Domestic Emissions Trading Scheme Research Articles

Insights from ASEAN-wide emissions trading schemes (ETSs): A general equilibrium assessment

ASEAN has not yet had any joint policy to constrain emission levels in the context of global efforts to tackle climate change and studies on such issues in the region are still scarce. This study employs a global computable general equilibrium (CGE) climate change policy-focused and electricity-detailed model to examine the impacts of emissions trading schemes (ETSs) on the ASEAN member economies. We found that Indonesia (a permit buyer) experiences much lower economic costs in the regional ETS scenarios rather than in its closed ETS market (−9% compared to −16% in real GDP). Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam act as permit sellers and experience higher economic costs in the regional ETS scenarios. It is because the balance on the current account, which is equal to the sum of the ordinary trade balance and net emissions trading revenue, is assumed to be fixed. Furthermore, the change in ratio of trade balance to regional income is also fixed. Such a setting indicates that if the net permit trading revenue is used to fully compensate for the trade balance, which is also maintained along with the changes in the regional income, permit selling countries will be worse off and vice versa if they move from their domestic ETS markets into a regional ETS market. Results also show that technological improvements can help reduce economic costs of the ETSs. In addition, renewable energy sources show strong expansions in their production levels, but they are still far from becoming dominant in ASEAN in order to significantly reduce economic costs of climate change policies. Households will also increase their demand for renewable energy in all ASEAN countries while lowering demand for fossil-based energy; however, this sector will still experience reductions in the overall electricity demand due to previous strong reliance on fossil-based energy.

International market mechanisms under the Paris Agreement: A cooperation between Brazil and Europe

Using the Economic Projection and Policy Analysis (EPPA6) model, this paper assesses Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) cooperation between Brazil and Europe, using harmonised sectoral coverage (electricity generation and energy-intensive sectors). Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) related emissions, which are significant in Brazil, are excluded from trading in the analysis, for two main reasons: (i) in an effort to closely align with existing provisions of the EUETS and (ii) to encourage other sectors of the economy to broaden their mitigation effort to comply with national climate targets. As a result, the relatively decarbonised electricity sector and the energy-intensive sectors in Brazil adopt ambitious targets under the proposal. The effects of the proposal are examined under three scenarios: a national ETS policy, a bilateral cooperation, and a global cooperation. Results show that a domestic ETS reduces emissions and promotes technological substitution towards alternative energy for both participants. Cooperation scenarios imply lower emission reductions in Brazil compared to a domestic ETS, where importing allowances from Europe is more cost-effective. For Europe, cooperating with Brazil has very limited impact on further mitigation. The global scenario sees both regions opt to acquire carbon permits from other regions where abatement costs are lower.

Determinants and Characteristics of Korean Companies’ Carbon Management under the Carbon Pricing Scheme

In response to the domestic emission trading scheme, Korean companies are required to shift their strategies from voluntary or regulation-driven management approaches to innovative carbon management utilizing their carbon option linked with economic value. Using a questionnaire survey targeting companies subjected to the emission trading scheme, this study explores the status of Korean companies’ carbon management in a series of five strategies and identifies the correlation between companies’ proactive carbon strategies and pre-listed determinant factors. This study found that Korean companies’ practices in accordance with carbon pricing deviate little from conventional energy and environmental management in this phase. They are likely to be affected by the need to appear socially responsible or to make a social contribution, without having to exceed this mandate in terms activities outside of this remit. Yet, only a small proportion of companies have advanced to the stage of proactive carbon management. For them, top managers’ support and understanding are essential factors together with government pressure to factor-in issues related to carbon with their business strategies. This study provides implications for policy and corporate in promoting carbon-oriented management under the carbon policy.

The evolution of China’s emission trading mechanisms: From international offset market to domestic Emission Trading Scheme

With the decline of the international market under the Clean Development Mechanism, China is establishing a national Emission Trading Scheme by setting up emission cap and trade rules for high emission industries in seven pilot areas. The shift from the international to domestic market and from an offset program to a true cap and trade mechanism requires several significant changes. This paper reviews the development and evolution of China’s carbon trading market policy instruments. We find that there are substantial changes in both structure and policy. First, Emission Trading Scheme is a broad cap-and-trade mechanism with many new stakeholders added to those already involved in China’s Clean Development Mechanism. Second, the administrative structure is decentralized compared to that of the Clean Development Mechanism. Third, while the Emission Trading Scheme is best thought of as a new policy, China’s experience with the Clean Development Mechanism influences that policy. A large number of Clean Development Mechanism projects are being converted into offsets for the national Emission Trading Scheme market, and many institutional stakeholders that emerged during the Clean Development Mechanism are now involved in the Emission Trading Scheme. The combination of new policies and stakeholders, a decentralization of structure and the conversion of Clean Development Mechanism projects raise questions regarding the integrity of the cap and the enforcement of compliance as the Emission Trading Scheme is expanded into a nationwide system.

