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How Malleable are the Greenhouse Gas Emission Intensities of the G7 Nations?

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  • Chris Bataille
  • Nic Rivers
  • Paulus Mau
  • Chris Joseph
  • Jian-Jun Tu

Abstract

Why do countries’ greenhouse gas (GHG) intensities differ? How much of a country’s GHG intensity is set by inflexible national circumstances, and how much may be altered by policy? These questions are common in climate change policy discourse and may influence emission reduction allocations. Despite the policy relevance of the discussion, little quantitative analysis has been done. In this paper we address these questions in the context of the G7 by applying a pair of simple quantitative methodologies: decomposition analysis and allocation of fossil fuel production emissions to end-users instead of producers. According to our analysis and available data, climate and geographic size - both inflexible national characteristics - can have a significant effect on a country’s GHG intensity. A country’s methods for producing electricity and net trade in fossil fuels are also significant, while industrial structure has little effect at the available level of data disaggregation.

Suggested Citation

  • Chris Bataille & Nic Rivers & Paulus Mau & Chris Joseph & Jian-Jun Tu, 2007. "How Malleable are the Greenhouse Gas Emission Intensities of the G7 Nations?," The Energy Journal, , vol. 28(1), pages 145-170, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:enejou:v:28:y:2007:i:1:p:145-170
    DOI: 10.5547/ISSN0195-6574-EJ-Vol28-No1-7
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    1. Greening, Lorna A. & Davis, William B. & Schipper, Lee & Khrushch, Marta, 1997. "Comparison of six decomposition methods: application to aggregate energy intensity for manufacturing in 10 OECD countries," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 19(3), pages 375-390, July.
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    1. Chung, Whan-Sam & Tohno, Susumu & Choi, Ki-Hong, 2011. "Socio-technological impact analysis using an energy IO approach to GHG emissions issues in South Korea," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 88(11), pages 3747-3758.
    2. Chris Bataille & Henri Waisman & Michel Colombier & Laura Segafredo & Jim Williams & Frank Jotzo, 2016. "The need for national deep decarbonization pathways for effective climate policy," Climate Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(sup1), pages 7-26, June.
    3. Ang, B.W. & Xu, X.Y. & Su, Bin, 2015. "Multi-country comparisons of energy performance: The index decomposition analysis approach," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 68-76.
    4. Chris Bataille & Benjamin Dachis & Nic Rivers, 2009. "Pricing Greenhouse Gas Emissions: The Impact on Canada's Competitiveness," C.D. Howe Institute Commentary, C.D. Howe Institute, issue 280, February.
    5. Wang, H. & Zhou, P., 2018. "Multi-country comparisons of CO2 emission intensity: The production-theoretical decomposition analysis approach," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 310-320.
    6. Hocaoglu, Fatih Onur & Karanfil, Fatih, 2011. "Examining the link between carbon dioxide emissions and the share of industry in GDP: Modeling and testing for the G-7 countries," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(6), pages 3612-3620, June.
    7. Fisher-Vanden, Karen & Schu, Kathryn & Sue Wing, Ian & Calvin, Katherine, 2012. "Decomposing the impact of alternative technology sets on future carbon emissions growth," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 34(S3), pages 359-365.
    8. Rodríguez, Miguel & Pena-Boquete, Yolanda & Pardo-Fernández, Juan Carlos, 2016. "Revisiting Environmental Kuznets Curves through the energy price lens," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 32-41.
    9. Shumin Zhang & Yongze Lv & Jian Xu & Baolei Zhang, 2023. "Exploring the Spatiotemporal Heterogeneity of Carbon Emission from Energy Consumption and Its Influencing Factors in the Yellow River Basin," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-16, April.
    10. Milstein, Irena & Tishler, Asher, 2011. "Intermittently renewable energy, optimal capacity mix and prices in a deregulated electricity market," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(7), pages 3922-3927, July.
    11. Ang, B.W. & Su, Bin & Wang, H., 2016. "A spatial–temporal decomposition approach to performance assessment in energy and emissions," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 112-121.
    12. Xu, X.Y. & Ang, B.W., 2014. "Multilevel index decomposition analysis: Approaches and application," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 375-382.
    13. Wang, Jiqiang & Wang, Ya & Zhang, Shaohui & Fan, Chun & Zhou, Nanqing & Liu, Jinhui & Li, Xin & Liu, Yun & Hou, Xiujun & Yi, Bowen, 2024. "Accounting of aviation carbon emission in developing countries based on flight-level ADS-B data," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 358(C).
    14. Calbick, K.S. & Gunton, Thomas, 2014. "Differences among OECD countries’ GHG emissions: Causes and policy implications," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 895-902.
    15. Ang, B.W. & Goh, Tian, 2016. "Carbon intensity of electricity in ASEAN: Drivers, performance and outlook," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 170-179.
    16. Li, Hao & Zhao, Yuhuan & Qiao, Xiaoyong & Liu, Ya & Cao, Ye & Li, Yue & Wang, Song & Zhang, Zhonghua & Zhang, Yongfeng & Weng, Jianfeng, 2017. "Identifying the driving forces of national and regional CO2 emissions in China: Based on temporal and spatial decomposition analysis models," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 522-538.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Greenhouse gases; decomposition analysis; G7; climate change policy; emission intensity;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F0 - International Economics - - General

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