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...

Developed countries have committed under the international negotiations to jointly mobilising USD 100 billion per year by 2020 for climate change mitigation and adaptation in developing countries. Yet consistent and comprehensive data to track this commitment are currently lacking. Such data...

The importance of cities in climate policy stems from the simple reality that they house the majority of the world’s population, two-thirds of world energy use and over 70% of global energy use emissions. At the international level, global carbon markets have become an important new source of...

Tackling the problem of global climate change requires a high level of international cooperation. Many countries have pledged targets or actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the Appendices to the Copenhagen Accord. This analysis examines the costs and effectiveness of these pledges,...

As Phase III of the European Union's Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) will begin in January 2012 when airlines operating flights to or from Europe will have to buy carbon permits to help offset their emissions under EU legislation, carbon finance and trading in Europe is set to proceed to a new...

Climate change is an economic development issue, not just an environmental issue. Private businesses have begun to invest heavily in low-carbon technologies, but market imperfections, including uncertainties about new technologies, mean that public dollars will also be required. Billions of...