Oppose, Support, or Hedge? Distributional Effects, Regulatory Pressure, and Business Strategy in Environmental Politics

The European Union’s unilateral action on climate change has the potential to expose its energy intensive industries to undue competition from economies where lower standards of climate policies are in operation. This “green paradox” may result in carbon constrained energy intensive industries relocating their operations away from the EU as a result of international competition and increased costs in domestic production, giving rise to “carbon leakage”. For the Federal Republic of Germany, with its export driven economy dominated by energy intensive manufacturing industries, the prospect of carbon leakage is of particular interest. This article investigates the policy considerations underpinning the carbon leakage debate and the measures designed to address leakage risks, in particular sectoral approaches and free allocation of emission allowances. The concept of positive carbon leakage will be developed with the article arguing that the energy intensive industry in Germany is capable of adapting to carbon leakage by use of innovation and increased energy efficiency. The article concludes that the risk of carbon leakage in Germany is of a minimal nature and therefore considerably overstated. In order to minimise the risk of leakage further, sectoral approaches should be considered for the EU’s most energy intensive industries.

Politeness strategies are a crucial element in conversations. Choosing the appropriate politeness strategies would lead to a smooth talk between the Speaker (S) and the Hearer (H). Preferred politeness strategies are different among different racial groups and also genders. In the case of an interview, the interviewer needs to suit his/her choice of politeness strategies to the interviewee’s preference so that the interviewee would feel comfortable in answering the interview questions. Thus, this current study aims to (1) examine the politeness strategies used by Desi Anwar in the interviews with Queen of Denmark Margrethe II and President Erdogan; (2) examine whether or not the choices of politeness strategies follow the preferred politeness strategies for men and women. The research questions are 1) What politeness strategies are used by Desi Anwar in the interviews with Queen of Denmark Margrethe II and President Erdogan? (2) Do the choices of politeness strategies follow the preferred strategies for men and women? The findings show that in interviewing Queen Margrethe II, Desi Anwar used to notice H, including both S and H, seeking agreement, being optimistic, and giving compliments as the politeness sub-strategies; one of them, i.e., compliment, is in line with females’ preferred politeness sub-strategies. However, in interviewing President Erdogan, Desi Anwar does not give any politeness sub-strategies preferred by males. It shows that it is easier for Desi Anwar to choose the appropriate politeness sub-strategies when she has an interviewee of the same gender.

Why carbon leakage matters and what can be done against it

ABSTRACT. The main goal of the paper is to provide the first ex-post analysis of the EU ETS in year 2013 in the Czech Republic, based on the analysis of the key EU ETS sector - combustion processes. Regarding the methodology, the empirical research was used as a one part, as a second part the Mamdani fuzzy rule-based system. Since the EUA market price was low in year 2013, the Czech companies within the combustion processes group had weak motivation to trade with the EUAs. However, the revenues obtained from the EUA auctions in year 2013 were higher than revenues obtained from the environmental taxes. Moreover, auctioned EUAs had the similar characteristics as the environmental taxes. We can say that the EUA behaved as an additional carbon tax - in case that the company exceeded the level of emission limit represented by free emission allowances.Keywords: emission trading; environmental taxation; EU ETS; Czech Republic.JEL Classification : H23, H3, Q48, Q58IntroductionGenerally, emission allowances trading, also called as cap and trade program, originally started up in the USA and currently it is frequently used throughout the world. National or sub-national emission trading systems are already operating in Australia, the European Union, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland and the United States, and are planned in Canada, China and South Korea (European Commission, 2013). Besides trading with emissions (mainly CO2, NOx, SO2), there are also tradable fish quota or trading in waste sector, water protection sector and land protection sector.The European Union established a scheme for CO2 and other greenhouse gases' emission allowances trading, the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS). The initial EU ETS was based on Directive 2003/87/EC, which established a fundamentally decentralized system for the pilot phase of emissions trading (2005 to 2007) and the Kyoto Protocol commitment phase (2008 to 2012). The key instruments were the National Allocation Plans (NAPs) (Wettestad et al., 2012). In year 2013, based on new Directive 2009/29/EC, the EU ETS came into Phase III (2013 to 2020), the post-Kyoto commitment period.The EU ETS is substantially larger and by far more complex than the pioneering US Sulphur Allowance System (Conrad et al., 2012). The EU ETS covers more than 11,000 power stations and manufacturing plants in the 28 EU member states as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. Aviation operators flying within and between most of these countries are also covered. In total, around 45% of total EU emissions are limited by the EU ETS (European Commission, 2013). The EU ETS covers both European Emissions Allowances - EUAs (since 2005) and European Aviation Allowances - EUAAs (since 2012). The market price of the allowances is determined by supply and demand at the exchange. Both in the first and in the second trading period, the EU emission allowances were traded mostly on the BlueNext trading exchange. In the third trading period, there is one significant big exchange, where the auctions can be organized - European Energy Exchange EEX (EEX, 2015).The regulatory framework of the EU ETS was largely unchanged for the first two trading periods of its operation (2005 - 2012); however the beginning of the third trading period in 2013 brings changes in common rules, published as Directive 2009/29/EC, which should strengthen the system. Since the EU emission allowances were previously grandfathered - for free (Wettestad et al., 2012), from year 2013 the significant yield of the emission allowances is auctioned. Grandfathering was widely criticized, mostly because it introduced significant distortions to the EU ETS (Falbo et al., 2013). Auctioning is the most transparent method of allocating allowances and puts into practice the polluter pays principle (Vicha, 2011; European Commission, 2013). Sectorial differentiation was also introduced, with (initially) far more auctioning of allowances for energy producers than energy-intensive industries. …

