Energy Policy; European Union; European Trading System (ETS); Cap-And-Trade; Renewable Energy Sources; Credibility; Environmental Economics and Policy; L11; Q28; Q38; Q42; Q43; Q48.
Ano: 2010
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/98099

Combining Climate and Energy Policies: Synergies or Antagonism? Modeling interactions with energy efficiency instruments
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Lecuyer,   Oskar; Bibas,   Ruben.
In addition to the already present Climate and Energy package, the European Union (EU) plans to include a binding target to reduce energy consumption. We analyze the rationales the EU invokes to justify such an overlapping and develop a minimal common framework to study interactions arising from the combination of instruments reducing emissions, promoting renewable energy (RE) production and reducing energy demand through energy efficiency (EE) investments. We find that although all instruments tend to reduce emissions and a price on carbon tends to give the right incentives for RE and EE too, the combination of more than one instrument leads to significant antagonisms regarding major objectives of the policy package. The model allows to show in a single...
Tipo: Working Paper
Palavras-chave: Renewable Energy; Energy Efficiency; Energy Policy; Climate Policy; Policy Interaction; Resource /Energy Economics and Policy; Q28; Q41; Q48; Q58.
Ano: 2011
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/120049

Can an Effective Global Climate Treaty Be Based on Sound Science, Rational Economics, and Pragmatic Politics
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Stavins,   Robert N.
The Kyoto Protocol (1997) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (1992) may come into force without U.S. participation, but its effects on climate change will be trivial. At the same time, the economic and scientific consensus points to the need for a credible international approach. A reasonable starting point is the Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC), which was signed by 161 nations and ratified by 50, including the United States, and entered into force in 1994. In this paper, I remain agnostic on the question of the Kyoto Protocol's viability. Some analysts see the agreement as deeply flawed, while others see it as an acceptable or even excellent first step. But virtually everyone agrees that the Protocol is not...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Global climate change; Global warming; Policy architecture; Kyoto Protocol; Environmental Economics and Policy; Q54; Q58; Q48; Q39.
Ano: 2004
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/10720

The Economic Impact of the Green Certificate Market through the Macro Multiplier Approach
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Ciaschini,   Maurizio; Severini,   Francesca; Socci,   Claudio; Pretaroli,   Rosita.
In the last decade, as many other European countries, the Italian Government adopted several reforms in order to increase the use of Renewable Energy Sources (RES). The liberalization of the electricity market that represents one of these reforms aims to reach environmental benefits from the substitution of fossil fuel with renewable sources. The Italian Green Certificate market was introduced in 2002 in order to accomplish this objective and represents a mechanism where a quota of renewable electricity is imposed to suppliers in proportion to their sales. The electricity industries are obliged to meet this condition by producing the quantity of renewable electricity by means of a change in their production process, otherwise they must buy a number of...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Environmental Policy; Hybrid I-O model; Macro Multiplier; Resource /Energy Economics and Policy; C67; E23; Q43; Q48.
Ano: 2010
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/94741

Water-Conserving Attitudes and Landscape Choices in New Mexico
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Hurd,   Brian H.
Tipo: Journal Article
Palavras-chave: Water Conservation; Residential Landscape; Urban Water Use; Municipal Water Program; Resource /Energy Economics and Policy; Q25; Q48.
Ano: 2010
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/95759

Policy-Induced Technology Adoption: Evidence from the U.S. Lead Phasedown
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Kerr,   Suzi; Newell,   Richard G.
The theory of environmental regulation suggests that economic instruments, such as taxes and tradable permits, create more effective technology adoption incentives than conventional regulatory standards. We explore this issue for an important industry undergoing technological responses to a dramatic decrease in allowed pollution levels - the petroleum industry's phasedown of lead in gasoline. Using a panel of refineries from 1971 to 1995, we provide some of the first direct evidence that alternative policies affect the pattern of adoption in expected ways. Importantly, we find that the tradable permit system used during the lead phasedown provided incentives for more efficient technology adoption decisions. Where environmentally appropriate, this suggests...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Technology; Adoption; Diffusion; Environment; Regulation; Lead; Gasoline; Tradable permit; Incentive-based policy; Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies; C41; L71; O31; O33; Q28; Q48.
Ano: 2001
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/10834

Trade in Environmental Goods, with Focus on Climate-Friendly Goods and Technologies
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Zhang,   ZhongXiang.
Paragraph 31(iii) of the Doha Ministerial Declaration mandates to the liberalization of environmental goods and services. This mandate offers a good opportunity to put climate-friendly goods and services on a fast track to liberalization. Agreement on this paragraph should represent one immediate contribution that the WTO can make to fight against climate change. This paper presents the key issues surrounding the liberalization of trade in climate-friendly goods and technologies in WTO environmental goods negotiations. It begins with discussing what products to liberalize and how. Given that WTO Members are divided by this key issue, the paper explores options to move current negotiations on the liberalization of trade in environmental goods and...
Tipo: Working Paper
Palavras-chave: Environmental Goods and Services; Low-Carbon Goods and Technologies; Market Access; Doha Round; WTO; Renewable Energy Technologies; Environmental Economics and Policy; F18; F13; P28; Q42; Q48; Q56; Q54; Q58; Q48.
Ano: 2011
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/119099

Environmental and Technology Policies for Climate Change and Renewable Energy
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Fischer,   Carolyn; Newell,   Richard G.
We assess different policies for reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and promoting the innovation and diffusion of CO2-reducing power technologies: (1) emissions price, (2) tax on fossil power, (3) tradable emissions performance standard, (4) market share requirement for renewables, (5) renewables production subsidy, and (6) R&amp;D subsidy for renewables. We evaluate the relative performance of the policies according to incentives they provide along different avenues for emissions reduction, their efficiency, and other salient outcomes. We also assess how the nature of technological progress-whether it occurs by learning by doing or R&amp;D investment and the degree of knowledge spillovers -affects the desirability of different policies. In a...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Environment; Technology; Policy instruments; Climate change; Renewable energy; Environmental Economics and Policy; Q21; Q28; Q48; O38.
Ano: 2005
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/10789

