Unit 7: Chapter 13: Global Climate Change: Policy Responses Flashcards
(30 cards)
What are the 2 Types of Policy Responses to Climate Emergency
-Preventative Measures
-Adaptive Measures
What are some types of Preventative Policy approaches
-meet energy demands with alternatives
-increase energy efficiency
-enhance natural carbon sinks
-artificial carbon capture
What is a Carbon Sink
Parts of ecosystem with ability to absorb C02
What are some Adaptive measures
-Dikes and Seawalls
-Changing agricultural cultivation
-Creating intuitions to respond to climate disasters
Why is Cost Effectiveness a better evaluator of policies vs. Cost Benefit Analysis
Avoids complications of CBA
Accepts goal as given by society
Cost-Benefit Analysis vs. Cost-Effectiveness Analysis
CBA: tool for policy analysis that monetizes all costs & benefits to find net benefit
CEA: determines least cost approach for achieving given goal
Mitigation Policies
What is Carbon Leakage
Shift in production/ Consumption in response to a carbon tax or other reduction that evades or reduces effectiveness of original measure
How is Elasticity of Demand related to a Carbon Tax
Effect of tax will depend on how elastic the demand is
What is a Regressive Tax
rate of taxation based on % of income
What is Progressive Tax
Affects higher income households more
What is Distributionally Neutral
Affects the same on different income households
What are the similarities between Carbon Tax and Cap-and-Trade
-Achieve given level of pollution reduction at least overall cost
-same level of price increases to consumers
-strong incentive for tech innovation
-create same amt of gvt revenue
What are the advantages of Carbon Tax
Simpler
Transparent
May encourage tech change
Implemented quickly
Greater price predictability/ stability
Revenues returned to consumers
What are advantages to Cap and Trade
Less political opposition
May be more desirable for business
Directly reduces carbon emissions
Revenues used for green investments
What policy has more price certainty
Tax
What policy has more emissions certainty
Cap-and-Trade
What other policies are used to bring down emissions
-Subsidies
-Infrastructure Investment
-Efficiency standards
-Fuel economy standards
-R&D in alternative tech
-tech transfer to developing countries
What are behavioral change policies
-Carbon tax
-Cap and Trade
-Subsidies
6 Areas of high potential for Emissions Reduction
1) End Use Efficiency
2) Clean Electricity
3) Use of Biomass
4) Carbon Capture
5) Reducing C02 emissions
6) Increased land sinks
Which abatement strategies actually save money
-Building insulation
-Electrical efficiency
-Cropland mgmt
-Waste Recycling
What are the policy recommendations to achieve abatement reductions
-Strict tech standards for efficiency of buildings and vehicles
-incentives for efficient tech
-gvt support for tech and efficiency
-efficient mgmt of forests/ agriculture
What is the Carbon Intensity Commitment for Action
measure of carbon emissions per unit of GDP
What is the Peaking Emissions commitment for action
Committing to a number that the country cannot go past
