IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/ehl/lserod/115431.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Allocation, allocation, allocation! The political economy of the development of the European Union Emissions Trading System

Author

Listed:
  • Sato, Misato
  • Rafaty, Ryan
  • Calel, Raphael
  • Grubb, Michael

Abstract

The European Union's pioneering carbon Emissions Trading System, the EU ETS, has inspired countries around the world to launch their own CO 2 markets. This paper analyses the evolution of the EU ETS from a political economy perspective, emphasizing the interaction of economic principles and political interests at pivotal moments, and showing how each compromise changed the scope for future design choices. We focus on the allowance allocation issue, which provides a window into the complex tug-of-war between economic efficiency and the politics of distribution. Our account highlights the dynamic nature of CO 2 market reform, and provides lessons that can help inform the design of more stable and effective CO 2 markets in the future. This article is categorized under: Climate Economics > Economics of Mitigation The Carbon Economy and Climate Mitigation > Policies, Instruments, Lifestyles, Behavior.

Suggested Citation

  • Sato, Misato & Rafaty, Ryan & Calel, Raphael & Grubb, Michael, 2022. "Allocation, allocation, allocation! The political economy of the development of the European Union Emissions Trading System," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 115431, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    • Handle: RePEc:ehl:lserod:115431
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/115431/
    File Function: Open access version.
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Michael Grubb & Paul Drummond & Alexandra Poncia & Will Mcdowall & David Popp & Sascha Samadi & Cristina Penasco & Kenneth Gillingham & Sjak Smulders & Matthieu Glachant & Gavin Hassall & Emi Mizuno &, 2021. "Induced innovation in energy technologies and systems: a review of evidence and potential implications for CO 2 mitigation," Post-Print hal-03189044, HAL.
    2. Petrick, Sebastian & Wagner, Ulrich J., 2014. "The impact of carbon trading on industry: Evidence from German manufacturing firms," Kiel Working Papers 1912, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    3. Montgomery, W. David, 1972. "Markets in licenses and efficient pollution control programs," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 5(3), pages 395-418, December.
    4. Robert W. Hahn & Robert N. Stavins, 2011. "The Effect of Allowance Allocations on Cap-and-Trade System Performance," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 54(S4), pages 267-294.
    5. Marit Klemetsen & Knut Einar Rosendahl & Anja Lund Jakobsen, 2020. "The Impacts Of The Eu Ets On Norwegian Plants’ Environmental And Economic Performance," Climate Change Economics (CCE), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 11(01), pages 1-32, February.
    6. Karsten Neuhoff & Robert A. Ritz, 2019. "Carbon cost pass-through in industrial sectors," Working Papers EPRG1935, Energy Policy Research Group, Cambridge Judge Business School, University of Cambridge.
    7. Borghesi, Simone & Cainelli, Giulio & Mazzanti, Massimiliano, 2015. "Linking emission trading to environmental innovation: Evidence from the Italian manufacturing industry," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(3), pages 669-683.
    8. Frédéric Branger & Misato Sato, 2017. "Solving the clinker dilemma with hybrid output-based allocation," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 140(3), pages 483-501, February.
    9. Koch, Nicolas & Fuss, Sabine & Grosjean, Godefroy & Edenhofer, Ottmar, 2014. "Causes of the EU ETS price drop: Recession, CDM, renewable policies or a bit of everything?—New evidence," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 676-685.
    10. R. H. Coase, 2013. "The Problem of Social Cost," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 56(4), pages 837-877.
    11. Zetterberg, Lars, 2014. "Benchmarking in the European Union Emissions Trading System: Abatement incentives," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 218-224.
    12. Böhringer, Christoph & Rosendahl, Knut Einar & Storrøsten, Halvor Briseid, 2017. "Robust policies to mitigate carbon leakage," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 149(C), pages 35-46.
    13. Ralf Martin & Mirabelle Mu?ls & Laure B. de Preux & Ulrich J. Wagner, 2014. "Industry Compensation under Relocation Risk: A Firm-Level Analysis of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 104(8), pages 2482-2508, August.
    14. Michael Grubb & Karsten Neuhoff, 2006. "Allocation and competitiveness in the EU emissions trading scheme: policy overview," Climate Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 6(1), pages 7-30, January.
    15. Philippe Quirion, 2021. "Tradable instruments to fight climate change: A disappointing outcome," Post-Print hal-03495904, HAL.
