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Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT
The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee's climate change bill ignores the demand side of the equation which focuses on changing the built environment—the nations’ buildings and transportation systems, says Christopher Leinberger. He calls for policy that promotes demand mitigation measures so more Americans will use less energy and emit less greenhouse gases where they live, work and recreate.
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Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:32:00 GMT
Delaying national commitments to reach reduced greenhouse gas emissions will be more costly for national governments in the long run. Nonresident Senior Fellow Warwick McKibbin says the floundering global economy is a critical factor in what actions can be taken now.
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Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:30:00 GMT
Event Information:
- November 04, 2009, 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM
As attention to U.S. climate legislation has been increasing on Capitol Hill, Brookings hosted a discussion on a new series of papers on U.S. climate policy design. These papers acknowledge the complexity inherent in climate policy; explain the fundamental challenges involved in addressing a particular set of design features; and suggest a credible path forward, calling attention to tradeoffs where they exist.
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Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT
Much is in question today as Senate Environment and Public Works Committee chairman Barbara Boxer tries to push ahead with work on climate-change legislation, with Republicans threatening a boycott of the markup. Mark Muro and Jonathan Rothwell examine the costs of cap-and-trade regulations for the U.S. economy and families.
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Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT
A cap-and-trade system of the sort envisioned by the current generation of Congressional proposals would create a new market in carbon allowances worth potentially hundreds of billions of dollars. In this paper, Adele Morris discusses the likely distributional implications of a U.S. cap-and-trade system and how policymakers could manage these implications by altering the way in which allowances or allowance revenues are distributed throughout the broader economy.
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Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT
A number of climate policy observers and U.S. policymakers have expressed concerns about the implications of climate policy for the U.S. industrial base. In this paper, Carolyn Fischer and Richard Morgenstern show that specific concerns about industrial competitiveness and emissions leakage could be realistically addressed in the context of a cap-and-trade system without unduly distorting the incentives that are essential to realizing an economically efficient outcome.
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Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT
Senators Kerry and Boxer recently unveiled their climate bill calling for the creation and funding of a string of energy innovation hubs that are dedicated to clean energy technology development and deployment. Mark Muro and Sarah Rahman reviewed the bill—especially as it impacts metro and regional areas—and noted its similarities and differences with the House of Representative's climate bill, Waxman-Markey.
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Mon, 21 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT
Kenneth Lieberthal analyzes the politics of U.S.-China cooperation, recommends how to structure a bilateral agreement on clean energy, and describes how the two countries can work together to shape a more successful UN climate change conference in Copenhagen.
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Thu, 17 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT
Concerns about the economic costs of climate policy and the potential for volatility in the future carbon market have led to a proliferation of possible mechanisms to mitigate these concerns. Bryan Mignone shows how a coherent "cost containment" policy could be constructed by considering two key substantive objectives – price stability and cost viability – and then tailoring policy instruments to meet these objectives.
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Thu, 17 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT
Binding greenhouse gas emissions targets are the backbone of any cap-and-trade system, but the appropriate stringency of domestic reductions remains an unresolved issue in US legislation. In this paper, Bryan Mignone shows how available scientific information could be coupled with a variety of judgments about climate risk and international burden-sharing to yield a plausible range of domestic cap-and-trade targets.
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Thu, 17 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT
Craig Pirrong writes that current legislative attempts to regulate derivatives trading in the climate and energy context are severely misguided. While arguing that the ex post enforcement regime should be strengthened to deter price manipulation, he suggests that overly restrictive clearing and exchange requirements will dramatically increase the costs of managing carbon price risk.
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Fri, 11 Sep 2009 08:45:00 GMT
Event Information:
- September 11, 2009, 8:45 AM to 1:00 PM
On September 11, the Brookings Institution’s Energy Security Initiative and Metropolitan Policy Program hosted a discussion on the challenges of modernizing the electricity grid.
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Fri, 10 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT
One controversial issue in the larger cap-and-trade debate is the proper use and certification of carbon offsets related to changes in land management. Bryan Mignone, Matthew Hurteau, Yihsu Chen and Brent Sohngen show how reversal risk associated with such instruments could be properly internalized in a crediting framework and how this framework itself could be used to manage prices in the future carbon market.
