Kyoto,Europe?—An Economic Evaluation of the European Emission Trading Directive

To meet its obligations accepted in the Kyoto Protocol cost effectively, the European Union introduces a scheme of Greenhouse Gas Allowance Trading for its member states. This paper evaluates the cost effectiveness, ecological accuracy and dynamic incentives of this approach.The EU-emissions trading constitutes an important shift in the paradigm of environmental policy, from command and control to a market based approach. Still, the EU-system does not fully realize the economic potential of the transferable discharge permit policy. Especially, the limited scope of trading regarding geography, pollutants, sectors and activities reduces the quality of the system. Moreover, the EU-Directive is unspecific in many respects and it leaves many decisions defining the rules of the game to the individual member state. Uncertainty and heterogeneity increase transaction cost and thereby hamper the effectiveness of the system.JEL Classification: Q54, Q58, K32     

Market Darwinism vs. Market Creationism: Adaptability and Fairness in the Design of Greenhouse Gas Trading Mechanisms

International rule-making and compliance routines with respect to the Kyoto Protocol are evolving rapidly. This paper examines potential designs of emissions-trading programs by comparing the emissions credit trading (ECT) and cap-and-trade models for achieving cost-effective reductions in atmospheric greenhouse-gas (GHG) loading in terms of their adaptability and fairness. Adaptability is a valuable attribute when markets and their governing institutions are evolving rapidly or when regulated entities do not yet have well-established and predictable compliance routines. Fairness in both procedures and outcomes is central to efforts to establish and maintain institutions of international governance. The key difference concerns the awarding of tradable emission rights, which occurs at the launch of a cap-and-trade program but following when firms reduce emissions below baselines in an ECT scheme. Implications of this difference are explored in terms of institutional adaptability and fairness during program-design stages. By not locking in emission rights at the outset, and by being amenable to incremental roll-out, ECT appears to have superior adaptive and fairness qualities during periods of rapid institutional evolution.     

碳排放与出口贸易竞争力关系的实证分析——以中美贸易为例

在过去的五年里,中国的碳排放量几乎双倍增加,目前已经成为世界最大的碳排放国。多数研究发现,出口是碳排放量增加的主要原因。本文以此为出发点,构建了衡量出口贸易竞争力和碳排放的相对指标,通过协整检验、因果关系检验等实证分析,考察1990—2007年间我国和美国的相对排放和相对市场占有率,发现我国出口贸易竞争力指标和碳排放之间存在稳定的线性关系,并且互为Granger原因。     

推进中国碳排放交易的原则和思路

该文在广泛调研的基础上,提出在现有的经济发展水平和体制机制条件下,切实有效地推进中国的碳排放交易的主要原则和思路：价值引领,政府推动,市场运作和金融支持。     

Linkages between Globalisation,Carbon Dioxide Emissions and Governance in Sub-Saharan Africa

ABSTRACT

This study investigates linkages between environmental degradation, globalisation and governance in 44 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa using data for the period 2000–2012. The Generalised Method of Moments is employed as empirical strategy. Environmental degradation is proxied by carbon dioxide emissions whereas globalisation is appreciated in terms of trade openness and net foreign direct investment inflows. Bundled and unbundled governance indicators are used, namely: political governance (consisting of political stability/no violence and “voice & accountability”), economic governance (encompassing government effectiveness and regulation quality), institutional governance (entailing corruption-control and the rule of law) and general governance (a composite measurement of political governance, economic governance and institutional governance). The following main finding is established. Trade openness modulates carbon dioxide emissions to have positive net effects on political stability, economic governance, the rule of law and general governance.     

What does Brexit Mean for the UK's Climate Change Act?

This article examines the potential implications of the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union (so‐called ‘Brexit’) for the success and survival of the country's flagship climate policy, the Climate Change Act 2008. The impact of a ‘soft’ and a ‘hard’ Brexit for the main features of the Climate Change Act are assessed, building on documentary evidence and elite interviews with key policy‐makers and policy‐shapers. The article argues that the long‐term viability of the Climate Change Act was being threatened even before the EU referendum, and that Brexit will do little to improve this situation. Even though the existence of the Climate Change Act is not under immediate threat, a range of issues presented by Brexit risk undermining its successful implementation.     

Moves Afoot to Subdue Smog

正SMOG has been the bane of Chinese people’s lives in recent years.But as Premier Li Keqiang recently announced to the nation and the entire international community,China is to declare war on pollution.Although fraught     

国际航空碳排放全球机制的构建

国际航空碳排放长期游离在全球气候变化法律框架之外,欧盟区域性实践困境反证国际航空碳排放全球机制构建的必要性。国际民航组织在国际航空碳排放全球机制的构建中发挥领导作用,但国家仍是最基本、最重要的主体。国际航空碳排放全球机制的构建是一个长期的过程,中国需要客观分析国际民航组织在国际航空碳排放全球机制构建中的作用,努力寻求共同但有区别责任原则的实现,准确评估各种措施方案对我国的影响。     

对发展经济与减少排放问题的理性思考

在发展经济与减少排放问题上,目前有两种错误的倾向,一种是只顾经济增长,不顾环境保护;另一种是只强调生态环境,而忽视经济发展。在这一问题上唯一正确的观点是坚持辩证思维,全面贯彻落实科学发展观,强调发展要以人为本,一切发展都要符合人民的根本利益,同时要统筹人与自然和谐发展,正确处理好经济建设与资源利用、生态环境保护的关系,把"资源节约型和环境友好型"社会作为我国现代化建设的重要目标。     

当前国际航海减排谈判的焦点和难点

2011年7月,国际海事组织表决通过了《73／78防污公约》附则六修正案,为部分新造船舶制定了新的能效技术标准。该修正案是国际层面制定的第一项同时适用于发达国家和发展中国家的强制性行业减排国际法律文件,没有遵循“共同但有区别的责任”原则,必将对气候变化国际谈判走向及各国造船和航运业产生重要影响。中国作为发展中国家的海运大国,在减限排问题上将面临更大压力,对相关谈判进程中的焦点和难点问题,必须进一步加强研究,妥为应对。