COMMENT: Houston, we have a (carbon pricing) problem! (And it’s NOT the one you think!)
With carbon prices and the social cost of carbon on what increasingly looks like a collision course, the entire carbon pricing conversation will change in ways that almost no one had anticipated, and we would be wise to discuss sooner rather than later.
Read MoreCOMMENT: California’s cap-and-trade program – the crisis that wasn’t
Recent reports on California’s cap-and-trade program could mislead observers to conclude the system is “collapsing” and undergoing a “meltdown.” But hyperbole isn’t reality, and quite the contrary, the state’s climate policy is succeeding – the most recent data show California is just three percent above its 2020 goal of reducing emissions to 1990 levels as required by AB 32. Meeting California’s 2020 greenhouse gas emissions goal is turning out to be easier and cheaper than expected.
Read MoreCOMMENT: The overwhelming case for a carbon tax in China
A single policy could do it all for China. A carbon tax – an upstream tax on the carbon content of fossil fuel supply – could dramatically cut greenhouse gases, save millions of lives, soothe the government’s fiscal anxieties, and boost green growth.
Read MoreCOMMENT: Why do prices vary by project type?
Investing in climate and development projects is a powerful way to contribute to the transition to a low-carbon, climate secure world. However, it can seem complex – especially answering what appears to be a simple question of how much you should pay for a carbon credit. While your carbon provider can guide you through the process, this series of articles aims to provide some clarity in how carbon credits are valued, taking into account the differences among the projects that issue them.
Read MoreCOMMENT: 11 essential questions for designing a policy to price carbon
When it comes to developing a carbon pricing policy, a host of devilish details arise. The US-based Brookings Institute outlines 11 essential design questions for lawmakers to consider, with each featuring several potential answers with their own considerations, pro and con (recognizing that one person’s pro can be another person’s con). The goal here is to elucidate at a high level the options for carbon pricing policy design, not to build the case for a carbon price itself or quantify the benefits or costs of specific approaches.
Read MoreCOMMENT: What Australia’s election uncertainty means for climate policy
After days of counting votes it is still unclear who will govern Australia in the years ahead. The Carbon Market Institute’s Peter Castellas takes us through the various potential outcomes and what those might mean for Australia’s climate policy going forward.
Read MoreDIALOGUE: What now for South Korea’s emissions trading scheme?
The world’s second biggest cap-and-trade system is likely to undergo significant changes over the next year. What are the main challenges facing the market and what can be done to overcome them?
Read MoreCOMMENT: The potential impact of Brexit on the EU ETS and future UK climate policy
The outcome of the Brexit referendum will have no immediate impact on UK compliance entities or non-compliance entities that are active in the EU ETS. Even once the notice to withdraw from the EU is delivered by the UK to the EU, a negotiation process will follow, dealing with the terms of the UK’s exit along with negotiations for the future of the UK’s relationship with the EU.
Read MoreREPORT: Reducing the EU ETS surplus – The new pact between manufacturing industry and the climate
Change Partnership’s new report – Reducing the EU ETS surplus: The new pact between manufacturing industry and the climate – outlines one of those rare opportunities where an industry-friendly improvement also has the biggest improvement on the environment.
Read MoreCOMMENT: What undersubscribed auctions mean for California’s carbon market
Liz Hardee of The Climate Trust examines how, following a recent undersubscribed auction, political support for California’s cap-and-trade program is in danger of eroding without a proper understanding of its design features.
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