Energy, Transportation, Environment Department Publications

Methodological Advances in National Travel Surveys: Mobility in Germany 2002

In Germany, a National Travel Survey was conducted in 2002. The paper describes the process needed to make empirical-based decisions on the main design characteristics of the survey. It outlines the survey operation used in the field during 2002, reports on the relevance of different contact strategies to minimize selectivity and non-response, and refers to issues of data processing and of dissemination ...

How to Turn an Industry Green: Taxes versus Subsidies

Environmental policies frequently target the ratio of dirty to green output within the same industry. To achieve such targets, the green sector may be subsidized or the dirty sector be taxed. We show that in a monopolistic competition setting, the two policy approaches have different welfare effects, depending on the design of the instrument (ad valorem versus unit instrument) and the initial situation ...

Induced Technological Change in a Multi-Regional, Multi-Sectoral, Integrated Asessment Model (WIAGEM): Impact Assessment of Climate Policy Strategies

This paper illustrates the representation of induced technological change in the multi-regional, multi-sectoral integrated assessment model WIAGEM. The main aim of the paper is to investigate quantitatively the economic impacts of climate policy measures due to the induced technological changes that are considered. Improved technological innovations are triggered by increased R&D expenditures that ...

The Role of Technological Change for a Sustainable Development: Editorial

Technological change has become a major focus in environmental policy as well as in energy and climate policy. Indeed, there is a growing body of knowledge about how and in which direction technological change might have an impact on environmental resource constraints and how environmental policy might have an impact on this direction. In this article we introduce the contributions to this special ...

Interactions between Climate and Trade Policies: A Survey

Climate Coalitions and International Trade: Assessment of Cooperation Incentives by Issue Linkage

This paper investigates climate control coalition games. It studies whether incentives exist for non-cooperating nations like the USA to join a coalition based upon issue linkage. Issue linkage is considered through increased R&D expenditures triggering improved technological innovations that advance energy efficiencies. Model calculations demonstrate that incentives exist for non-cooperating countries ...

Implementing the Kyoto Protocol without Russia

This paper examines implementation of the Kyoto Protocol without Russia. It concludes that implementation without Russia is possible, although it requires political will on the part of the countries that wish to proceed with the Protocol. It would lead to higher compliance costs for Annex B buyer regions, but other regions, except Russia, would benefit financially. Russia would forego revenue of at ...

In the Aftermath of Dresden: New Directions in German Flood Insurance

The German flood disaster of summer 2002 highlighted a dilemma concerning insurance against damages caused by natural forces. On the one hand, mindful of the rising incidence of natural disasters, private insurance companies are increasingly withdrawing coverage against natural catastrophes such as wind storms and floods. On the other, the availability of emergency relief and private donations is systematically ...

Games of Climate Change with International Trade

We analyse games of greenhouse gas emission reduction in which the emissions and the emission reduction costs of one country depend on other countries' emission abatement. In an analytically tractable model, we show that international trade effects on costs and emissions can either increase or decrease incentives to reduce emissions and to cooperate on emission abatement; in some specifications, optimal ...

OPEC's Optimal Crude Oil Price

In March 2000, OPEC decided to stabilise oil prices within a range of 22-28 US-Dollar/barrel of crude oil. Such an oil-price-level is far beyond the short and long run marginal costs of oil production, beyond even that in regions with particularly high costs. Nevertheless, OPEC may achieve its goal if world demand for oil increases substantially in the future and oil resources outside the OPEC are ...