The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB 32) commits California to reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. The transportation sector is the top GHG emitter in California, contributing roughly 40 percent of all California emissions. Poor fuel efficiency...

We consider the design of a tax on greenhouse gas emissions for a developed country such as the United States. We consider three sets of issues: the optimal tax base, issues relating to the rate (including the use of the revenues and rate changes over time) and trade. We show that a...

This paper informs the discussion of carbon price policies by examining the potential for adverse impacts on domestic industries, with a focus on detailed sector-level analysis. The assumed policy scenario involves a unilateral economy-wide $10/ton CO2 charge without accompanying border tax...

The EU-wide Emission Trading Scheme (ETS), established in 2005, is a key pillar of Europe's strategy to attain compliance with the Kyoto Protocol. Under this scheme, CO2 allowances have thus far been allocated largely free of charge. This paper demonstrates that such cost-free allocation,...

This study explores, through semi-structured interviews, companies' perspectives from the mining, electricity and forestry industry on the key design elements of the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme (NZ ETS), which are linking, pricing, liquidity, enforcement and allocation of credits. The...

The limitations of compliance mechanisms under international environmental law suggest that we should look to the usefulness of claims of human rights violations. At least three forums might be used for litigation regarding climate change: international courts or compliance bodies, international...

The European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) is the world’s first regional carbon trading market. Its objective is to link European countries around a common price for carbon as a step towards helping the global economy transition to a low-carbon production base. This article is one of...

The Climate action and renewable energy package proposed by the European Commission in the beginning of 2008 suggests auctioning as basic principle for allocation for the upcoming third trading phase of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme that runs from 2013 to 2020. Overall, it is estimated that at...

Capitalist development is framed in two epochs with distinctive (if overlapping) socio-political, economic and cultural features-modernity and post-modernity. Constant through each epoch has been the drive to increase control of collective organization in space and time. This paper suggests that...

Temperature records compiled by the International Panel on Climate Change are biased by non-climatic factors that are largely socioeconomic in origin. The result is that as much as 50 percent of the land-surface warming that has been detected in recent decades may not be the product of global...