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Energy and Climate: Three Sobering Observations

September 2nd, 2010 by Bram Buijs, Clingendael International Energy Programme

Three interrelated developments in the world’s energy system and energy-related emissions should be recognized as critical signals regarding international action on climate change: (1) coal has been the fastest growing fossil fuel for the past 7 years; (2) the carbon intensity of the world’s total primary energy supply has been increasing in the past decade; (3) previous emissions reduction efforts have fallen short and emissions have been (and still are) rising in almost all countries in the world.
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International Climate Games: From Caps to Cooperation

August 21st, 2010 by Steven Stoft, Berkeley

Climate negotiators recognize that, at root, the climate problem is a free-rider problem. Each country would prefer that the others do more. But the free-rider problem is not immutable, and that has been overlooked. The design of agreements can exacerbate it or alleviate it. Instead, the implicit assumption has been that it must be overcome by moral suasion and scientific argument, both of which are weak instruments when dealing with national self-interest. Because of this oversight, both Kyoto and Copenhagen negotiations followed a global cap-and-trade framework, which has proven ineffective. We find that adopting cap-and-trade rules polarizes the free-rider incentive and discourages cooperation.
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Is what is good for China good for the world and vice-versa?

May 19th, 2010 by François Lévêque, Ecole des mines de Paris

In promising on a unilateral level to reduce the energy intensity of its economy by more than 40% from 2005 levels by 2020, China has positioned itself among the political leaders in the debate about climate change. Is China’s target ambitious and achievable?

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Opportunities and Ironies: Climate Policy in Tokyo, Seoul, Brussels, and Washington

April 5th, 2010 by Robert Stavins, Harvard University

Reflecting on recent meetings in Asia and recalling meetings I’ve previously had in Brussels and Washington, some important opportunities and ironies about national and international climate policy come to mind.

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Cap versus Tax after Copenhagen

March 18th, 2010 by Steven Stoft, Berkeley

As the Copenhagen Accord makes emphatically clear, developing countries are not accepting emission caps. This will make passing a strong national cap more difficult. Economically cap and trade is a carbon tax with the tax rate set by the permit market to make sure the cap is met. This results in a highly volatile tax rate, which slows investment, makes it more costly, and will likely create political problems as the price of carbon increases over the years.
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Green Investments Alive And Apparently Well

March 8th, 2010 by Fereidoon Sioshansi, EEnergy Informer

Financial markets may be depressed and unemployment high but investment keeps pouring into GreenTech field – loosely defined to include renewable energy technologies, energy efficiency including in-home automaton and energy management systems, smart meters/smart grid, electric cars, storage, batteries, biofuels and a host of supporting technologies.
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The future of Carbon Intensity in China’s Economy

February 22nd, 2010 by Maïté Jaureguy-Naudin, Institut Français des Relations Internationales

Being now the largest CO2 emitter in the world, China’s actions toward climate change are particularly important to reduce GHG emissions at the global level. The recent announced target to reduce the carbon intensity of its economy by 40 to 45% by 2020 seems rather more difficult to achieve than first calculations would suggest.

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The Need for Education to Mitigate CO2 Emissions

February 12th, 2010 by Roel Snieder, Colorado School of Mines

Both our energy use and CO2 emissions can be reduced by using and producing energy in different ways. Implementing these improvements is associated with changes in our technology and energy use. It has been shown that the public is, to a large extent, unaware of the essential role played by energy in society, of the challenges that we face with our energy supply, and the steps we can take to increase energy efficiency.
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Power Marketer Google?

February 9th, 2010 by Fereidoon Sioshansi, EEnergy Informer

Google has a habit of surprising its competitors. The fast moving company is known for launching into new forays not always knowing where it may end up. In this sense, it is not only the competitors who are trying to read what the company’s latest move may entail.
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Sustainable Energy Priorities For The Spanish Presidency

January 12th, 2010 by Ignacio Perez-Arriaga, Comillas University

On January 1st, 2010, the Spanish Government took over the presidency of the European Union. Shaping the future political agenda at a European level is especially important in the field of energy and sustainability. The current unsustainable energy models, both European and global, and especially their consequences on climate change, need an urgent action on this field, which must be agreed at a European level from a long-term approach.
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