Emissions Trading and Competitiveness


Book Description

Complying with the forthcoming tightening of CO2 emission allocations in the EU may mean big bills for the industries affected. In this special issue of Climate Policy journal, leading experts examine the impacts on competitiveness and the commercial incentives available from the CO2 allowance allocations under the methodologies, and whether - and if so at what stage - the ETS itself may need to be amended. The study is multidisciplinary, combining economic, legal and policy analysis with specific studies of impacts on electricity, cement and other industrial sectors and the allocation issues. It brings together the results of research conducted over the past two year from various research centres and consultancies in Europe, and in particular, work commissioned by the Carbon Trust and Climate Strategies Network. Through these, it presents the most comprehensive and detailed set of analyses yet conducted of the impacts of allocation on competitiveness - one of the most critical issues for the sectors affected and for the operation of the ETS.




The Impacts of the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme on Competitiveness in Europe


Book Description

This literature review analyses the impacts of the EU ETS on competitiveness focussing on existing simulation studies. We have identified the choice of the reference scenario as the most critical issue for an appropriate analysis of the relevant literature. We find, however, that effects of the scheme on competitiveness are modest, even given the business as usual case that does not take the legally binding framework of the Kyoto Protocol into account. Furthermore, the impacts of the EU ETS are smaller than the impacts of alternative Kyoto-based regulation scenarios. Compared to these other regulation methods ETSs can have positive competitiveness effects. However, the EU ETS is not designed to boost Europe's economy. Its prime purpose and justification is to ensure that Europe's CO2 emissions are brought down and Kyoto targets are reached at minimal costs. To our opinion, it is therefore important that the system as well as modifications to it do not undermine the environmental goals associated with this policy instrument.







Emissions Trading & Competitiveness


Book Description

First Published in 2006. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.




Why Does Emissions Trading Under the EU Ets Not Affect Firms' Competitiveness? Empirical Findings from the Literature


Book Description

Environmental policies may have important consequences for firms' competitiveness or profit-ability. However, the empirical literature shows that hardly any statistically significant effects on firms can be detected for the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS). We explain why there are arguably no significant competitiveness effects on firms, at least not during the first two phases of the scheme (2005-2012). We also reason why the third phase (2013-2020) is likely to reveal similar results. We show that the main explanations for this finding are a large over-allocation of emissions allowances leading to a price drop and the ability of firms to pass costs onto consumers in some sectors. Cost pass-through combined with free allocation, in turn, partly generated windfall profits. In addition, the relatively low importance of energy costs indicated by their average share in the budgets of most manufacturing industries may limit the impact of the EU ETS. Finally, small but significant stimulating effects on innovation have been found so far.







The EU ETS and the European Industry Competitiveness


Book Description

This book focuses on the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS), backbone of the European Union strategy to combat climate change, and its industry competitiveness implications. In light of the discussion of the revision for the coming years, this book aims to provide a toolbox of key elements to understand the EU?ETS's functioning and to reflect on crucial improvements. Specifically, besides a general overview of the first phases of the scheme and current difficulties, this book aims to (i) deploy an energy-intensive sector-level analysis, with both reference to academic literature (ex ante and ex post studies, paying a special attention to the underlying assumptions) and stakeholders positions on carbon leakage issue; (ii) present an overview of the existing ETS policy measures and worldwide experiences; (iii) reflect on the ongoing reform for the post-2020 period, starting from the European Commission's proposal and entering the technical and political debate taking place within the European institutions. The EU ETS and the European Industry Competitiveness provides the reader with a full understanding of the system, presenting problems, policy options, design aspects and global insights. It aims to identify potential improvements and to draw lessons for the coming years and the future phases, assessing if the current reform is actually on track to adequately protect business competitiveness. Passionate about economic policy, the author wrote her Master's thesis on the EU ETS and competitiveness. This book develops from that project. (Series: ?European Energy Studies, Vol. 10) Subject: Energy Law, EU?Law




Pricing Carbon


Book Description

The first detailed description and analysis of the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme.







Changing the Allocation Rules in the EU ETS


Book Description

We assess five proposals for the future of the EU greenhouse gas Emission Trading Scheme (ETS): pure grandfathering allocation of emission allowances (GF), output-based allocation (OB), auctioning (AU), auctioning with border adjustments (AU-BA), and finally output-based allocation in sectors exposed to international competition combined with auctioning in electricity generation (OB-AU). We look at the impact on production, trade, CO2 leakage and welfare. We use a partial equilibrium model of the EU 27 featuring three sectors covered by the EU ETS - cement, steel and electricity - plus the aluminium sector, which is indirectly impacted through a rise in electricity price. The leakage ratio, i.e. the increase in emissions abroad over the decrease in EU emissions, ranges from around 8% under GF and AU to -2% under AU-BA and varies greatly among sectors. Concerning the overall economic cost, OB appears to be the least efficient policy, even when taking into account its ability to prevent CO2 leakage. On the other hand, this policy minimises production losses and wealth transfers among stakeholders, which is likely to soften oppositions. GF and AU are the most efficient policies from an EU perspective, even when leakage is accounted for. From a world welfare perspective and whatever the emission reduction, AU-BA is the least costly policy, while OB-AU, AU and GF entail similar costs.