Search Climate Insights Directory
1,056 results
Local and Global Externalities, Environmental Policies and Growth
The research examines the interaction between local flow pollution and global stock pollution, specifically focusing on abatement activities that can target one or both. By comparing symmetric and asymmetric internalization scenarios, the authors demonstrate that the degree of internalization affects the capital-abatement ratio and long-run pollution stocks. The paper argues that achieving a first-best global welfare optimum requires two distinct policy instruments—such as taxes on both local and global pollutants—and that in asymmetric cases, subsidizing pollution reduction is superior to subsidizing abatement because the latter fails to correct for negative externalities from capital accumulation.
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Document type: Research paper
The Determinants of Energy Efficiency Investments in the U.S.
The paper analyses 60,463 electricity-related energy efficiency recommendations for U.S. manufacturing SMEs, finding that payback time and investment costs are the primary drivers of implementation. It identifies an 'energy efficiency paradox' where firms are more sensitive to upfront costs than long-term savings, and notes that implementation rates are higher in states with higher greenhouse gas emissions and lower industrial GDP.
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Document type: Research paper
Climate and Regional Economics of Development (CRED)
The paper introduces the Climate and Regional Economics of Development (CRED) model, highlighting its innovations in global equity, resource flow calculation, and the use of McKinsey marginal abatement cost curves for mitigation costs. The model indicates that scenarios prioritizing equity lead to superior climate outcomes, suggesting that the primary policy challenge is securing the commitment of high-income countries to both international equity and climate protection.
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Document type: Research paper
Climategate, Public Opinion and the Loss of Trust
The document outlines the context for a survey conducted between December 24, 2009, and January 4, 2010, involving 1,001 American adults. It frames this study against a "perfect storm" of events in late 2009, including the "Climategate" email breach at the University of East Anglia, errors in the IPCC 4th Assessment Report, the failure of the Copenhagen treaty negotiations, and the stalling of U.S. climate legislation. The survey aims to measure changes in risk perceptions and policy preferences compared to a baseline survey of 2,164 adults from late 2008.
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Document type: Report
Energy Supply and the Sustainability of Endogenous Growth
The document examines the 'source problem' (energy supply) and 'sink problem' (pollution) within endogenous growth frameworks. It argues that while resource scarcity can drag down growth, it also creates incentives for directed technological change and efficiency gains that can sustain long-run development. The authors compare stylized analytical models with complex CGE-models, noting that the latter are better for sector-specific policy analysis but often act as 'black-boxes'.
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Document type: Research paper
American Opinion on Climate Change Warms Up
A June 2010 survey by the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication indicates a rebound in American public concern for global warming and increased support for clean energy policies, potentially influenced by economic recovery and the BP oil disaster.
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Document type: Executive summary
Carbon leakage and the future of Old Industrial Regions
The document argues that national-level analyses of carbon leakage underestimate the severe economic risks to Old Industrial Regions (OIRs), where heavy industry is highly concentrated. Using an applied general equilibrium (AGE) model for the Basque Country, the authors find that relocating 1.5% to 35% of iron and steel production could lead to a GDP drop of up to 2.26%. While such relocation reduces CO2 emissions, the implicit cost of this mitigation (187 to 202 €/Tco2) is significantly higher than technological alternatives like carbon capture and storage. The authors recommend that climate policies be carefully designed to avoid imposing undue burdens on sectors prone to relocation in OIRs.
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Document type: Policy brief
Clean Energy and Climate Action: A North American collaboration
The North American climate policy landscape is marked by political uncertainty, with a strong reliance on U.S. legislative developments to shape Canadian policy dynamics. While regional initiatives in places like California and British Columbia drive progress, the lack of a federal price on carbon and the compartmentalization of policy-making hinder bilateral collaboration. The discussion highlighted the American Power Act (APA) as a potential framework, though its passage in 2010 faced significant hurdles due to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, competing legislative priorities, and upcoming mid-term elections. Experts emphasized that a 'wait-and-see' approach is insufficient and that long-term success requires balancing supply-side and demand-side policies alongside clear market signals for the private sector.
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Document type: Briefing
Evaluating the Role of Energy Efficiency Labels: the Case of Dish Washers
The study finds that energy efficiency labels (specifically class A+) add a price premium of 15.6% to dishwashers in the Spanish market, amounting to approximately €80 based on an average price of €514. Using a Quantity Based Demand System (QBDS), the authors determine that demand for labelled appliances is significantly more elastic than for non-labelled ones, with own-price elasticity for labelled goods ranging from -1.2 to -13.2. The research suggests that while Spanish subsidy programmes (paying €50 to €90) may have slightly overestimated the necessary premium, they have been highly successful, as nearly all dishwashers currently sold in the market are labelled A or A+.
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Document type: Research paper
Economic Growth, the Recession and Greenhouse Gas Emissions
The document investigates how the global economic slowdown affects greenhouse gas emissions, arguing that while recessions reduce emissions in the short term, the long-term impact depends on whether the downturn permanently lowers the GDP trajectory and how it influences energy prices and investment. It finds that many official projections may underestimate the long-term reduction in emissions by treating the recession as a transitory business cycle effect rather than a permanent shift in output. The authors estimate that the global emissions trajectory could be lowered by 1-5% in the long run, or 5-9% if a 'price rebound' effect from lower energy prices is excluded.