Biofuels Potential in Latin America and the Caribbean: Quantitative Considerations and Policy Implications for the Agricultural Sector
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Ludena,   Carlos E.; Razo,   Carlos; Saucedo,   Alberto.
Rising oil prices has led to increased interest to replace domestic demand for liquid fuels for transport (petrol and diesel) with biofuel production (ethanol and biodiesel). One of the pioneers in biofuel production is Brazil, which since the 1970s has established a government program that promotes the production and consumption of ethanol. Currently, Brazil is the leading producer of ethanol in the world and has started also programs for biodiesel production based on soybeans, oil palm and other crops. Other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have also expressed interest in biofuel production, and have started programs, and in some cases the legislation that promotes biofuel production. However, most of the analysis of biofuel crops has been...
Tipo: Conference Paper or Presentation
Palavras-chave: Biofuels; Land availability; Price effect; Agricultural structure; Latin America; Caribbean; Resource /Energy Economics and Policy; Q42; Q48; Q11; Q15.
Ano: 2007
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/9986

Climate Change Policy
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Shogren,   Jason F.; Toman,   Michael.
Having risen from relative obscurity as few as ten years ago, climate change now looms large among environmental policy issues. Its scope is global; the potential environmental and economic impacts are ubiquitous; the potential restrictions on human choices touch the most basic goals of people in all nations; and the sheer scope of the potential response - a significant shift away from using fossil fuels as the primary energy source in the modern economy -is daunting. In this paper, we explore the economics of climate change policy. We examine the risks that climate change poses for society, the benefits of protection against the effects of climate change, and the costs of alternative protection policies. We organize our discussion around three broad...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Climate change; Incentive-based policy; International environmental cooperation; Benefit-cost analysis; Environmental Economics and Policy; Q25; Q28; Q48.
Ano: 2000
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/10767

Impacts of Border Carbon Adjustments on China’s Sectoral Emissions: Simulations with a Dynamic Computable General Equilibrium Model
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Bao,   Qin; Tang,   Ling; Zhang,   ZhongXiang; Qiao,   Han; Wang,   Shouyang.
Carbon-based border tax adjustments (BTAs) have recently been proposed by some OECD countries to level the carbon playing field and target major emerging economies. This paper applies a multi-sector dynamic computable general equilibrium (CGE) model to estimate the impacts of the BTAs implemented by US and EU on China’s sectoral carbon emissions. The results indicate that BTAs will cut down export prices and transmit the effects to the whole economy, reducing sectoral output-demands from both supply side and demand side. On the supply side, sectors might substitute away from exporting toward domestic market, increasing sectoral supply; while on the demand side, the domestic income may be strikingly cut down due to the decrease in export price, decreasing...
Tipo: Working Paper
Palavras-chave: Border Carbon Tax Adjustments; Computable General Equilibrium Model; Carbon Emissions; Environmental Economics and Policy; D58; F18; Q43; Q48; Q52; Q54; Q56; Q58.
Ano: 2011
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/120044

Second-Best Optimal Taxation of Oil and Capital in a Small Open Economy
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Petrucci,   Alberto.
This paper analyzes the efficient taxation of oil and capital income in an oil-dependent infinite-lived economy facing perfect capital mobility. Two cases are examined: one with product market imperfections and free tax choice, one with perfect competition and tax restrictions. The optimal tax rates on oil and capital strictly depend on the international tax system implemented; however, they are also affected by the degree of market power and the extent to which monopoly profits are taxed, the type of tax restrictions and the use of oil (as an input or a consumer good). Under the residence-based system, capital income should always be exempted from taxation, while the optimal tax on productive oil may differ from zero. Under the source-based system,...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Optimal Factor Taxation; Oil; Capital Income; Residence-based System; Source-Based System; Financial Economics; E62; H21; Q43; Q48.
Ano: 2010
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/59477

Natural Gas, Wind and Nuclear Options for Generating Electricity in a Carbon Constrained World
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: van Kooten,   G. Cornelis.
A linear programming model is used to examine the impact of carbon taxes on the optimal generation mix in the Alberta electrical system. The model permits decommissioning of generating assets with high carbon dioxide emissions and investment in new gas-fired, wind and, in some scenarios, nuclear capacity. Although there is an intertie from Alberta to the U.S., the focus is on the connection to British Columbia as wind energy can potentially be stored in reservoirs behind hydroelectric dams. However, storage can also be used to smooth out the net load facing nuclear facilities. A carbon tax facilitates early removal of coal-fired capacity, which is replaced by low-emissions gas plants. It is only when the carbon tax exceeds $125/tCO2 that wind enters the...
Tipo: Working Paper
Palavras-chave: Renewable energy; Nuclear power; Transmission capacity; Energy storage; Resource /Energy Economics and Policy; Q42; Q54; Q48; Q58.
Ano: 2012
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/122353

The Oil-Based Economies International Research Project. The Case of Iran
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Verdinejad,   Fereydoun; Gorji,   Yasaman.
In order to activate the cycle of wealth production, promote social justice and eliminate poverty and inequality, developing countries are currently faced with a multiplicity of structural problems. According to some economic theories, this is mainly due to inefficient or lack of access to financial resources, which has proved a major obstacle in activating the cycle of wealth production in such countries. On this assumption, countries with huge oil reserves including Iran, should not encounter obstacles in terms of creating and accelerating the national cycle of wealth production. However, the fact is almost all major oil-producing countries and the main exporters of petroleum products in the world are dealing with serious structural issues in...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Oil-Based Economies; Iran; Wealth Production; Income Distribution; Resource /Energy Economics and Policy; O; O43; Q43; Q48.
Ano: 2010
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/91007

Switchgrass to Ethanol: A Field to Fuel Approach
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Haque,   Mohua; Epplin,   Francis M.
The U.S. Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 mandates the production of 16 billion gallons of cellulosic biofuels by 2022. Desirable feedstock properties, biomass to biofuel conversion rate, and investment required in plant and equipment differs depending on which of several competing technologies is used. The objective is to determine the breakeven ethanol price for a cellulosic biorefinery. A comprehensive mathematical programming model that encompasses the chain from land acquisition to ethanol production was constructed and solved. For a capital requirement of $400 million for a 100 million gallons per year plant and a conversion rate of 100 gallons of ethanol per dry ton, the breakeven ethanol price is $1.91 per gallon: $0.20 for land rental...
Tipo: Conference Paper or Presentation
Palavras-chave: Biorefinery; Breakeven price; Cellulosic ethanol; Mathematical programming; Switchgrass; Agricultural and Food Policy; Crop Production/Industries; Production Economics; Q42; Q48.
Ano: 2010
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/61294