The most advantageous partners for Australia to bilaterally link its emissions trading scheme

The theory of marginal abatement cost (MAC) indicates that if a country has a high MAC, it should link its domestic emissions trading scheme (ETS) with a foreign country, which has either low MAC or low emissions reduction target. This strategy will maximise its economic benefits from the linkage compared to its domestic ETS. On the other hand, if a country has a low MAC, it would seek a partner, which has either a high MAC or a high emissions reduction target. Using a computable general equilibrium model, namely the extended GTAP-E model, we found that Australia could yield the greatest economic benefits by linking its ETS with India. China is the second best alternative for Australia to link its ETS, while the European Union is the most expensive option for Australia. Overall, the results support the contention that any bilateral linkage is always better for Australia than operating its own domestic ETS alone.

The most advantageous partners for Australia to bilaterally link its emissions trading scheme

The theory of marginal abatement cost (MAC) indicates that if a country has a high MAC, it should link its domestic emissions trading scheme (ETS) with a foreign country, which has either low MAC or low emissions reduction target. This strategy will maximise its economic benefits from the linkage compared to its domestic ETS. On the other hand, if a country has a low MAC, it would seek a partner, which has either a high MAC or a high emissions reduction target. Using a computable general equilibrium model, namely the extended GTAP-E model, we found that Australia could yield the greatest economic benefits by linking its ETS with India. China is the second best alternative for Australia to link its ETS, while the European Union is the most expensive option for Australia. Overall, the results support the contention that any bilateral linkage is always better for Australia than operating its own domestic ETS alone.

The Korean emissions trading scheme: business perspectives on the early years of operations

ABSTRACTKorea’s domestic emissions trading scheme commenced in January 2015. It targeted mainly industrial and power sectors, and compelled companies to transform how they manage energy efficiency and mitigate GHGs. This study sets out to explore how Korean companies evaluated their allocation position and engaged in emissions trading in the first compliance period, and to identify their views on trading barriers and policy expectations at the start of emissions trading. Questionnaire surveys and on-site interviews targeting Korean companies under the Korean emissions trading scheme were conducted at the start of operations (February to March 2015) and after the first compliance year (May 2016), respectively. Actual operation results are observed and compared with the survey findings. This study extrapolates implications for policy and presents suggestions for the government and the target companies in terms of how to improve the current emissions trading scheme in order to further stimulate emissions trading.POLICY RELEVANCEThis study attempts to bridge the gap between companies and government policy in operating the domestic emission trading scheme in Korea. Empirical results, based on analysis of company-level data, reveal how businesses perceive K-ETS and how this relates to the operating results, which saw only limited trading of surplus emissions taking place in the early phase. Key barriers to active trading identified in the study include supply–demand imbalance, policy uncertainty and lack of preparedness of companies over carbon pricing. These barriers could be addressed by improved transparency of allowance allocation methods, possibly restricting carry-over of surplus allowances, ending policy uncertainty and providing more information to companies that can support companies’ policy understanding of the carbon pricing based on the market mechanism. Targeted companies should proactively participate in emissions trading in the early phase, in order to learn from it and prepare for the future introduction of auctioning.

Towards a Regulatory Design for Reducing Emissions from Agriculture: Lessons from Australia’s Carbon Farming Initiative

The land sector is essential to achieve the Paris Agreement’s goals. Agriculture and land use contribute between 20 and 25 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. The Paris Agreement’s aim to keep the average global temperature rise between 1.5 and 2 degrees Celsius implies that drastic emission cuts from agriculture are needed. The sequestration potential of agriculture and land use offers an important mechanism to achieve a transition to net-zero carbon emissions worldwide. So far, however, states have been reluctant to address emissions from, and sequestration by, the agricultural sector. Some states that have or are setting up a domestic emission-trading scheme allow for the generation of offsets in agriculture, but only to a limited extent. Australia is the only country that has a rather broad set of methodologies in place to award credits to farmers for all kinds of carbon-farming projects. This article reviews the experience with the Australian model so far, with the objective of articulating transferable lessons for regulatory design aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture. It finds that it is possible to regulate for the reduction of emissions from agriculture and for increased sequestration in agricultural soils and in vegetation on agricultural lands, provided that certain conditions are met. Regulation must focus on individual projects at farms, based on a long-term policy that has a wider focus than just emission reduction. Such projects must comply with climate-smart methodologies that ensure the delivery of real, additional, measurable, and verifiable emission reductions and also foster long-term innovation and create economic, social, and environmental co-benefits. Moreover, a robust and reliable mrv system must be put in place.

