The EU has proposed four flexibility mechanisms for the regulation of greenhouse gas emissions in the period 2013-2020: (1) the Emissions Trade Scheme (ETS), a permit market between selected companies; (2) trade in non-ETS allotments between Member States; (3) the Clean Development Mechanism...

Three computable general equilibrium models are used to estimate the economic implications of a stylized version of EU climate policy. If implemented at the lowest possible cost, the 20% emissions reduction would lead to a welfare loss of 0.5-2.0% by 2020. Second-best policies increase costs. A...

Under 2013 to 2020 European Union proposals for CO2 emission reduction, a Member State can transfer to another Member State ‘part’ of their allowed emission allocation in the non-Emission Trading Sector (“ETS”). The paper addresses three questions in relation to these Transfer Emission...

Decarbonisation is harder for transport, heating, industry and agriculture. That is, a doubling of the decarbonisation rate requires much more than a doubling of the policy effort. The low-hanging fruit has been picked.

The current EU proposal on greenhouse gas emission reduction has 28 targets for 2020: an EU-wide one for carbon dioxide emissions covered by the European Trading System, and one target for non-ETS emission per Member State. Implementation is necessarily more expensive than needed. I consider...

A simulation model of international tourist flows is used to estimate the impact of including carbon dioxide emissions from aviation fuels in the European Trading System. The effect on global carbon dioxide emissions from international aviation is minimal: -0.01% at current permit prices, and...