Cost-Effectiveness of Renewable Electricity Policies
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Palmer,   Karen L.; Burtraw,   Dallas.
We analyze policies to promote renewable sources of electricity. A renewable portfolio standard raises electricity prices and primarily reduces gas-fired generation. A "knee" of the cost curve exists between 15% and 20% goals for 2020 in our central case, and higher natural gas prices lower the cost of greater reliance on renewables. A renewable energy production tax credit lowers electricity price at the expense of taxpayers and thus limits its effectiveness in reducing carbon emissions; it also is less cost-effective at increasing renewables than a portfolio standard. Neither policy is as cost-effective as a cap-and-trade policy for achieving carbon emissions reductions.
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Renewable energy; Electricity; Renewable portfolio standard; Carbon dioxide; Resource /Energy Economics and Policy; Q42; Q48; Q54.
Ano: 2005
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/10845

The Impact of the Oil Sector on Commodity Prices: Correlation or Causation?
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Saghaian,   Sayed H.
The interconnections of agriculture and energy markets have increased through the rise in the new biofuel agribusinesses and the oil–ethanol–corn linkages. The question is whether these linkages have a causal structure by which oil prices affect commodity prices and through these links, instability is transferred from energy markets to already volatile agricultural markets. In this article, we present empirical results using contemporary time-series analysis and Granger causality supplemented by a directed graph theory modeling approach to identify the links and plausible contemporaneous causal structures among energy and commodity variables. The results show that although there is a strong correlation among oil and commodity prices, the evidence for a...
Tipo: Journal Article
Palavras-chave: Ethanol prices; Crude oil prices; Corn prices; Soybean prices; Wheat prices; Causal structure; Agribusiness; Crop Production/Industries; Environmental Economics and Policy; Production Economics; Research Methods/ Statistical Methods; Resource /Energy Economics and Policy; Q11; Q13; Q42; Q48.
Ano: 2010
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/92582

Copenhagen and Beyond: Reflections on China’s Stance and Responses
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Zhang,   ZhongXiang.
China had been singled out by Western politicians and media for dragging its feet on international climate negotiations at Copenhagen, the accusations previously always targeted on the U.S. To put such a criticism into perspective, this paper provides some reflections on China’s stance and reactions at Copenhagen. While China’s reactions are generally well rooted because of realities at home, some reactions could have been handled more effectively for a better image of China. The paper also addresses the reliability of China’s statistics on energy and GDP, the issue crucial to the reliability of China’s carbon intensity commitments. The paper discusses flaws in current international climate negotiations and closes with my suggestion that international...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Copenhagen Climate Negotiations; Emissions Reductions; Carbon Intensity Target; Binding Emissions Caps; Statistics on Energy and GDP; Coal and Energy Consumption; China; USA; Environmental Economics and Policy; Q41; Q43; Q48; Q52; Q54; Q58; O53.
Ano: 2010
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/92836

The Ancillary Carbon Benefits of SO2 Reductions from a Small-Boiler Policy in Taiyuan, PRC
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Morgenstern,   Richard D.; Krupnick,   Alan J.; Zhang,   Xuehua.
To reduce carbon emissions worldwide, it makes sense to consider the possibility of developed countries paying for carbon reductions in developing countries. Developing countries may be interested in such activities if the ancillary air pollution benefits are large. This paper reports on an RFF survey of the emissions benefits (and costs) of reducing sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions from small, coal-burning boilers in Taiyuan, an industrial, northern Chinese city that recently banned uncontrolled coal combustion in certain small boilers in the downtown area. We find significant carbon benefits in percentage terms-on the order of 50% to 95% reduction-associated with this SO2 control policy, with large reduction potential elsewhere in Taiyuan and China. While...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Carbon; Air pollution; Informal sector; Ancillary benefits; Abatement costs; Survey; Environmental Economics and Policy; O12; L2; Q12; Q25; Q48.
Ano: 2002
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/10632

Impact of Revised CO2 Growth Projections for China on Global Stabilization Goals
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Blanford,   Geoffrey J.; Richels,   Richard G.; Rutherford,   Thomas F.
Recent growth in carbon dioxide emissions from China’s energy sector has exceeded expectations. In a major US government study of future emissions released in 2007 (1), participating models appear to have substantially underestimated the near-term rate of increase in China’s emissions.  We present a recalibration of one of those models to be consistent with both current observations and historical development patterns. The implications of the new specification for the feasibility of commonly discussed stabilization targets, particularly when considering incomplete global participation, are profound.  Unless China’s emissions begin to depart soon from their (newly projected) business-as-usual path, stringent stabilization goals may be unattainable. The...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Energy-Economy Modeling; China; Economic Growth Rates; Energy Intensity; International Climate Policy; Q48; H23; O13.
Ano: 2008
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/42921

Early Emissions Reduction Programs: An Application to CO2 Policy
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Parry,   Ian W.H.; Toman,   Michael.
In the wake of the December 1997 Kyoto Protocol, which, if implemented, would oblige the United States and other industrialized countries to reduce greenhouse gases (GHGs) by 2008-2012, a number of proposals have been offered to increase the incentives for reducing emissions over the nearer term. The existence of an interim period between setting and implementing environmental goals is ubiquitous in environmental policymaking. The existence of this interim period gives rise to several potential rationales for early emissions reductions. In this paper we use a series of simple models and numerical illustrations to analyze some aspects of the performance of early emissions reduction programs in the case of GHGs. We show that there is a compelling economic...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Early reduction credits; Carbon emissions; Welfare impacts; Permit banking; Cap-and-trade; Environmental Economics and Policy; Q28; H23; Q48.
Ano: 2000
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/10791