Terms of address are an important part of “face” (Brown and Levinson, 1987) for colleagues in workplace discourse. This study investigates the ways power relations influence politeness strategies in choosing address terms. In order to determine whether and to what extent the realization of forms of address and the choice of appropriate politeness strategies by Iranian Persian speaking male and female colleagues differ in relation to people with different power status, interactions between English teachers during the fifteen-minute breaks after each class were recorded. Three English teaching institutes were selected to study the effect of gender on applying politeness strategies in addressing the colleagues; male’s, female’s, and mixed gender workplace. Ten conversations from each institute were transcribed. Using Brown and Levinson’s (1987) politeness model, politeness strategies residing in different forms of address employed by colleagues were identified and analyzed based on the power differences between interlocutors. Also address terms were counted according to the situation in which they were used. The findings of this study provide some evidence for the relation between gender and type of address terms and choice of politeness strategies associated with colleagues with different power status. A person with less power would prefer to use negative politeness strategies whereas a person with more power would tend to use positive ones in addressing colleagues at work. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2013.v4n6p763

<p>This research is conducted to analyze the politeness strategy used by characters in Cinderella movie to strengthen pragmatic competence. The objective of this research is to identify, (1) types of speech act used by characters of Cinderella movie in conveying politeness strategies (2) types of politeness strategies that are depicted by characters in Cinderella movie, and (3) to describe the relation of politeness strategy and pragmatic competence. The study is designed as descriptive qualitative research. The object of the study is a movie entitled Cinderella. Documentation and observation are the techniques to collect the data. This research is analyzed by using Spreadley Theory which includes four stages of analysis namely domain analysis, taxonomy analysis, componential analysis, and cultural theme analysis. The result of the analysis are (1) there are five types of speech acts used by the main characters of Cinderella movie in conveying politeness strategies. They are assertive, directive, commisive, expressive, and declarative. Directive speech act is becoming the most frequently used by the main characters of this movie in conveying politeness strategies. (2) There are four types of politeness strategy that are depicted by the main characters in Cinderella movie. Those types are bald on – record strategy, positive politeness strategy, negative politeness strategy, and finally off – record strategy. The result shows that bald on – record strategy becomes the most frequently used strategy compared to the others. Politeness and pragmatic competence have a very close relationship. The importance of pragmatic competence can be strengthened through the choice of politeness strategies. Film as a mirror of a society is a good medium to analyze the sociocultural background of the utterance so that the purpose of the speaker's meaning can be realized appropriately.</p>

Impacts of EU carbon emission trade directive on energy-intensive industries — Indicative micro-economic analyses

This study aims to identify any kinds of politeness strategies used by teenagers in Stranger Things movie and also to describe the factors influencing the teenage characters’ choice of politeness strategies in Stranger Things movie. The writer uses a descriptive qualitative method to explain the data and follows the theory of Brown and Levinson (1987) to answer the statement of the problem. This study found 38 data in total consisting of 6 bald on record, 25 positive politeness, 4 negative politeness, and 3 off-record. Other than that, there are also 22 data that are influenced by social distance, 4 data that are influenced by relative power, and 12 data that are influenced by rank of imposition. The result of this study shows that teenage characters tend to use positive politeness strategies when they communicate with other people. Moreover, social distance is the most the factor that influences teenage characters to use politeness strategies. It can be concluded that the typical teenagers in Stranger Things movie are easy to get along with because they try to make themselves close with the interlocutor when they have a conversation, and they know how to socialize well by understanding and appreciating people’s opinions.

Corporate political strategy (CPS) formulation in Chinese transition is an area with little empirical work. We fill this gap validly and the primary focus of this study is to examine the firm‐ and industry‐level factors influencing Chinese firms' political strategy choice. Empirical support is found for the taxonomy of corporate political strategies in Chinese transition—that is direct participation strategy, financial incentive strategy, prolocutor strategy, institution innovation strategy, government association strategy and government involvement strategy. The results indicate that there is no consistently significant firm‐ and industry‐level predictor of all six political strategies and we explore what determinants are related to each specific decision independently. We also verify the random effects of industry‐level variables and our hypotheses are tested through using general evaluation equations (GEEs). Our study aims to be helpful to point managers toward both industrial environments and internal resources to consider when making appropriate political strategy choices and thus improve Chinese firms' strategy management level. Some implications of findings are also discussed finally.Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

This chapter, from a monograph on climate change and European emissions trading, addresses the economic impact of the European Union (EU) Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). The authors compare the expectations and predictions that accompanied the introduction of the system with the actual results after the first three years of emissions trading. Topics include the impact of the ETS on production costs and competitiveness, trading patterns (between sectors and countries), and the extent to which the EU ETS leads to actual investments in emission reduction and innovations. After reminding readers that any conclusions are preliminary at this point, the authors contend that the ETS is actually influencing operational and strategic decisions of energy intensive industries in the EU. There are also strong indications that the EU ETS actually contributes to emission reductions and to investment in the development and application of new, low-carbon technology.