Environmental and economic impacts of a joint emissions trading scheme

This paper examines the environmental and economic effects of six (European Union, Switzerland, Norway, New Zealand, South Korea and Kazakhstan) domestic national Emissions Trading Schemes (ETSs). We have extended the analysis to an international ETS among these schemes since their governments have shown an ambition to obtain a linked market and have been carrying out negotiations for many years towards that goal. We incorporated non-CO2 emissions into the GTAP-E model database and extended the model to estimate the impact of domestic ETSs and an international ETS. Our analysis provides detailed projections regarding emissions permits allocation and emissions fluctuations. The results indicate that emissions trading volumes are very small in both domestic and international ETS scenarios since Norway, Switzerland, New Zealand and Kazakhstan economies are very small compared with the European Union and South Korea. In addition, the results in the international ETS scenario do not differ greatly from domestic trading scenario. However, results indicate that emissions abatement takes place with the lowest cost through an international ETS setting.

A survey on the impediments to low carbon technology investment of the petrochemical industry in Korea

Responding to the climate change, Korea has been establishing a domestic policy framework for promoting energy saving and greenhouse gases reduction, with the expansion of low carbon technologies for industry as a key area. This paper analyzes investment barriers for low carbon technology investment and suggests supportive policies based on a survey to petrochemical companies in Korea. A total of 35 samples were collected. Among which, 32 companies are targeted by the Korean domestic emission trading scheme and represent 63% of the total CO2 emissions of all petrochemical companies under this scheme. The analysis result indicates that low carbon technology introduction is not a priority for the sampled companies. Besides the lack of financial support, there exist other impediments to low carbon technology investment, e.g., lower investment priority, economic loss during new technology replacement, technology uncertainty and less pressure on energy prices. In addition, technology payback period acceptable for companies was estimated by the multi-bounded discrete choice method. The acceptable payback period on the part of half samples ranges from 2.4 to 3.6 years. The relatively high preference to short-term profitability of low-carbon technologies may hinder the companies to make the investment decision. Financial support and information dissemination for low carbon technologies may be useful to facilitate company's investment in low carbon technologies. Carbon pricing policies, such as emission trading scheme, is agreed to be supportive by providing the price signal for the investment. This analysis enhances the understating of Korean company's perception on low carbon technology investment and provides meaningful policy implications for the development and improvement of related policies.

Post-Kyoto Global Emissions Trading: Perspectives for Linking National Emissions Trading Schemes with the EU ETS in a Bottom-Up Approach

The analysis at hand constitutes a legal, institutional and in particular qualitatively economic assessment of a global climate change policy architecture evolving from the linkage of the European Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) with emerging domestic emissions trading schemes (ETS) worldwide. Initially, the marked-based climate change regimes on global as well as on EU level are reviewed. The efficiency of the complex negotiation process at the global level is assessed by its outcome according to international law. The analysis of EU legislation sets the stage for deducing essential criteria as provisions for an effective linking with other national ETS. These critical design issues are then revealed for each linking candidate in order to evaluate the linking potentials of specific domestic ETS. Moreover, the results of this multi-dimensional approach enable statements on the economic efficiency and ecological effectiveness. In particular the inefficiencies of centralized and decentralized regimes are analyzed. Due to these findings subsequent challenges for a fair and effective allocation of allowances in a bottom-up system without a centralized institution re-sponsible for the limitation of the total amount of certificates are dealt with. As starting point for a discussion on con-ceivable legal constructions thereto the latter may play a role within the negotiation process towards future climate change combat strategies and agreements.

Price Floors in Emissions Trading to Reduce Policy Related Investment Risks: an Australian View

This paper finds that a price floor is well suited to addressing policy generated carbon price risk as domestic and international policy frameworks mature, reducing the risk of unintended low carbon prices. The merits of floor prices in emissions trading schemes (ETS) depend on the problem addressed. Traditional hybrid approaches emphasise automatic response to lower than anticipated abatement costs, but we find adjusting emissions targets over time is the better way to deal with this in the context of climate policy. We find, however, that a price floor is well suited to addressing policy generated carbon price risk as domestic and international policy frameworks mature, reducing the risk of unintended low carbon prices. Reducing such downside risk can encourage cost effective investment in lowemissions assets that might otherwise be precluded by perceived policy risks, even if the price floor is never actually triggered. In Australia’s planned ETS, a price floor could support investments that lower the national emissions trajectory, and boost policy stability and credibility. A price floor in operation can increase the static costs of achieving a given emissions target, but reduce economic costs over time. Assessment of implementation options suggests a domestic reserve price for auctioned permits along with a periodically adjusted fee on the conversion of international permits for use in the domestic ETS. This approach minimises administrative complexity and avoids arbitrary interventions in carbon markets.