The Economics of Fuel Economy Standards
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Portney,   Paul R.; Parry,   Ian W.H.; Gruenspecht,   Howard K.; Harrington,   Winston.
This paper discusses several rationales for the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) program, including reduced oil dependence, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and the possibility that fuel saving benefits from higher standards might exceed added vehicle costs. We then summarize what can be said about the welfare effects of tightening standards, accounting for prior fuel taxes, and perverse effects on congestion and traffic accidents through the impact of improved fuel economy on the incentive to drive. Implications of CAFE on local air pollution, and the controversy over CAFE, vehicle weight, and road safety, are also discussed. Finally, we describe ways in which the existing CAFE program could be substantially improved and identify a variety of...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Fuel economy; Externalities; Oil dependency; Vehicle safety; Climate change; Resource /Energy Economics and Policy; R48; Q48; H23.
Ano: 2003
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/10863

Liberalizing Climate-Friendly Goods and Technologies in the WTO: Product Coverage, Modalities, Challenges and the Way Forward
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Zhang,   ZhongXiang.
The Doha Round Agenda (paragraph 31(3)) mandates to liberalize environmental goods and services. This mandate offers a good opportunity to put climate-friendly goods and services on a fast track to liberalization. Agreement on this paragraph should represent one immediate contribution that the WTO can make to fight against climate change. This paper presents the key issues surrounding liberalized trade in climate-friendly goods and technologies in WTO environmental goods negotiations. It begins with what products to liberalize and how. Clearly, WTO environmental goods negotiations to date show that WTO member countries are divided by this key issue. Focusing on the issue, the paper explores options available to liberalize trade in climate-friendly goods...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Environmental Goods and Services; Low-Carbon Goods and Technologies; Doha Round; WTO; Environmental Economics and Policy; F18; F13; Q56; Q54; Q58; Q48.
Ano: 2010
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/94735

Impacts of Biofuels on Water Supply: Proposed Cures May Worsen the Disease
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Huffaker,   Ray G.
Tipo: Journal Article
Palavras-chave: Water; Conservation; Biofuels; Irrigation; Resource /Energy Economics and Policy; Q25; Q48.
Ano: 2010
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/95758

Information Programs for Technology Adoption: The Case of Energy-Efficiency Audits
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Anderson,   Soren T.; Newell,   Richard G.
We analyze technology adoption decisions of manufacturers in response to energy audits provided by Department of Energy Industrial Assessment Centers. Using fixed effects logit estimation to control for unobserved plant characteristics, we find that plants respond as expected to financial costs and benefits, though there are unmeasured project-related factors that also influence investment decisions. Revealed behavior of plants suggests that most require a payback of 15 months or less as their investment threshold, corresponding to an 80% or greater hurdle rate. This is consistent with survey results for stated investment thresholds, suggesting that these programs do not lower hurdle rates, as some suggest. Plants reject about half of recommended projects;...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Energy efficiency; Information; Technology adoption; Energy audits; Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies; Q41; Q48; O33; O38.
Ano: 2002
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/10916

Can Climate Change Mitigation Policy Benefit the Israeli Economy? A Computable General Equilibrium Analysis
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Palatnik,   Ruslana Rachel; Shechter,   Mordechai.
The growing attention to global warming due to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the process of fossil fuel--based energy production is expressed in the Kyoto Protocol, which prescribes, on average, a 7 percent reduction in GHG emissions for developed countries. Although Israel was not included in the list of the obligated countries ("Annex A"), it should consider the economic implications of participating in the emission reduction effort, as such a commitment becomes highly feasible following the Bali roadmap which oblige a successor to the Kyoto Protocol to launch negotiations including all parties to the UNFCCC on a future framework, stressing the role of cooperative action and of common though differentiated responsibility. This study aimed to quantify...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Computable General Equilibrium; Climate Change; Environmental Policy; Double Dividend; Israel; Environmental Economics and Policy; Public Economics; D58; H23; Q43; Q48; Q52.
Ano: 2008
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/6361

The Relative Impacts of U.S. Bio-Fuel Policies on Fuel-Energy Markets: A Comparative Static Analysis
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Kim,   C.S.; Schaible,   Glenn D.; Daberkow,   Stan G.
Rapidly declining gasoline prices from their record high during the summer of 2008, while ethanol prices remained relatively high, made it difficult for many bio-fuel policy modelers to fully explain the impacts of U.S. bio-fuel policies on fuel prices. Using profit-maximization models for blenders, refiners, and distillers, we conduct a comparative static analysis to measure the relative magnitudes of the impacts of tax credits and blending mandates on fuel-energy market equilibrium prices. Our results indicate that first, the prices of all fuels including conventional gasoline, ethanol, and blended gasoline decline as the biofuel tax credit increases, but they increase as the rate of the blending mandate increases. Second, the shadow value of a blending...
Tipo: Journal Article
Palavras-chave: Bio-fuel tax credits; Blended gasoline; Blender’s market power; Mandated blending; Tariff; Agribusiness; Marketing; Political Economy; Resource /Energy Economics and Policy; Q11; Q21; Q42; Q48.
Ano: 2010
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/57157

Multilateral Trade Measures in a Post-2012 Climate Change Regime?: What Can Be Taken from the Montreal Protocol and the WTO?
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Zhang,   ZhongXiang.
The climate-trade nexus gains increasing attention as governments are taking great efforts to forge a post-2012 climate change regime to succeed the Kyoto Protocol. This raises the issues of the scope of trade-related measures and of when and how they could be used. This paper discusses how far trade-related measures should be incorporated in that context. Drawing on an analogy to the Montreal Protocol and comparing developing country’s climate mitigation and adaptation needs with the funding available, the paper argues that such measures should initially be applied only among Annex I or II countries. To discipline the use of unilateral trade measures at the international level, the paper emphasizes a need to define comparable climate efforts. Moreover,...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Post-2012 climate negotiations; Trade-related measures; Lieberman-Warner bill; WTO; Montreal Protocol; Developing countries; United States; Environmental Economics and Policy; F18; Q48; Q54; Q56; Q58.
Ano: 2009
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/54359

