Greenhouse gases and emissions trading
Global cooperation is essential in cutting greenhouse-gas emissions, say Alice LeBlanc and Daniel J. Dudek of the Environmental Defense in New York City. The first step, they continue, is agreement among nations on an overall global limit for all greenhouse gases, followed by an allocation of the global limit among nations. The agreements must contain effective reporting and monitoring systems and enforcement provisions, they add. The Framework Convention on Climate Change, signed by most nations of the world in Brazil in 1992, provides the foundation for such an agreement, LeBlanc and Dudek note. [open quotes]International emissions trading is a way to lower costs and expand reduction options for the benefit of all,[close quotes] they contend. Under such an arrangement, an international agency would assign allowances, stated in tons of carbon dioxide. Countries would be free to buy and sell allowances, but no country could exceed, in a given year, the total allowances it holds. By emitting less than its allowed amount, a country would accumulate more allowances, which it could sell. The authors claim such a system would offer benefits to the world economy by saving billions of dollars in pollution-reduction costs while still achieving emission limits established in an international agreement.
- OSTI ID:
- 6148559
- Journal Information:
- Forum for Applied Research and Public Policy; (United States), Vol. 8:2; ISSN 0887-8218
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
POLICY AND ECONOMY
GREENHOUSE GASES
ECONOMICS
INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
TRADE
INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS
CARBON DIOXIDE
POLLUTION
SELLBACK
AGREEMENTS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
COOPERATION
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
290300* - Energy Planning & Policy- Environment
Health
& Safety
290201 - Energy Planning & Policy- Economics- (1992-)