Exploiting Synergy of Carbon Pricing and Other Policy Instruments for Deep Decarbonization

Mathias Kirchner,Johannes Schmidt,Sebastian Wehrle

doi:10.1016/j.joule.2019.03.006

Mathias Kirchner, Johannes Schmidt + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joule.2019.03.006

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Abstract

Mathias Kirchner is a senior scientist at the Center for Global Change and Sustainability at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, where he leads the Foresight group. His research focuses on sustainable transformation pathways. He enjoys working in interdisciplinary research teams to investigate a diverse range of sustainability issues ranging from climate change impacts and land use (applying integrated modelling frameworks) to equity effects of green tax reforms (applying macroeconomic models). He obtained his PhD in socio-economics from the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, and was researcher at the Austrian Institute of Economic Research. Johannes Schmidt is an Assistant Professor at the Institute for Sustainable Economic Development at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, where he assesses the global transition from fossil fuels to renewables energies. He is an energy economist and integrates data and models of economic, technical, and climatic systems into his computer simulations. He graduated in Computer Science at the Technical University of Vienna, holds a PhD in Engineering from the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, and was a visiting researcher at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and at the Joint Research Centre Petten, Netherlands. Sebastian Wehrle is a researcher at the Institute for Sustainable Economic Development at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna. He dedicates his time to researching the economics of energy-system transitions. Prior to his academic venture, he spent several years in the energy industry, serving as a lead economist for an international consultancy and as a strategist for some of Austria’s largest utilities and DSOs. He holds a degree in economics from the University of Vienna and is currently pursuing a PhD in energy economics.

Highlights

Bitcoin was introduced as a ‘‘peerto-peer version of electronic cash,’’ allowing for financial transactions without the need for a financial institution.[1]
He holds a degree in economics from the University of Vienna and is currently pursuing a PhD in energy economics. It has been questioned whether carbon pricing is an efficient and effective tool to foster deep decarbonization, culminating in the claim that carbon pricing hinders the achievement of such a transformation.[1,2]. This criticism disregards what we believe has been the consensus for many years namely that the deep decarbonization of our economies essentially requires a comprehensive and disruptive policy package that includes carbon pricing among other measures, such as technology-specific support schemes
One argument often put forward is that carbon pricing and technologyspecific instruments differ in the way carbon emission reductions are delivered.[1]

Summary

Introduction

Bitcoin was introduced as a ‘‘peerto-peer version of electronic cash,’’ allowing for financial transactions without the need for a financial institution (or trusted third parties in general).[1]. It has been questioned whether carbon pricing is an efficient and effective tool to foster deep decarbonization, culminating in the claim that carbon pricing hinders the achievement of such a transformation.[1,2] This criticism disregards what we believe has been the consensus for many years namely that the deep decarbonization of our economies essentially requires a comprehensive and disruptive policy package that includes carbon pricing among other measures, such as technology-specific support schemes.

Results

Conclusion