Energy-Based Economic Development: Mapping the Developing Country Context
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Carley,   Sanya; Desai,   Sameeksha; Bazilian,   Morgan.
Energy-based economic development (EBED) can provide economic, social and environmental benefits related to national economic development and sustainable growth activities. As both policy and research interests in responsible mechanisms for economic development grow, EBED benefits are becoming increasingly attractive to planners in both developed and developing countries. The incentives, trade-offs, and payoffs for developing countries, however, are not well documented. To help address that gap, this paper identifies the general scope and role of EBED in a developing economy context, and outlines opportunities and challenges for decision-makers.
Tipo: Working Paper
Palavras-chave: Economic Development; Energy; Developing Countries; Sustainable Development; Resource /Energy Economics and Policy; O10; O13; O21; Q48.
Ano: 2012
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/123278

China in the Transition to a Low-Carbon Economy
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Zhang,   ZhongXiang.
China, from its own perspective cannot afford to, and from an international perspective, is not allowed to continue on the conventional path of encouraging economic growth at the expense of the environment. The country needs to transform its economy to effectively address concern about a range of environmental problems from burning fossil fuels and steeply rising oil import and international pressure to exhibit greater ambition in fighting global climate change. This paper first discusses China’s own efforts towards energy saving and pollutants cutting, the widespread use of renewable energy and participation in clean development mechanism, and puts carbon reductions of China’s unilateral actions into perspective. Given that transition to a low carbon...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Energy Saving; Renewable Energy; Clean Development Mechanism; Nuclear Power; Power Generation; Oil and Gas; Post-Copenhagen Climate Negotiations; China; Resource /Energy Economics and Policy; Q42; Q48; Q52; Q54; Q58.
Ano: 2010
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/91009

Effective Environmental Protection in the Context of Government Decentralization
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Zhang,   ZhongXiang.
China has shifted control over resources and decision making to local governments and enterprises as the result of the economic reforms over the past three decades. This devolution of decision-making to local levels and enterprises has placed environmental stewardship in the hands of local officials and polluting enterprises who are more concerned with economic growth and profits than the environment. Therefore, effective environmental protection needs their full cooperation. Against this background, this paper discusses a variety of tactics that China’s central government has been using to incentivize local governments, and a number of market-based instruments, supporting economic policies, environmental performance ratings and disclosure and cooperation...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Effective Environmental Protection; Incentive Structure; Economic Instruments; Industrial Policy; Financial Institutions; Government Decentralization; China; Environmental Economics and Policy; Q53; Q56; Q58; Q43; Q48; H23; H75; R51.
Ano: 2011
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/101295

Ethanol Policy Analysis - What Have We Learned So Far?
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Taheripour,   Farzad; Tyner,   Wallace E.
Tipo: Journal Article
Palavras-chave: Resource /Energy Economics and Policy; Q48; Q42.
Ano: 2008
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/94661

Cost Savings Sans Allowance Trades? Evaluating the SO2 Emission Trading Program to Date
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Burtraw,   Dallas.
Title IV of the 1990 amendments to the Clean Air Act initiated a historic experiment in incentive-based environmental regulation through the use of tradable allowances for emission of sulfur dioxide by electric generating facilities. To date, relatively little allowance trading has taken place; however, the costs of compliance have been much less than anticipated. The purpose of this paper is to address the apparent paradox that the allowance trading program may not require (very much) trading to be successful. Title IV represented two great steps forward in environmental regulation: first a move toward performance standards and second formal allowance trading. The first step has been sufficient to date for improving dynamic efficiency and achieving...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Emission trading; SO2; Clean Air Act; Cost-effectiveness; Incentive-based regulation; Environmental Economics and Policy; Q25; Q28; Q48; L51.
Ano: 1996
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/10682

Is It Fair to Treat China as a Christmas Tree to Hang Everybody’s Complaints? Putting its Own Energy Saving into Perspective
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: ZhongXiang,   Zhang.
China had been the world’s second largest carbon emitter for years. However, recent studies show that China had overtaken the U.S. as the world’s largest emitter in 2007. This has put China on the spotlight, just at a time when the world community starts negotiating a post-Kyoto climate regime under the Bali roadmap. China seems to become such a Christmas tree on which everybody can hang his/her complaints. This paper first discusses whether such a critics is fair by examining China’s own efforts towards energy saving, the widespread use of renewable energy and participation in clean development mechanism. Next, the paper puts carbon reductions of China’s unilateral actions into perspective by examining whether the estimated greenhouse gas emission...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Energy Saving; Renewable Energy; Post-Kyoto Climate Negotiations; Clean Development Mechanism; China; USA; Environmental Economics and Policy; Q42; Q48; Q53; Q54; Q58.
Ano: 2009
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/52341

In What Format and under What Timeframe Would China Take on Climate Commitments? A Roadmap to 2050
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Zhang,   ZhongXiang.
In what format and under what timeframe China would take on climate commitments is of significant relevance to China because it is facing great pressure both inside and outside international climate negotiations to exhibit greater ambition and is being confronted with the threats of trade measures. It is of significant global relevance as well because when China’s emissions peak is crucial to determine when global emissions would peak and because what China is going to do in what format has significant implications for the level and ambition of commitments from other countries. In response to these concerns and to put China in a positive position, this paper maps out the roadmap for China’s specific climate commitments towards 2050. Taking many factors...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Carbon Intensity Target; Binding Emissions Caps; Post-Copenhagen Climate Negotiations; Energy Saving; Renewable Energy; Clean Development Mechanism; China; USA; India; Environmental Economics and Policy; Q42; Q48; Q52; Q54; Q58.
Ano: 2010
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/94843

Evaluating the Impacts of the EU-ETS on Prices, Investments and Profits of the Italian Electricity Market
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Bonenti,   Francesca; Oggioni,   Giorgia; Allevi,   Elisabetta; Marangoni,   Giacomo.
In this paper we investigate the economic impacts of the European Emission Trading Scheme (EU-ETS) on the Italian electricity market by a power generation expansion model. In particular, we assume that generators make their capacity expansion decisions in a Cournot or in a perfect competition manner. This model is used to measure the effects of the EU-ETS Directives on electricity prices and demand, investments and generators' profits both in an oligopolistic and in a perfectly competitive organization of the power market. We adopt a technological representation of the energy market which is discretized into six geographical zones (North, Center-North, Center-South, South, Sicily, Sardinia) and five virtual poles (Monfalcone, Foggia, Brindisi, Rossano,...
Tipo: Working Paper
Palavras-chave: Complementarity Conditions; General Equilibrium Models; EU-ETS; Italian Electricity Market; Resource /Energy Economics and Policy; Q4; Q48.
Ano: 2011
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/120050

