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Unilateral Emissions Mitigation, Spillovers, And Global Learning

Author

Listed:
  • SHUROJIT CHATTERJI

    (School of Economics, Singapore Management University, 90 Stamford Road, Singapore 178903, Singapore)

  • SAYANTAN GHOSAL

    (Adam Smith Business School, University of Glasgow, Main Building, University Avenue, Glasgow G12 8QQ, U.K.)

  • SEAN WALSH

    (192 Cedarwoods Crescent, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada N2C 2J8, Canada)

  • JOHN WHALLEY

    (Department of Economics, Social Sciences Centre, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON, Canada, N6A 5C2, Canada)

Abstract

What's the role of unilateral measures in global climate change mitigation in a post-Durban, post 2012 global policy regime? We argue that under conditions of preference heterogeneity, unilateral emissions mitigation at a subnational level may exist even when a nation is unwilling to commit to emission cuts. We establish that under certain assumptions, in a global strongly connected network of countries, learning the costs of switching to a low emissions activity can result in a universal adoption of such activities. We analyze the features of a policy proposal that could accelerate convergence to a low carbon world in the presence of global learning.

Suggested Citation

  • Shurojit Chatterji & Sayantan Ghosal & Sean Walsh & John Whalley, 2014. "Unilateral Emissions Mitigation, Spillovers, And Global Learning," Climate Change Economics (CCE), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 5(03), pages 1-16.
    • Handle: RePEc:wsi:ccexxx:v:05:y:2014:i:03:n:s2010007814500080
    DOI: 10.1142/S2010007814500080
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Unilateral initiatives; mitigation; global learning; technology transfer; Q54; F53; Q55; O33;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q54 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Climate; Natural Disasters and their Management; Global Warming
    • F53 - International Economics - - International Relations, National Security, and International Political Economy - - - International Agreements and Observance; International Organizations
    • Q55 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environmental Economics: Technological Innovation
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes

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