    16. Jørgen Wettestad, 2014. "Rescuing EU Emissions Trading: Mission Impossible?," Global Environmental Politics, MIT Press, vol. 14(2), pages 64-81, May.
    17. Beat Hintermann & Maja Žarković & Corrado Di Maria & Ulrich J. Wagner, 2020. "The Effect of Climate Policy on Productivity and Cost Pass-Through in the German Manufacturing Sector," CRC TR 224 Discussion Paper Series crctr224_2020_249, University of Bonn and University of Mannheim, Germany.
    18. Tony Ikwue & Jim Skea, 1994. "Business and the genesis of the European Community carbon tax proposal," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 3(2), pages 1-10.
    19. Raphael Calel, 2020. "Adopt or Innovate: Understanding Technological Responses to Cap-and-Trade," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 12(3), pages 170-201, August.
    20. Johan Lilliestam & Anthony Patt & Germán Bersalli, 2021. "The effect of carbon pricing on technological change for full energy decarbonization: A review of empirical ex‐post evidence," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 12(1), January.
    21. Frank Convery, 2009. "Origins and Development of the EU ETS," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 43(3), pages 391-412, July.
    22. Torbjørg Jevnaker & Jørgen Wettestad, 2017. "Ratcheting Up Carbon Trade: The Politics of Reforming EU Emissions Trading," Global Environmental Politics, MIT Press, vol. 17(2), pages 105-124, May.
    23. Raphael Calel & Antoine Dechezleprêtre, 2016. "Environmental Policy and Directed Technological Change: Evidence from the European Carbon Market," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 98(1), pages 173-191, March.
    24. Naegele, Helene & Zaklan, Aleksandar, 2019. "Does the EU ETS cause carbon leakage in European manufacturing?," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 125-147.
    25. Olga Chiappinelli & Karsten Neuhoff, 2020. "Time-Consistent Carbon Pricing: The Role of Carbon Contracts for Differences," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 1859, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    26. G. Grosjean & W. Acworth & C. Flachsland & R. Marschinski, 2016. "After monetary policy, climate policy: is delegation the key to EU ETS reform?," Climate Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(1), pages 1-25, January.
    27. Michael Grubb & Tim Laing & Thomas Counsell & Catherine Willan, 2011. "Global carbon mechanisms: lessons and implications," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 104(3), pages 539-573, February.
    28. Ellerman,A. Denny & Joskow,Paul L. & Schmalensee,Richard & Montero,Juan-Pablo & Bailey,Elizabeth M., 2005. "Markets for Clean Air," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521023894.
      • Ellerman,A. Denny & Joskow,Paul L. & Schmalensee,Richard & Montero,Juan-Pablo & Bailey,Elizabeth M., 2000. "Markets for Clean Air," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521660839.
    29. Jurate Jaraite-Ka~ukauske and Corrado Di Maria, 2016. "Did the EU ETS Make a Difference? An Empirical Assessment Using Lithuanian Firm-Level Data," The Energy Journal, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 1).
    30. Easwaran Narassimhan & Kelly S. Gallagher & Stefan Koester & Julio Rivera Alejo, 2018. "Carbon pricing in practice: a review of existing emissions trading systems," Climate Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(8), pages 967-991, September.
    31. Robert N. Stavins, 1998. "What Can We Learn from the Grand Policy Experiment? Lessons from SO2 Allowance Trading," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 12(3), pages 69-88, Summer.
    32. Andreas Tuerk & Michael Mehling & Christian Flachsland & Wolfgang Sterk, 2009. "Linking carbon markets: concepts, case studies and pathways," Climate Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 9(4), pages 341-357, July.
    33. Åsa L�fgren & Markus Wr�ke & Tomas Hagberg & Susanna Roth, 2014. "Why the EU ETS needs reforming: an empirical analysis of the impact on company investments," Climate Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 14(5), pages 537-558, September.
    34. Karsten Neuhoff & Kim Keats Martinez & Misato Sato, 2006. "Allocation, incentives and distortions: the impact of EU ETS emissions allowance allocations to the electricity sector," Climate Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 6(1), pages 73-91, January.
    35. Timothy Laing & Misato Sato & Michael Grubb & Claudia Comberti, 2014. "The effects and side‐effects of the EU emissions trading scheme," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 5(4), pages 509-519, July.
    36. A. Denny Ellerman & Claudio Marcantonini & Aleksandar Zaklan, 2016. "The European Union Emissions Trading System: Ten Years and Counting," Review of Environmental Economics and Policy, Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 10(1), pages 89-107.