Carbon Mitigation Costs for the Commercial Sector: Discrete-Continuous Choice Analysis of Multifuel Energy Demand
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Newell,   Richard G.; Pizer,   William A.
We estimate a carbon mitigation cost curve for the U.S. commercial sector based on econometric estimation of the responsiveness of fuel demand and equipment choices to energy price changes. The model econometrically estimates fuel demand conditional on fuel choice, which is characterized by a multinomial logit model. Separate estimation of end uses (e.g., heating, cooking) using the 1995 Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey allows for exceptionally detailed estimation of price responsiveness disaggregated by end use and fuel type. We then construct aggregate long-run elasticities, by fuel type, through a series of simulations; own-price elasticities range from -0.9 for district heat services to -2.9 for fuel oil. The simulations form the basis of...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Commercial energy demand; Carbon policy; Climate change; Discrete choice; Resource /Energy Economics and Policy; Q28; Q48; Q41; C35; C15.
Ano: 2005
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/10625

Does the Provision of Free Technical Information Really Influence Firm Behavior?
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Morgenstern,   Richard D.
Significant environmental benefits are often associated with the rapid diffusion of new energy-saving technologies. Over the past decade, the federal government, as well as electric and gas utilities, have begun to provide free technical information to potential buyers to stimulate private investment in certain technologies, particularly for retrofitting existing buildings. Yet it has not been demonstrated that this provision of technical information can truly accelerate the rate of technology diffusion. This study develops a model of firm behavior that incorporates multiple factors in the decision to retrofit high efficiency lighting technologies. Technology retrofit and the acceptance of technical information are modeled as jointly determined dichotomous...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Technology diffusion; Energy conservation; Policy instruments; Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies; H59; Q48; O38.
Ano: 1996
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/10750

Towards a Better Understanding of Disparities in Scenarios of Decarbonization: Sectorally Explicit Results from the RECIPE Project
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Luderer,   Gunnar; Bosetti,   Valentina; Jakob,   Michael; Steckel,   Jan; Waisman,   Henri; Edenhofer,   Ottmar.
This paper presents results from a model intercomparison exercise among regionalized global energy-economy models conducted in the context of the RECIPE project. The economic adjustment effects of long-term climate policy aiming at stabilization of atmospheric CO2 concentrations at 450 ppm are investigated based on the cross-comparison of the intertemporal optimization models REMIND-R and WITCH as well as the recursive dynamic computable general equilibrium model IMACLIM-R. The models applied in the project differ in several respects and the comparison exercise tracks differences in the business as usual forecasts as well as in the mitigation scenarios to conceptual differences in the model structures and assumptions. In particular, the models have...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Decarbonization; Energy and Climate Policy; Environmental Economics and Policy; Q48; Q58.
Ano: 2009
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/56210

The Implications of Alternative U.S. Domestic and Trade Policies for Biofuels
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Yano,   Yuki; Blandford,   David; Surry,   Yves R.
The U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard program (RFS), which involves mandates for various biofuels, is complex and has been often misinterpreted or oversimplified in previous studies. In this paper we analyze the implications of the RFS for the U.S. domestic and international ethanol markets. We demonstrate the vital role of the advanced biofuel mandate within the RFS. Impacts of changes in tariffs on imported fuel ethanol and subsidies for U.S. domestic ethanol production are examined. One of our important findings is that the RFS could result in serious misallocation of resources in both a national and international context. There is a possibility that the United States could be required to import sugarcane-based ethanol to meet the advanced biofuel mandate,...
Tipo: Conference Paper or Presentation
Palavras-chave: Ethanol; Trade liberalization; Renewable Fuel Standard; Mandate; Subsidies; Industrial Organization; F13; Q18; Q42; Q48.
Ano: 2010
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/91832

Assessing China’s Energy Conservation and Carbon Intensity: How Will the Future Differ from the Past?
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Zhang,   ZhongXiang.
As an important step towards building a “harmonious society” through “scientific development”, China has incorporated for the first time in its five-year economic plan an energy input indicator as a constraint. While it achieved a quadrupling of its GDP while cutting its energy intensity by about three quarters between 1980 and 2000, China has had limited success in achieving its own 20% energy-saving goal set for 2010 to date. Despite this great challenge at home, just prior to the Copenhagen climate summit, China pledged to cut its carbon intensity by 40-45% by 2020 relative its 2005 levels to help to reach an international climate change agreement at Copenhagen or beyond. This raises the issue of whether such a pledge is ambitious or just represents...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Energy Saving; Renewable Energy; Carbon Intensity; Post-Copenhagen Climate Negotiations; Climate Commitments; China; Environmental Economics and Policy; Q42; Q43; Q48; Q52; Q53; Q54; Q58.
Ano: 2010
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/92837

The Economics of Climate Policy
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Kolstad,   Charles D.; Toman,   Michael.
Economics has played an increasingly important role in shaping policy, in the United States and elsewhere. This paper reviews some of the dimensions of the economic approach to analyzing, understanding, and developing solutions to the problem of climate change. We then turn to the issue of designing regulatory instruments to control the problem. The paper concludes with a discussion of the political economy of greenhouse gas control in an international context.
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Climate change; Climate policy design; Integrated assessment; Environmental policy coordination; Resource /Energy Economics and Policy; Q28; Q48; D61; D62; D63.
Ano: 2001
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/10783

