The EU emissions trading scheme is the largest emissions control scheme in the world, capping almost half of European CO2 emissions. As the scheme emerges from its pilot phase, this special issue of Climate Policy journal analyses the lessons learned from the last two years and their implications for phase II.The volume presents some of the key analyses that helped inform the European Commission's decisions on national allocation plans, with research ranging from detailed country-by-country comparisons to more generic analysis that puts forward the case for harmonization. Challenging calls to seperate electricity from other sectors, a macroeconomic study suggests that the biggest efficiency gains come from inter-sectoral trading, even more than international trading. Empirical papers, which look at the expected scarcity of allowances in the market and merge models for the power and non-power sectors to project emissions and contrast these to the aggregate allocation volume, are complemented by two numerical simulations of trade and distributional effects, estimating the efficiency gains of the EU ETS in phase I and assessing allocation and distribution effects in the RGGI context.

The EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) has been characterized as one of the most far-reaching and radical environmental policies for many years. Given the EU's earlier resistance to this market-based and US-flavoured programme, the development and implementation of the EU ETS has been rapid. This novel approach to environmental regulation has the potential to affect not only greenhouse gas emissions in the EU, but also international strategies for climate change protection. This book investigates the origins, evolution and consequences of the EU ETS and offers significant contributions to the literatures on climate policy and EU policy making.

This is a print on demand edition of a hard to find publication. The European Union¿s (EU) ETS is a cornerstone of the EU¿s efforts to meet its obligation under the Kyoto Protocol. It covers more than 10,000 energy intensive facilities across the 27 EU Member countries. A ¿Phase 1¿ trading period began 1/1/05. A second, Phase 2, trading period began in 2008. A Phase 3 will begin in 2013 designed to reduce emissions by 21% from 2005 levels. Contents of this report: (1) Overview; (2) Results from Phase 1 and 2; (3) Phase 3: Auctions; New Entrant Reserves; Decision on Eligible Industries; Flexibility Mechanisms and Price Volatility Control; Expanding Coverage; (4) U.S. Cap-and-Trade Proposals: Emission Inventories and Target Setting; Coverage; Allocation Schemes; Flexibility and Price Volatility. Illustrations.

This special issue of the Climate Policy journal outlines the fundamentals of the new European Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS), assesses the strategies for and impact of implementation and highlights the scheme's potential, including positive aspects and remaining hurdles. The EU Emission Trading Scheme (EU ETS) is the first international trading scheme for CO2 in the world. Its aim is to reduce the cost of compliance to existing targets under the Kyoto Protocol. From 1st January 2005, companies in high-energy sectors covered by the scheme must limit their CO2 emissions to allocated levels, arranged in two periods: from 2005-2007 and 2008-2012 (to match the first Kyoto commitment period). In practice, the scheme is likely to cover over 12,000 installations across the European Union, corresponding to approximately 46% of the total EU CO2 emissions. The EU ETS represents a significant development in working at an international level to combat dangerous climate change. The EU Emissions Trading Scheme presents a comprehensive and insightful analysis of the EU ETS, written by international experts in the field. The publication includes the latest research on emissions credits, the interaction of the trading scheme with national energy policies and the debate on future expansion.

A critical issue in dealing with climate change is deciding who has a right to emit carbon dioxide. Allocation in the European Emissions Trading Scheme provided the first in-depth description and analysis of the process by which rights to emit carbon dioxide were created and distributed in the European Union. This was the world's first large-scale experiment with an emission trading system for carbon dioxide and was likely to be copied by others if there was to be a global regime for limiting greenhouse gas emissions. The book comprises contributions from those responsible for putting the allocation into practice in ten representative member states and at the European Commission. The problems encountered in this process, the solutions found, and the choices they made, will be of interest to all who are concerned with climate policy and the use of emissions trading to combat climate change.

Based on an assessment of the EU ETS, this CEPS Task Force Report tests the performance of four different design models (a cap-and-trade system based on free allocation, benchmarks, auctioning and a credit-and-baseline system) against 10 criteria under three headings: environmental effectiveness, economic efficiency and the contribution of the ETS to achieving long-term climate change policy objectives. Based on this assessment, the report makes a number of recommendations in the area of allocation, creation of investment incentives and the merits of including new sectors and new gases. The report also addresses the particular challenge of completing the EU ETS review before a global post-2012 agreement can be reached, i.e. the EU ETS will be reviewed against an unknown global context.

The European Union's Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) is the world's largest market for carbon and the most significant multinational initiative ever taken to mobilize markets to protect the environment. It will be an important influence on the development and implementation of trading schemes in the US, Japan, and elsewhere. However, as is true of any pioneering public policy experiment, this scheme has generated much controversy. Pricing Carbon provides the first detailed description and analysis of the EU ETS, focusing on the first 'trial' period of the scheme (2005–7). Written by an international team of experts, it allows readers to get behind the headlines and come to a better understanding of what was done and what happened based on a dispassionate, empirically based review of the evidence. This book should be read by anyone who wants to know what happens when emissions are capped, traded, and priced.

The Yearbook of European Environmental Law is a joint venture between leading academics, practitioners, and Community officials. Academics and students will find a wealth of information in the stimulating and clearly written articles. The well-structured and reliable Annual Survey is specifically designed to provide easy access to the very latest developments in environmental law at the European level. Separate parts of the Yearbook are devoted to important policy documents and reviews of books.