The political strategies of firms vary in response to changes in the political environment. Yet firms are not always quick to identify these changes even when they have clearly defined political preferences and these preferences remain constant over time. Firms' understanding of new political realities is shaped by past political experiences, and their choice of political strategy is guided by what they have learned from prior success or failure. The process by which firms learn is reconstructed here with a longitudinal account of the political battles surrounding the "possessions tax credit," one of the longest-lasting and most intricate U.S. tax breaks, between 1976 and 1993.

Institutional design, decision making and innovation.- Abatement costs vs. compliance costs in multi-period emissions trading - the firms' perspective.- Generous allocation and a ban on banking - implications of a simulation game for EU emissions trading.- Emissions trading and innovation in the German electricity industry - impact of possible design options for an emissions trading scheme on innovation strategies in the German electricity industry.- A dynamic game of technology diffusion under emissions trading: an experiment.- Sustainability entrepreneurship in the context of emissions trading.- Investment and management strategies under emissions trading.- Optimal strategies for emissions trading in a Putty-Clay Vintage Model.- Strategic production management of companies participating in the European greenhouse gas emission allowance trading scheme.- Decision making in the emissions-market under uncertainty.- The impact of climate policy on heat and power capacity investment decisions.- Implications of the European emissions trading scheme for strategic energy management in small and medium enterprises.- Management and optimization of environmental data within emissions trading markets - VEREGISTER and TEMPI.- Emissions trading with changing future commitments - some initial thoughts.- Emissions trading and business administration.- Emission Trading North - important findings from a business perspective.- Corporate greenhouse gas management in the context of emissions trading regimes.- Accounting for emission rights.- The role of stakeholder driven corporate governance - the example of BP's climate change strategy.- Emissions trading and effects on financial markets.- Effects of emissions trading schemes existing and being implemented.- The EU emissions trading scheme and its competitiveness effects upon European business - results from the CGE model DART.- Implementing the EU emissions trading directive in Spain: a comparative study of corporate concerns and strategies in different industrial sectors.- UK's climate change levy and emissions trading scheme: implications for businesses' productivity and economic efficiency.- The sources of emission reductions: evidence from U.S. SO2 emissions from 1985 through 2002.- Policy-business interaction in emissions trading between multiple regions.- The changing role of the project mechanisms in emissions trading.- Prevailing technologies and locations of CDM projects: the current situation compared with expectations.

Carbon Trading: Who Gets What, When, and How?

The present study was designed to examine the ways power relations influence politeness strategies in disagreement. The study was an attempt to find out whether different power status of people influencethe the choice of appropriate politeness strategies and speech act of disagreement by Iranian EFL learners, in a university setting. A Discourse Completion Test (DCT) was utilized to elicit the required data. The sample included 20 Iranian upper-intermediate EFL learners who were selected based on their scores on a proficiency test. The DTC consists of five scenarios in which the subjects are expected to disagree with two higher statuses and two with peers and one with a lower status. Selection of disagreement situations in DCT was based on relative power and status of people. The main frameworks used for analyzing data were the taxonomy from Muntigl and Turnbull (1995) for counting and analyzing the utterances of disagreement and Brown and Levinson’ (1987) theory of politeness. It was found that EFL learners employ different kind of politeness strategies in performing this face threatening speech act. When performing the speech act of disagreement, they used more direct and bald on record strategies. The findings of this study provide some evidences for the relation between the type and frequency of disagreement and choice of politeness strategies associated with people with different power status. It concludes by arguing that the results can be closely related with learning contexts and textbook contents and some suggestions were put forward regarding the issue.It is also hoped that the findings of this study will provide some worthwhile knowledge into the teaching and training of communication skills in EFL courses. Furthermore, this study may reveal some cultural differences between Iranian societies and others.

Politeness strategy is used in conversations to save addressee’s face by performing an expression that is less threatening for the addressee’s face. The aims of this research are to analyze politeness strategies used by two major characters of the seventh singularity story of Fate/Grand Order social game, and also to analyze the factors that influencing their choicess of politeness strategies. This research employed a descriptive qualitative method. The description of the data is in the form of utterances and examined based on Brown and Levinson theories of politeness strategy. Based on the obtained result, it can be concluded that the two major characters, Mash Kyrielight and Enkidu/Kingu applied four kinds of politeness strategy (bald on record, positive politeness, negative politeness and off record). Both characters mainly used positive politeness strategy, while the least used strategy is bald on-record. Their choice of politeness strategies mostly influenced by social distance factor, imposition and also the power factor.