Carbon Abatement in the Fuel Market with Biofuels: Implications for Second-Best Policies
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Crago,   Christine Lasco; Khanna,   Madhu.
A carbon tax would penalize carbon intensive fuels like gasoline and shift fuel consumption to less carbon intensive alternatives like biofuels. Since biofuel production competes for land with agriculture, a carbon tax could raise land rents, divert land towards fuel production, and raise agricultural prices. This paper analyzes the welfare effect of a carbon tax on fuel with gasoline and biofuel as available fuel choices, in the presence of a labor tax and biofuel subsidy. The second-best optimal carbon tax is also quantified. Findings show that when biofuels is part of the fuel mix, the carbon tax has a commodity price effect which arises from tax-induced changes in land rent. The commodity price effect could exacerbate or attenuate the tax interaction...
Tipo: Conference Paper or Presentation
Palavras-chave: Carbon tax; Optimal fuel tax; Biofuel; Environmental Economics and Policy; Q42; Q48; Q54; H23.
Ano: 2010
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/60894

Managing Permit Markets to Stabilize Prices
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Newell,   Richard G.; Pizer,   William A.; Zhang,   Jiangfeng.
The political economy of environmental policy favors the use of quantity-based instruments over price-based instruments (e.g., tradable permits over green taxes), at least in the United States. With cost uncertainty, however, there are clear efficiency advantages to prices in many cases, especially for stock pollutants such as greenhouse gases. The question arises, therefore, of whether one can design flexible quantity policies that mimic the behavior of price policies, namely stable permit prices and abatement costs. We explore a number of "quantity-plus" policies that replicate the behavior of a price policy through rules that adjust the effective permit cap for unexpectedly low or high costs. They do so without necessitating any monetary exchanges...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Tradable permit market; Prices; Quantities; Banking; Borrowing; Uncertainty; Demand and Price Analysis; Q28; Q48; D8; L51.
Ano: 2003
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/10524

Combining Rate-Based and Cap-and-Trade Emissions Policies
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Fischer,   Carolyn.
Rate-based emissions policies (like tradable performance standards) fix average emissions intensity, while cap-and-trade policies fix total emissions. This paper shows that unfettered trade between rate-based and cap-and-trade programs always raises combined emissions, except when product markets are related in particular ways. Gains from trade are fully passed on to consumers in the rate-based sector, resulting in more output and greater emissions allocations. We consider a range of policy options to offset the expansion, including unilateral ones when jurisdictional differences require. The cap-and-trade jurisdiction could impose an "exchange rate" to adjust for relative permit values, but marginal abatement cost equalization is sacrificed. Still, that...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Emissions trading; Permit allocation; Tradable performance standards; Climate; Greenhouse gases; Environmental Economics and Policy; H23; H3; Q2; Q48.
Ano: 2003
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/10713

Who Should Bear the Cost of China’s Carbon Emissions Embodied in Goods for Exports?
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Zhang,   ZhongXiang.
China’s capital-intensive, export-oriented, spectacular economic growth since launching its open-door policy and economic reforms in late 1978 not only has created jobs and has lifted millions of the Chinese people out of poverty, but also has given rise to unprecedented environmental pollution and CO2 emissions. While estimates of the embedded CO2 emissions in China’s trade differ, both single country studies for China and global studies show a hefty chunk of China’s CO2 emissions embedded in trade. This portion of CO2 emissions had helped to turn China into the world’s largest carbon emitter, and is further widening its gap with the second largest emitter. This raises the issue of who should be responsible for this portion of emissions and bearing the...
Tipo: Working Paper
Palavras-chave: Carbon Emissions Embodied In Trade; Consumption-Based Accounting; Production-Based Accounting; Processing Trade; Carbon Tariffs; Energy Policy; Environmental Economics and Policy; F18; P28; Q42; Q43; Q48; Q53; Q54; Q56; Q58.
Ano: 2011
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/118958

The Trade-off Between Bioenergy and Emissions When Land Is Scarce
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Kauffman,   Nathan S.; Hayes,   Dermot J.
Agricultural biofuels require the use of scarce land, and this land has opportunity cost. We explore the objective function of a social planner who includes a land constraint in the optimization decision to minimize environmental cost. The results show that emissions should be measured on a per acre basis. Conventional agricultural life cycle assessments for biofuels report carbon emissions on a per gallon basis, thereby ignoring the implications of land scarcity and implicitly assuming an infinite supply of the inputs needed for production. Switchgrass and corn are then modeled as competing alternatives to show how the inclusion of a land constraint can influence life cycle rankings and alter policy conclusions.
Tipo: Conference Paper or Presentation
Palavras-chave: Biofuels; Biomass; Energy policy; Land use; Life cycle analysis; Agricultural and Food Policy; Environmental Economics and Policy; Q16; Q48; Q58.
Ano: 2011
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/103246

Ethanol Policy Changes to Ease Pressures in Corn Markets: Could They Work?
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Thompson,   Wyatt; Meyer,   Seth D.; Kalaitzandonakes,   Nicholas G.; Kaufman,   James.
Tipo: Journal Article
Palavras-chave: Agricultural and Food Policy; Crop Production/Industries; Q42; Q48; Q18. F13; Q28.
Ano: 2009
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/94701

Three Key Elements of Post-2012 International Climate Policy Architecture
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Olmstead,   Sheila M.; Stavins,   Robert N.
We describe three essential elements of an effective post-2012 international global climate policy architecture: a means to ensure that key industrialized and developing nations are involved in differentiated but meaningful ways; an emphasis on an extended time path of targets; and inclusion of flexible market-based policy instruments to keep costs down and facilitate international equity. This architecture is consistent with fundamental aspects of the science, economics, and politics of global climate change; addresses specific shortcomings of the Kyoto Protocol; and builds upon the foundation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Global Climate Change; Global Warming; Policy Architecture; Kyoto Protocol; Environmental Economics and Policy; Q54; Q58; Q48; Q39.
Ano: 2010
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/93412