Price Floors in Emissions Trading to Reduce Policy Related Investment Risks: An Australian View

The merits of floor prices in emissions trading schemes (ETS) depend on the problem addressed. Traditional hybrid approaches emphasise automatic response to lower than anticipated abatement costs, but we find adjusting emissions targets over time is the better way to deal with this in the context of climate policy. We find, however, that a price floor is well suited to addressing policy generated carbon price risk as domestic and international policy frameworks mature, reducing the risk of unintended low carbon prices. Reducing such downside risk can encourage cost effective investment in low-emissions assets that might otherwise be precluded by perceived policy risks, even if the price floor is never actually triggered. In Australia's planned ETS, a price floor could support investments that lower the national emissions trajectory, and boost policy stability and credibility. A price floor in operation can increase the static costs of achieving a given emissions target, but reduce economic costs over time. Assessment of implementation options suggests a domestic reserve price for auctioned permits along with a periodically adjusted fee on the conversion of international permits for use in the domestic ETS. This approach minimises administrative complexity and avoids arbitrary interventions in carbon markets.

Advancing the climate regime through linking domestic emission trading systems?

More and more countries are incorporating the instrument of emissions trading into their national climate policies. This emerging mosaic of emissions trading schemes (ETS) raises the question of whether they should be linked with each other. From an economic point of view, linking of domestic schemes is supposed to increase the economic efficiency of carbon markets. In addition, linking is also expected by some to yield substantial political benefits in terms of the evolution of the UNFCCC/Kyoto regime. However, these optimistic prospects are based on a best-case scenario where all major countries establish environmentally effective emissions trading systems and then link them with each other. Real-life politics might develop rather differently. This paper therefore examines to what extent the current status of emissions trading in industrialised countries provides a basis for reinforcing and moving forward the international climate regime through linking domestic ETS. After comparing emerging emissions trading schemes from an institutional perspective, it emerges that not only emissions trading is at a very early stage in most countries, in addition the emerging systems are probably going to be designed very differently from the EU ETS. While for some design features such as the coverage design differences do not matter, there are some areas where the plans in many non-EU countries look crucially different from the EU system. The outlook for a linked international ETS is therefore currently still very uncertain. Given this state of affairs, the EU should pro-actively engage with the non-EU countries to try to harmonise their developing national emissions trading schemes with the EU ETS, widely disseminate the lessons it has learned from the EU ETS, strongly make the case for environmental integrity and at the same time make clear that systems that want to link to the EU ETS will need to meet certain quality criteria.

Integrating Forestry Offsets into a Domestic EmissionTrading Scheme in Korea

Integrating Forestry Offsets into a Domestic EmissionTrading Scheme in Korea

Inclusion of Agriculture and Forestry in a Domestic Emissions Trading Scheme: New Zealand's Experience to Date

No country has previously attempted to include either agriculture or forestry in an emissions trading system. The New Zealand government is planning to include both. This paper describes how they plan to do it, what some of the critical issues have been and some of the outstanding challenges. If New Zealand can resolve these issues and so can create a strong system, this could create a precedent for many others. Policy development is actively progressing as this paper is written. This paper does not definitively cover the issues but records our thinking at a moment in time and provides a framework for more in-depth analysis.

Comparison of domestic emissions trading scheme of UK practice and Japanese proposal

After the adoption of Kyoto Protocol, Emissions Trading (ET) has attracted the attention of many Annex I countries. In response to it, the Domestic Emissions Trading (DET) scheme for greenhouse gas began to work in UK on April 2, 2002. It aims at a broad subject, and is well combined with existing climate policies such as Climate Change Levy (CCL) and Climate Change Levy Agreement (CCLA).This paper aims to extract the important elements from the introductory background and the argument on design process of the DET in UK. Comparing the elements of UK practice and Japanese proposal, issued by Ministry of the Environment in July 2002, the latter lacks environmental integrity. It is recommended to abolish the energy scheme gradually in order to make the scheme work properly in Japan.