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Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT
As the Senate discusses the Waxman-Markey bill, Brian Mignone writes that architects of climate policy would do well to heed key lessons from the House debate. Mignone believes well-designed guidelines toward carbon offsets should enhance three key objectives, including political support for cap-and-trade, and preserve or enhance the environmental integrity of the broader policy.
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Mon, 08 Jun 2009 10:30:00 GMT
Event Information:
- June 08, 2009, 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM
On June 8, the Brookings Institution hosted a preview of a forthcoming report on the economic impact of climate change reduction strategies by Brookings experts Warwick McKibbin, Adele Morris and Peter Wilcoxen.
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Wed, 20 May 2009 14:40:26 GMT
In proposing higher fuel efficiency standards for new cars, President Obama has intervened in the private sector. Cliff Winston explains how consumer demand alone for fuel efficient cars was clearly not strong enough to drive the market in that direction. But, he warns of such unintended consequences as cars being less safe and driven more.
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Mon, 23 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT
A strong cap-and-trade program seems unlikely to pass given the economic downturn, writes William Galston. Since a majority of Americans say economic growth should be given the priority and Midwestern states depend more heavily on coal-fired power plants, President Obama’s options for cap-and-trade legislation are limited.
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Wed, 25 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT
The United States has been largely unsuccessful in reducing its petroleum consumption by regulating the fuel economy of motor vehicles. Pietro Nivola proposes a move towards a comprehensive carbon tax, which could reduce gasoline consumption more effectively and curtail carbon emissions from other, more damaging sources.
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Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT
Writing as the UN Conference on Climate Change occured in Poland, William Antholis and Bryan Mignone argued that over the past decade, the evidence for human-induced climate change has become one of the most widely accepted scientific findings of our time. They offer four recommendations for President Barack Obama to carry out a comprehensive and economically sensible approach to the issue.
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Sun, 30 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT
Warwick McKibbin and Peter Wilcoxen write that as a mechanism for controlling climate change, the Kyoto Protocol has not been a success. They offer an alternative framework for international climate policy, the McKibbin-Wilcoxen Hybrid3 as an approach that focuses on coordinated actions rather than mandated, inflexible outcomes.
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Tue, 25 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT
The economic costs of a cap-and-trade system will depend on the extent to which the program facilitates compliance flexibility. Bryan Mignone compares the costs of different cap-and-trade policy architectures and estimates the economic value of realizing flexibility with respect to the timing of emissions abatement.
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Mon, 24 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT
Establishment of a mandatory cap-and-trade system in the United States remains an essential element of a comprehensive response to the global climate problem. Bryan Mignone considers the expected evolution of allowance prices in the future carbon market and what this implies for the design of provisions to limit the economic costs of such a program.
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Mon, 24 Nov 2008 09:30:00 GMT
Event Information:
- November 24, 2008, 9:30 AM to 11:00 AM
On November 24, 2008 the Brookings Institution and the Heinrich Boell Foundation convened a panel of US and European climate experts to discuss the outlook for the upcoming climate negotiations and the potential new relationship between the United States and Europe on the issue of climate change. The panel examined two aspects of the relationship – the domestic situations on both sides of the Atlantic and how the realities on the ground will play into the international negotiating positions at Copenhagen.
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Fri, 10 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT
As President-Elect Obama prepares to lead the United States, what are the top global economic challenges facing the new president and his advisors and how should the new administration address them? A new report by Brookings global economic and development experts ranks the top 10 issues and details specific ideas for how to tackle the toughest challenges.
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Thu, 09 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT
Trading of emissions under a cap-and-trade regime has received prominent attention as a possible approach to reducing the carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to climate change. On September 25, one regional cap-and-trade program, involving ten Northeastern states, has already begun operation through an initial auctioning of carbon allowances. This poses many important issues of federalism, writes Barry Rabe, as the federal government begins to play catchup with states and will have to give thought to sorting out federal and state responsibilities.
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Wed, 24 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT
Bryan Mignone discusses the pros and cons of lifting offshore drilling bans in exchange for increases in financial incentives for renewable energy. He believes that while additional drilling is not the ultimate answer, it can have some near-term benefits while the gradual displacement of oil use for transportation occurs.
