You need JavaScript to view this

Economic efficiency of CO{sub 2} reduction programs

Abstract

A highly simplified time-dependent low-dimensional system has been designed to describe conceptually the interaction of climate and economy. Enhanced emission of carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) is understood as the agent that not only favors instantaneous consumption but also causes unfavorable climate changes at a later time. The problem of balancing these two counterproductive effects of CO{sub 2} emissions on a finite time horizon is considered. The climate system is represented by just two parameters, namely a globally averaged near-surface air-temperature and a globally averaged troposheric CO{sub 2} concentration. The costs of abating CO{sub 2} emissions are monitored by a function which depends quadratically on the percentage reduction of emission compared to an `uncontrolled emission` scenario. Parameters are fitted to historical climate data and to estimates from studies of CO{sub 2} abatement costs. Two optimization approaches, which differ from earlier attempts to describe the interaction of economy and climate, are discussed. In the `cost oriented` strategy an optimal emission path is identified which balances the abatement costs and explicitly formulated damage costs. These damage costs, whose estimates are very uncertain, are hypothesized to be a linear function of the time-derivative of temperature. In the `target oriented` strategy an emission path is  More>>
Authors:
Tahvonen, O; [1]  Storch, H von; [2]  Storch, J von [2] 
  1. Max-Planck-Institut fuer Meteorologie, Hamburg (Germany)
  2. Oulu Univ. (Finland). Dept. of Economics
Publication Date:
May 01, 1993
Product Type:
Technical Report
Report Number:
INIS-mf-15093
Reference Number:
SCA: 290200; PA: DEN-95:0F2734; EDB-95:035766; SN: 95001343648
Resource Relation:
Other Information: PBD: May 1993
Subject:
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY AND ECONOMY; GREENHOUSE EFFECT; COST; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; CARBON DIOXIDE; EMISSION; ENERGY POLICY; ECONOMICS; DAMAGE; CONCENTRATION RATIO; 290200; ECONOMICS AND SOCIOLOGY
OSTI ID:
10121557
Research Organizations:
Max-Planck-Institut fuer Meteorologie, Hamburg (Germany)
Country of Origin:
Germany
Language:
English
Other Identifying Numbers:
Other: ON: DE95746708; TRN: DE95F2734
Availability:
OSTI; NTIS (US Sales Only); INIS
Submitting Site:
DEN
Size:
30 p.
Announcement Date:
Jun 30, 2005

Citation Formats

Tahvonen, O, Storch, H von, and Storch, J von. Economic efficiency of CO{sub 2} reduction programs. Germany: N. p., 1993. Web.
Tahvonen, O, Storch, H von, & Storch, J von. Economic efficiency of CO{sub 2} reduction programs. Germany.
Tahvonen, O, Storch, H von, and Storch, J von. 1993. "Economic efficiency of CO{sub 2} reduction programs." Germany.
@misc{etde_10121557,
title = {Economic efficiency of CO{sub 2} reduction programs}
author = {Tahvonen, O, Storch, H von, and Storch, J von}
abstractNote = {A highly simplified time-dependent low-dimensional system has been designed to describe conceptually the interaction of climate and economy. Enhanced emission of carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) is understood as the agent that not only favors instantaneous consumption but also causes unfavorable climate changes at a later time. The problem of balancing these two counterproductive effects of CO{sub 2} emissions on a finite time horizon is considered. The climate system is represented by just two parameters, namely a globally averaged near-surface air-temperature and a globally averaged troposheric CO{sub 2} concentration. The costs of abating CO{sub 2} emissions are monitored by a function which depends quadratically on the percentage reduction of emission compared to an `uncontrolled emission` scenario. Parameters are fitted to historical climate data and to estimates from studies of CO{sub 2} abatement costs. Two optimization approaches, which differ from earlier attempts to describe the interaction of economy and climate, are discussed. In the `cost oriented` strategy an optimal emission path is identified which balances the abatement costs and explicitly formulated damage costs. These damage costs, whose estimates are very uncertain, are hypothesized to be a linear function of the time-derivative of temperature. In the `target oriented` strategy an emission path is chosen so that the abatement costs are minimal while certain restrictions on the terminal temperature and concentration change are met. (orig.)}
place = {Germany}
year = {1993}
month = {May}
}