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Document type: Research paper
Understanding Scientific Terms About Climate Change
The document clarifies that in science, uncertainty refers to the degree to which something is known rather than a complete lack of knowledge. It explains that climate scientists use specific probabilistic language—such as 'very likely' to denote a greater than 90 percent chance—to inform public policy and decision-making. While certain facts are established without uncertainty, such as the role of fossil fuels and the greenhouse effect in warming the Earth, uncertainties remain regarding the exact magnitude of future warming and the timing of specific ecological losses, often depending on future human actions to reduce emissions.
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Document type: Guide
Global Warming's Six Americas
The document tracks shifts in American public opinion on global warming across six identified groups, noting a significant increase in the 'Dismissive' group and a decrease in the 'Alarmed' group. Despite diverging views on the urgency and cause of climate change, most groups support clean energy development and the regulation of carbon dioxide.
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Document type: Executive summary
Americans’ Actions to Conserve Energy, Reduce Waste, and Limit Global Warming
The report identifies a significant discrepancy between the importance Americans place on environmentally friendly actions and their frequency of practice, while noting that barriers to these behaviors must be addressed through policy.
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Document type: Executive summary
CLIMATE STRATEGIES RESPONSE TO HM TREASURY AND HM REVENUE AND CUSTOMS CONSULTATION ON CARBON PRICE FLOOR
The response argues that while a UK carbon price floor aims to increase the viability of low-carbon investments, a unilateral approach may be discounted by investors due to regulatory instability and inconsistency with the EU Emission Trading Scheme (EU ETS). It suggests that strengthening the EU ETS targets would provide greater clarity, regulatory stability, and market scale for low-carbon technologies like CCS and nuclear power, compared to a national tax-based supplement.
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Document type: Statement
Carbon leakage and the future of Old Industrial Regions after Copenhagen
The research investigates how asymmetric global climate policies can lead to carbon leakage, specifically the relocation of CO2-intensive industries like iron and steel. Using the Basque Country as a representative Old Industrial Region (OIR), the authors demonstrate that while relocation impacts may be negligible at a national level, they can significantly reduce regional GDP. The study finds that reducing emissions through industrial relocation is far more costly in terms of GDP loss than achieving the same reductions through cost-effective mitigation policies.
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Document type: Research paper
The Carbon Rich List
The report identifies 'Carbon Fat Cats'—companies that received excessive free emissions permits under Phase 2 of the EU ETS (2008-2012). It finds that the top ten companies held 35 million surplus permits in 2008, valued at €500 million, with projected surpluses reaching 230 million permits (€3.2 billion) by 2012. This over-allocation in industrial sectors like iron, steel, and cement means that a small number of power companies, specifically RWE and EON, must deliver the majority of the scheme's net emissions reductions. The report argues that this creates competitive distortions and undermines climate targets, recommending higher ambition (a 30% cut by 2020), limited access to overseas offsets, and the cancellation of Member State reserves.
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Document type: Report
Analysis and Review of Canadian Think Tank Climate Change and Energy Reports for the Banff Dialogue
The document analyzes a body of literature from Canadian think tanks, identifying a tension between a 'climate view' (top-down carbon pricing) and an 'energy view' (market-driven supply). It argues for a forward-looking national energy strategy that reconciles Canadian supply expansion with global clean energy demand, emphasizing the need for intergovernmental cooperation between federal, provincial, and territorial governments to overcome regulatory fragmentation and protect trade interests, particularly with the United States.
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Document type: Report
Energy Security in South America
The report argues that while South America possesses vast energy resources, national regulations and a lack of multilateral frameworks prevent countries from achieving adequate energy security. It highlights that the region is well-positioned for a transition to a low-carbon economy but is hindered by a shift from an 'institutions-market' approach to an 'empire-regions' approach, where energy is used as a geopolitical tool. The author proposes the creation of a Multilateral Energy Security Reserve (RMSE) treaty to provide legal and pricing mechanisms for accessing regional reserves during supply crises. Brazil is identified as a key coordinator for this process due to its market size, oil resources, and leadership in renewables. Major obstacles to integration include the coordination of hydropower output, environmental licensing in the Amazon, and a legal deficit affecting private investment.
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Document type: Report
FACT SHEET
The 3C-SEI Partnership Programme (March 2010 – February 2012) is a collaboration between the business leaders' initiative 3C – Combat Climate Change and the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI). The programme conducts research at the intersection of climate policy and business across three thematic areas: technology development for a low-carbon economy, the impact of resource scarcity, and the analysis of global trade and financial flows related to emissions mitigation.
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Document type: Fact sheet
GHG_FinalSummary.indd
The World Resources Institute analysis finds that while existing federal and state tools can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, even the most ambitious 'Go-Getter' scenario falls short of the U.S. Copenhagen pledge to reduce emissions 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2020. The report models three levels of regulatory ambition—Lackluster, Middle-of-the-Road, and Go-Getter—across key sectors including power plants, transportation, and industry. It concludes that additional legislative action is necessary to meet international climate targets and the long-term goal of 80 to 95 percent reductions by 2050.
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Document type: Report