    37. Jos Sijm & Karsten Neuhoff & Yihsu Chen, 2006. "CO 2 cost pass-through and windfall profits in the power sector," Climate Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 6(1), pages 49-72, January.
    38. van Zeben,Josephine, 2014. "The Allocation of Regulatory Competence in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9781107042261.
    39. Matthew Paterson, 2012. "Who and what are carbon markets for? Politics and the development of climate policy," Climate Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 12(1), pages 82-97, January.
    40. Karsten Neuhoff, 2008. "Learning by Doing with Constrained Growth Rates:An Application to Energy Technology Policy," The Energy Journal, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Special I), pages 165-182.
    41. Karsten Neuhoff & Olga Chiappinelli & Mats Kröger & Frederik Lettow & Jörn Richstein & Franziska Schütze & Jan Stede & Xi Sun, 2021. "Green Deal for Industry: A Clear Policy Framework Is More Important Than Funding," DIW Weekly Report, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research, vol. 11(10), pages 73-82.
    42. Bohringer, Christoph & Lange, Andreas, 2005. "On the design of optimal grandfathering schemes for emission allowances," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 49(8), pages 2041-2055, November.
    43. Rosendahl, Knut Einar, 2008. "Incentives and prices in an emissions trading scheme with updating," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 56(1), pages 69-82, July.
    44. Lars H. Gulbrandsen & Jørgen Wettestad & David G. Victor & Arild Underdal, 2019. "The political roots of divergence in carbon market design: implications for linking," Climate Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(4), pages 427-438, April.
    45. Bel, Germà & Joseph, Stephan, 2015. "Emission abatement: Untangling the impacts of the EU ETS and the economic crisis," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 531-539.
    46. Johanna Cludius, 2018. "Winners and Losers of EU Emissions Trading: Insights from the EUTL Transfer Dataset," Economics of Energy & Environmental Policy, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 2).
    47. Stefano F. Verde, 2020. "The Impact Of The Eu Emissions Trading System On Competitiveness And Carbon Leakage: The Econometric Evidence," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(2), pages 320-343, April.
    48. Jørgen Wettestad, 2005. "The Making of the 2003 EU Emissions Trading Directive: An Ultra-Quick Process due to Entrepreneurial Proficiency?," Global Environmental Politics, MIT Press, vol. 5(1), pages 1-23, February.
    49. Aaron Cosbey & Susanne Droege & Carolyn Fischer & Clayton Munnings, 2019. "Developing Guidance for Implementing Border Carbon Adjustments: Lessons, Cautions, and Research Needs from the Literature," Review of Environmental Economics and Policy, Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 13(1), pages 3-22.
    50. Jon Birger Skjærseth & Jørgen Wettestad, 2010. "Fixing the EU Emissions Trading System? Understanding the Post-2012 Changes," Global Environmental Politics, MIT Press, vol. 10(4), pages 101-123, November.
    51. Regina A. Betz & Tobias S. Schmidt, 2016. "Transfer patterns in Phase I of the EU Emissions Trading System: a first reality check based on cluster analysis," Climate Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(4), pages 474-495, May.
    52. Braun, Marcel, 2009. "The evolution of emissions trading in the European Union - The role of policy networks, knowledge and policy entrepreneurs," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 34(3-4), pages 469-487, April.
    53. Johanna Cludius and Regina Betz, 2020. "The Role of Banks in EU Emissions Trading," The Energy Journal, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 2), pages 275-300.
    54. William Nordhaus, 2015. "Climate Clubs: Overcoming Free-Riding in International Climate Policy," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 105(4), pages 1339-1370, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Natalia V. Starodubets & Irina S. Belik & Natalia L. Nikulina & Tamila T. Alikberova, 2023. "Assessment and Forecasting of Metallurgical Enterprises Carbon Footprint in the Sverdlovsk Region," Journal of Applied Economic Research, Graduate School of Economics and Management, Ural Federal University, vol. 22(3), pages 572-599.
    2. Kuosmanen, Natalia & Maczulskij, Terhi, 2022. "The Role of Firm Dynamics in the Green Transition: Carbon Productivity Decomposition in Finnish Manufacturing," ETLA Working Papers 99, The Research Institute of the Finnish Economy.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Marit Klemetsen & Knut Einar Rosendahl & Anja Lund Jakobsen, 2020. "The Impacts Of The Eu Ets On Norwegian Plants’ Environmental And Economic Performance," Climate Change Economics (CCE), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 11(01), pages 1-32, February.
