Es wird häufig angenommen, dass nationale und grenzüberschreitende Klimapolitik, die aufgrund des Kyoto-Protokolls in den Industriestaaten eingeführt wird, durch die Einschränkung der Nutzung fossiler Energieträger ökonomische Kosten verursacht. Damit kann es zwischen den...

International climate negotiations have specified that projects under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) should not lead to a „diversion“ of official development assistance (ODA). It is however unchallenged that ODA can be used in capacity building for the CDM. Diversion can be...

The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) under the Kyoto Protocol to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) enables industrialized countries to meet a part of their emission reduction requirements through purchase of emission reduction credits from projects in developing countries....

The US has repeatedly criticized the lack of „meaningful participation“ of developing countries in the Kyoto Protocol. I discuss the course of negotiations on developing country participation between the conferences at Kyoto in 1997 and Marrakech in 2001. The reluctance of developing...

After four years of intense negotiations that tethered on the brink of failure, the design of the international climate policy regime that is formed by the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Kyoto Protocol and the Marrakesh Accords is now sufficiently clear to be implemented. Apart...

Emissions trading schemes on entity level are becoming more and more important in the context of controlling greenhouse gases. The directive on a Europe-wide trading scheme is a prime example. Prior to the start of such a scheme, a number of design features have to be agreed upon. Regarding the...

Afforestation and reforestation (AR) projects in the Clean Development Mechanism are able to create emission permits that can be accounted against the industrialized countries' commitments for limiting their greenhouse gas emissions, as agreed under the Kyoto Protocol. The discussion of how to...

The „first track“ of Joint Implementation under the Kyoto Protocol gives host and investor countries total freedom in choosing a baseline for a project reducing or sequestering greenhouse gases. This is due to the fact that an overly generous granting of emission credits leads to a...

Greenhouse gas emission trading has become more and more important in the context of climate change. Recently, a discussion on trading on entity (i.e. company) level has started. Emitters likely to be obliged to participate have argued for an initial allocation of the emission rights free of...

The authors suggest a multi-layered system of three convergence criteria – similar to those used in the run-up to the European monetary union – that define the notion of „demonstrable progress“ towards reaching the emission commitments under the Kyoto Protocol. These are the existence of...