Energy and environmental economics

News about energy and environmental economics

• Cartelization in Gas Markets: Studying the Potential for a “Gas OPEC”

  Oil and gas markets

  Published: 1 December 2010

• Promoting renewables and discouraging fossil energy consumption in the European Union

  Energy and environmental policy

  Published: 8 March 2010

  The European Union (EU) identified some positive and negative externalities related to energy production and consumption when adopting its Renewable Energy and Climate Change Package. Given these externalities, Cathrine Hagem derives in a new Discussion Paper the optimal combination of policy instruments. Thereafter, she explores the second-best outcome, given constraints on the use of some policy instruments, due to political considerations and international regulations.

• Incentives to invest in abatement technology. A tax versus emissions trading under imperfect competition

  Climate policy and economics

  Published: 27 January 2010

  In the longer run, effects on R&D and the implementation of advanced abatement technology may be at least as important as short-run cost effectiveness when we evaluate public environmental policy. Halvor Briseid Storrøsten's Discussion Paper shows that the number of firms that adopt advanced abatement technology could be higher with emissions trading than with a tax if there is imperfect competition in the permits market.

• On the measurement of environmental taxes

  Energy and environmental policy

  Published: 6 January 2010

  In a new Discussion Paper Annegrete Bruvoll discusses the distinctions between the Pigouvian and the fiscal taxes in light of tax theory. The revenues following the Eurostat et al. statistical basis deviate significantly from the revenues from the environmental taxes defined on the basis of theory. Steps should be taken to harmonize the international statistics of environmental taxes with economic tax theory.

• Green certificates and the effect on the climate

  Climate policy and economics

  Published: 7 December 2009

  By studying the market effects of green certificates, Torstein Bye and Michael Hoel show that the effect will not be anything like that anticipated, neither for the energy market nor for the climate. They conclude that the certificates are expensive and pointless renewable fun.

• The Economy of the North 2008

  Sustainable development

  Published: 16 November 2009

  The Economy of the North 2008 presents a comprehensive overview of the economy of the circumpolar Arctic, including the traditional production activities of the indigenous people. The report discusses the importance of the Arctic economy from a global perspective, with particular focus on the natural resources in the Arctic region.