Limits to International Transfers

This research paper proposes a typology and design options for limits on the international transfer of "hot air"—emissions reductions that occur because a country's mitigation targets are higher than its projected emissions—to protect the environmental integrity of the Paris Agreement.

• International carbon markets face environmental integrity risks when countries have mitigation targets that are higher than independent projections of their likely emissions, creating "hot air." If this hot air is transferred to other countries, it may increase total aggregated emissions and discourage countries from increasing the ambition of future targets.
• The paper's analysis of 15 countries suggests that appropriately designed limits on international transfers could prevent the majority of hot air in current mitigation targets from being transferred, although such limits involve trade-offs between various policy objectives.
• Due to the risks associated with the transfer of hot air and uncertainty regarding the effectiveness of other methods, the paper recommends that countries adopt a cautious approach using a portfolio of strategies to ensure environmental integrity, with limits serving as additional safeguards.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2018). Limits to International Transfers. https://www.sei.org/publications/limits-to-international-transfers/

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. Limits to International Transfers. 2018. https://www.sei.org/publications/limits-to-international-transfers/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=Limits to International Transfers |date=8 November 2018 |url=https://www.sei.org/publications/limits-to-international-transfers/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2018limits, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{Limits to International Transfers}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2018}, month = nov, url = {https://www.sei.org/publications/limits-to-international-transfers/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }