Topic Climate Policy

Incentives to Adopt New Abatement Technology and US-European Regulatory Cultures

Climate Protection Policy with China and the USA after 2012: Cost Reduction through Emissions Trading and Technological Cooperation

Greenhouse gas emissions should be stabilized to today's level to prevent harmful climate damage.The countries that have signed the Kyoto Protocol committed themselves to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions over the period 2008 to 2012, but only to a very limited extent. The USA decided not to ratify the Kyoto Protocol for various reasons. Furthermore, fast-growing economies like China are about ...

Innovative Energy Technologies and Climate Policy in Germany

Due to the size and structure of its economy, Germany is one of the largest carbon emitters in the European Union. However, Germany is facing a major renewal and restructuring process in electricity generation. Within the next two decades, up to 50% of current electricity generation capacity may retire because of end-of-plant lifetime and the nuclear phase-out pact of 1998. Substantial opportunities ...

A Flexible Global Warming Index for Use in an Integrated Approach to Climate Change Assessment

Global Warming Potential (GWP) is an index used to measure the relative accumulated radiative effect of a tonne of greenhouse gas (GHG) compared to that of a 'reference' gas (CO2). Due to the different lifetimes of the GHGs, the GWPs are often measured over a fixed and long period of time (usually 20, 100, or 500 years). The disadvantage of this time-approach is that the index may give a good indication ...

Impact Assessment of Emissions Stabilization Scenarios with and without Induced Technological Change

The main aim of this paper is to investigate quantitatively the economic impacts of emissions stabilization scenarios with and without the inclusion of induced technological change (ITC). Improved technological innovations are triggered by increased R&D expenditures that advance energy efficiencies. Model results show that induced technological changes due to increased investment in R&D reduce compliance ...

The Environmental and Economic Effects of European Emissions Trading

In 2005, the EU introduced an emissions trading system in order to pursue its Kyoto obligations. This instrument gives emitters the flexibility to undertake reduction measures in the most cost-efficient way and mobilizes market forces for the protection of the earth's climate. In this paper, we analyse the effects of emissions trading in Europe, with some special reference to the case of Germany. We ...

The Economic Costs of Climate Change

International experts agree that the emission of greenhouse gases by mankind is rising further and further, and causing climate change. This can clearly be seen in the rise in the average global temperature and sea level. It is also evident in the increase in extreme weather events and natural catastrophes, which are causing enormous economic damage. If the global temperature changes by 1 degree Celsius ...

Costs of Inaction and Costs of Action in Climate Protection: Assessment of Costs of Inaction or Delayed Action of Climate Protection and Climate Change ; Final Report ; Project FKZ 904 41 362 for the Federal Ministry for the Environment

Climate Protection! A New Energy Policy?

Es scheint sich ein planetarischer Konsens zu bilden: Klimaschutz ist notwendig. Es ist allgemein anerkannt, dass die globale Mitteltemperatur das vorindustrielle Niveau um nicht mehr als 2°C steigen sollte, wenn gefährliche Störungen des Klimasystems vermieden werden sollen. Dies setzt im Wesentlichen eine Stabilisierung der CO2-Emissionen in den nächsten beiden Dekaden voraus; zum Ende des Jahrhunderts ...

Analysis of Climate Damage Abatement Costs Using a Dynamic Economic Model

Mit einer modifizierten Version des Multi-Actor Dynamic Integrated Assessment Model (MADIAM) werden die zukünftigen Kosten des Klimawandels und der Transformation des Energiesektors untersucht. Mittels einer Kosten-Nutzen-Analyse werden optimale Investitionsszenarien der Unternehmen berechnet. Im ökonomischen Kernmodell von MADIAM wird die Wirtschaft von der Profitmaximierung der Unternehmen angetrieben, ...