    2. Aleksandar Zaklan, 2023. "Coase and Cap-and-Trade: Evidence on the Independence Property from the European Carbon Market," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 15(2), pages 526-558, May.
    3. Teixidó, Jordi & Verde, Stefano F. & Nicolli, Francesco, 2019. "The impact of the EU Emissions Trading System on low-carbon technological change: The empirical evidence," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 164(C), pages 1-1.
    4. Jonathan Colmer & Ralf Martin & Mirabelle Muûls & Ulrich J. Wagner, 2020. "Does pricing carbon mitigate climate change? Firm-level evidence from the European Union emissions trading scheme," CEP Discussion Papers dp1728, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    5. Dechezleprêtre, Antoine & Nachtigall, Daniel & Venmans, Frank, 2023. "The joint impact of the European Union emissions trading system on carbon emissions and economic performance," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).
    6. Borghesi, Simone & Flori, Andrea, 2018. "EU ETS facets in the net: Structure and evolution of the EU ETS network," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 602-635.
    7. Baudry, Marc & Faure, Anouk & Quemin, Simon, 2021. "Emissions trading with transaction costs," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    8. Gregor Zoettl, 2021. "Emission trading systems and the optimal technology mix," SERIEs: Journal of the Spanish Economic Association, Springer;Spanish Economic Association, vol. 12(2), pages 281-327, June.
    9. Beat Hintermann & Maja Žarković & Corrado Di Maria & Ulrich J. Wagner, 2020. "The Effect of Climate Policy on Productivity and Cost Pass-Through in the German Manufacturing Sector," CRC TR 224 Discussion Paper Series crctr224_2020_249, University of Bonn and University of Mannheim, Germany.
    10. Sadayuki, Taisuke & Arimura, Toshi H., 2021. "Do regional emission trading schemes lead to carbon leakage within firms? Evidence from Japan," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 104(C).
    11. Koch, Nicolas & Basse Mama, Houdou, 2019. "Does the EU Emissions Trading System induce investment leakage? Evidence from German multinational firms," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 479-492.
    12. Giovanni Marin & Marianna Marino & Claudia Pellegrin, 2018. "The Impact of the European Emission Trading Scheme on Multiple Measures of Economic Performance," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 71(2), pages 551-582, October.
    13. Arjan Trinks & Erik Hille, 2023. "Carbon costs and industrial firm performance: Evidence from international microdata," CPB Discussion Paper 445, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.
    14. Schleich, Joachim & Lehmann, Sascha & Cludius, Johanna & Abrell, Jan & Betz, Regina Annette & Pinkse, Jonatan, 2020. "Active or passive? Companies' use of the EU ETS," Working Papers "Sustainability and Innovation" S07/2020, Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research (ISI).
    15. Stefano Carattini & Eli P. Fenichel & Alexander Gordan & Patrick Gourley, 2020. "For want of a chair: Teaching price formation using a cap and trade game," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 51(1), pages 52-66, January.
    16. aus dem Moore, Nils & Großkurth, Philipp & Themann, Michael, 2019. "Multinational corporations and the EU Emissions Trading System: The specter of asset erosion and creeping deindustrialization," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 1-26.
    17. Leon Bremer & Konstantin Sommer, 2022. "Competitiveness and investments under emissions trading," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 22-061/V, Tinbergen Institute.
    18. Nicola De Vivo & Giovanni Marin, 2018. "How neutral is the choice of the allocation mechanism in cap-and-trade schemes? Evidence from the EU-ETS," Argomenti, University of Urbino Carlo Bo, Department of Economics, Society & Politics, vol. 9(9), pages 1-24, January-A.
    19. Vera Zipperer & Misato Sato & Karsten Neuhoff, 2017. "Benchmarks for Emissions Trading – General Principles for Emissions Scope," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 1712, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    20. Filippo Maria D'Arcangelo & Marzio Galeotti, 2022. "Environmental Policy and Investment Location: The Risk of Carbon Leakage in the EU ETS," Working Papers 2022.27, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    allowance allocation; carbon pricing; emissions trading; EU ETS; industry lobby; political economy; ES/N016971/1; ES/R009708/1; Grant recipient(s): MISATO SATO); Horizon 2020 Framework Programme (GrantNumber(s): GEMCLIME-2020 GA number 681228; Grant recipient(s): MISATO SATO); Wiley deal;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J1 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:ehl:lserod:115431. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: LSERO Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/lsepsuk.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.