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The Case for Intensity Targets

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Author Info
Pizer, William () (Resources for the Future)

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Abstract

While the rest of the world has pursued absolute emissions limits for greenhouse gases, the Bush administration has proposed an alternative policy formulation based, among other things, on reducing emissions intensity—that is, emissions per dollar of real gross domestic product. Critics of this formulation have denounced the general idea of an intensity-based emissions target, along with its voluntary nature and weak targets. This raises the question of whether intensity-based emissions limits, distinct from the other features of the Bush initiative, offer a useful alternative to absolute emissions limits. This paper makes the case that they do, based on how emissions targets are framed. The argument draws on four key observations: greenhouse gas emissions will continue to rise over the near term, absolute targets emphasize zero or declining emissions growth while intensity targets do not, developing countries’ economic development is integrally tied to emissions growth for the foreseeable future, and intensity targets need not be any more complicated to administer than absolute targets.

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Paper provided by Resources For the Future in its series Discussion Papers with number dp-05-02.

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Date of creation: 01 Feb 2005
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Handle: RePEc:rff:dpaper:dp-05-02

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Related research
Keywords: carbon climate policy intensity global warming

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
Q54 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Climate; Natural Disasters
Q58 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environmental Economics: Government Policy
Q56 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environment and Development; Environment and Trade; Sustainability; Environmental Accounting

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References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. David F. Bradford, 2004. "Improving on Kyoto: Greenhouse Gas Control as the Purchase of a Global Public Good," Working Papers 106, Princeton University, Department of Economics, Center for Economic Policy Studies.. [Downloadable!]
  2. Pizer, William A., 2002. "Combining price and quantity controls to mitigate global climate change," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 85(3), pages 409-434, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. Burtraw, Dallas & Evans, David, 2003. "The Evolution of NOx Control Policy for Coal-Fired Power Plants in the United States," Discussion Papers dp-03-23, Resources For the Future. [Downloadable!]
  4. Burtraw, Dallas & Palmer, Karen, 2003. "The Paparazzi Take a Look at a Living Legend: The SO2 Cap-and-Trade Program for Power Plants in the United States," Discussion Papers dp-03-15, Resources For the Future. [Downloadable!]
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Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Gilbert E. Metcalf, 2006. "Energy Conservation in the United States: Understanding its Role in Climate Policy," NBER Working Papers 12272, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  2. Stephen P. Holland & Christopher R. Knittel & Jonathan E. Hughes, 2007. "Greenhouse Gas Reductions under Low Carbon Fuel Standards?," NBER Working Papers 13266, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. Elizabeth Anne Wilman, 2008. "Regulating Greenhouse Gases: Emissions Intensity Limits, A Hybrid Policy, and Offsets," Working Papers 2008-19, Department of Economics, University of Calgary, revised 13 Jan 2008. [Downloadable!]
  4. Pizer, William, 2005. "Climate Policy Design Under Uncertainty," Discussion Papers dp-05-44, Resources For the Future. [Downloadable!]
  5. Frank Jotzo & John C. V. Pezzey, 2005. "Optimal intensity targets for emissions trading under uncertainty (now replaced by EEN0605)," Economics and Environment Network Working Papers 0504, Australian National University, Economics and Environment Network. [Downloadable!]
  6. Richard G. Newell & William A. Pizer, 2008. "Indexed Regulation," NBER Working Papers 13991, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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