Residential Consumption of Gas and Electricity in the U.S.: The Role of Prices and Income
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Alberini,   Anna; Gans,   Will; Velez-Lopez,   Daniel.
We study residential demand for electricity and gas, working with nationwide household-level data that cover recent years, namely 1997-2007. Our dataset is a mixed panel/multi-year cross-sections of dwellings/households in the 50 largest metropolitan areas in the United States as of 2008. To our knowledge, this is the most comprehensive set of data for examining household residential energy usage at the national level, containing the broadest geographical coverage, and with the longest longitudinal component (up to 6 observations per dwelling). We estimate static and dynamic models of electricity and gas demand. We find strong household response to energy prices, both in the short and long term. From the static models, we get estimates of the own price...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Residential Electricity and Gas Demand; Price Elasticity Of Energy Demand; Static Model; Dynamic Panel Data Model; Partial Adjustment Model; Resource /Energy Economics and Policy; Q4; Q41; Q48; Q54; Q58.
Ano: 2011
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/99637

Modeling Economywide versus Sectoral Climate Policies Using Combined Aggregate-Sectoral Models
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Pizer,   William A.; Burtraw,   Dallas; Harrington,   Winston; Newell,   Richard G.; Sanchirico,   James N.
Economic analyses of climate change policies frequently focus on reductions of energy-related carbon dioxide emissions via market-based, economywide policies. The current course of environment and energy policy debate in the United States, however, suggests an alternative outcome: inefficiently designed and/or sector-based policies. This paper uses a collection of specialized, sector-based models in conjunction with a computable general equilibrium model of the economy to examine and compare these policies at an aggregate level. We examine the relative cost of different policies designed to achieve the same quantity of emissions reductions. We find that excluding a limited number of sectors from an economywide policy does not significantly raise costs....
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Carbon; Carbon dioxide; Climate change; Climate policy; General equilibrium model; Partial equilibrium model; Cost; Environmental Economics and Policy; Q25; D58; D61; Q48.
Ano: 2005
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/10502

Dangers of Using Political Preference Functions in Political Economy Analysis: Examples from U.S. Ethanol Policy
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Bullock,   David S.
Rausser and Freebairn (1974) proposed a method for empirically measuring the political power of interest groups competing in real-world political economies. In the first half of the 1990s, staunch criticism of PPF methodology appeared. Von Cramon-Taubadel (1992) obtained counter-intuitive results in PPF simulations using a simple model of EU wheat and barley policy instrument use. Bullock (1994) emphasized that PPF methodology requires that observed policy be Pareto efficient policy, which requires researchers to manipulate the dimensions of their models so that the number of interest groups is exactly one more than the number of policy instruments. He concluded “[PPF methods] need not reveal anything meaningful about interest group political power, and...
Tipo: Presentation
Palavras-chave: Political Economy; Q18; Q16; Q48.
Ano: 2012
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/124118

Efficiency, Productivity and Environmental Policy: A Case Study of Power Generation in the EU
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Jaraite,   Jurate; Di Maria,   Corrado.
This study uses the EU public power generating sector as a case study to investigate the environmental efficiency and productivity enhancing performance of the European Union’s CO2 Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) in its pilot phase. Using Data Envelopment Analysis methods, we measure the environmental efficiency and the productivity growth registered in public power generation across the EU over the 1996-2007 period. In the second stage of our analysis we attempt to explain changes in productivity and efficiency over time using state-of-the-art econometric techniques. Our analysis suggests two conclusions: on the one hand carbon pricing led to an increase in environmental efficiency and to a shift outwards of the technological frontier; on the other...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Emissions Trading; EU ETS; Environmental Efficiency; Productivity Growth; Data Envelopment Analysis; Environmental Economics and Policy; O38; Q48; Q58.
Ano: 2011
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/101297

'Second-Best' Adjustments to Externality Estimates in Electricity Planning with Competition
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Burtraw,   Dallas; Palmer,   Karen L.; Krupnick,   Alan J.
A number of state public utility commissions are using "social costing" methods to consider externalities in electricity resource planning. The most comprehensive and formal method is the use of monetary place-holders in the financial evaluation of new investments and potentially in system dispatch to reflect quantitative estimates of externality values. This approach necessarily must take existing environmental and social regulation as given. Furthermore, regulated utilities face increasing competition from electricity generators outside their service territory who may not be affected by social costing. The lack of universal and uniform social costing places PUC actions soundly in the realm of "second-best policy" and they may have unintended consequences...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Second-best; Environmental regulation; Electricity regulation; Environmental adders; Environmental Economics and Policy; Q25; Q48; L51.
Ano: 1995
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/10753

Breaking the Impasse in International Climate Negotiations: A New Direction for Currently Flawed Negotiations and a Roadmap for China to 2050
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Zhang,   ZhongXiang.
China’s unilateral pledge to cut its carbon intensity by 40-45 percent by 2020 relative to its 2005 levels raises both the stringency issue, and given that China’s pledge is in the form of carbon intensity, reliability issues concerning China’s statistics on energy and GDP. Moreover, as long as China’s commitments differ in form from those of other major greenhouse gas emitters, China is constantly confronted with both criticism on its carbon intensity commitment being less stringent and the threats of trade measures. In response to these concerns and to put China in a positive position, this paper will map out a realistic roadmap for China’s specific climate commitments towards 2050, with its main distinguishing features including China taking on absolute...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Carbon Intensity; Post-Copenhagen Climate Change Negotiations; Climate Commitments; China; Environmental Economics and Policy; Q42; Q43; Q48; Q52; Q53; Q54; Q58.
Ano: 2011
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/108263

Retrospective Examination of Demand-Side Energy Efficiency Policies
Provedor de dados: 31
Autores: Gillingham,   Kenneth; Newell,   Richard G.; Palmer,   Karen L.
Energy efficiency policies are a primary avenue for reducing carbon emissions, with potential additional benefits from improved air quality and energy security. We review literature on a broad range of existing non-transportation energy efficiency policies covering appliance standards, financial incentives, information and voluntary programs, and government energy use (building and professional codes are not included). Estimates indicate these programs are likely to have collectively saved up to 4 quads of energy annually, with appliance standards and utility demand-side management likely making up at least half these savings. Energy Star, Climate Challenge, and 1605b voluntary emissions reductions may also contribute significantly to aggregate energy...
Tipo: Working or Discussion Paper
Palavras-chave: Energy efficiency policy; Appliance standards; Information; Incentives; Voluntary programs; Resource /Energy Economics and Policy; Q48; Q41.
Ano: 2004
URL: http://purl.umn.edu/10477