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Thu, 18 Sep 2008 13:45:00 GMT
Event Information:
- September 18, 2008, 1:45 PM to 5:00 PM
On September 18, experts from the Brookings Institution, the Earth Institute of Columbia University and the Academy of Macroeconomic Research under the National Development and Reform Commission of China discussed China’s economic outlook within the context of climate change, the potential for alternative energy use in China and the specifics of China’s greenhouse gas emissions challenges and water crisis.
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Mon, 15 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT
With cleanup from Hurricane Ike now underway across Texas and the upper Gulf coast, Bryan Mignone argues it is time to work to mitigate the costs of climate change. He writes that reducing carbon dioxide concentrations will help counter threats posed by extreme conditions such as drought and sea-level rises, in addition to lowering the growing risk of large hurricanes.
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Wed, 13 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT
In testimony before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, Erica Downs outlined China's energy policymaking reforms and how they are unlikely to substantially improve energy governance. She also discussed the implications of these changes for the United States.
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Thu, 07 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT
Climate change has the unprecedented potential to profoundly affect the world’s water supplies. Shrinking reservoirs and more-frequent floods, among other threats, have tremendous ramifications for Americans living in dry areas or near the coast. Overcoming the challenges ahead will require the federal government to rethink how it views water and utility management.
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Thu, 31 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT
Robert W. Hahn identifies key issues that will affect future ethanol support and suggests how politics could affect the development of sensible energy and climate policies in general. He offers some suggestions for more cost-effective development of energy alternatives that would enhance energy security and environmental quality.
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Tue, 29 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT
Presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain have clashed over strategies to reduce America’s dependence on foreign oil and achieve energy independence. As part of a series of charts examining the candidates’ positions, Opportunity 08 compares their views on energy and climate change.
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Tue, 04 Dec 2007 14:49:41 GMT
The United Nation’s climate talks have begun in Bali with participants from nearly 200 countries. Carlos Pascual, vice president and director of Foreign Policy at Brookings, says the negotiations are aimed at producing a pact that will replace the Kyoto Protocol – which expires in 2012.
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Thu, 29 Nov 2007 17:07:40 GMT
As delegates gather for the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Bali, Indonesia this week, world leaders will try to devise a comprehensive agreement on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Brookings scholar Warwick McKibbin says the issues are complex with both environmental and economic considerations.
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Sat, 17 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT
Climate change policies require thoughtful decision making to avert catastrophic damage to the Earth. Nigel Purvis argues that "despite the obvious need for urgent action, patient and adaptive European diplomacy will best serve the world."
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Mon, 05 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT
As discussion of global warming in Australia heats up, Brookings Scholar Warwick Mckibbin argues little was achieved by the recent debate and says Australia may be better served if the parties worked together on the issue.
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Thu, 01 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT
Bryan Mignone assesses prospects for international cooperation on global warming.
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Tue, 30 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT
Jason Furman and co-authors present a three-part strategy for addressing climate change and promoting energy security.
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Tue, 30 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT
Robert N. Stavins, a Hamilton Project expert, argues that a cap-and-trade system is the better approach for the United States in the short to medium term—and more likely to be politically successful.
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Tue, 30 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT
Gilbert E. Metcalf, a Hamilton Project expert, argues that strong political, administrative, and efficiency arguments can be made for the superiority of a carbon tax to a cap-and-trade scheme.
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Fri, 05 Oct 2007 19:10:27 GMT
A Brookings news release, July 2000.
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Thu, 28 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT
Ultimately, successful international coordination on climate change will depend on the extent of domestic support, and domestic support, in turn, will depend on the existence of a broad security-environment coalition.
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Fri, 01 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT
Congressional leaders are finally working seriously on long-term approaches to climate change. Three major bills propose variations on a cap-and-trade approach that combines industry emission limits or "caps" with a government-created market for trading emission credits.
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Tue, 22 May 2007 10:00:00 GMT
Event Information:
- May 22, 2007, 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
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Mon, 16 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT
Opinion by Benjamin Wittes, The New Republic (4/16/07)
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Wed, 21 Mar 2007 00:00:00 GMT
Interview by Gregg Easterbrook, The Diane Rehm Show (3/21/07)
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Thu, 22 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT
Interview with Barry Rabe; NPR's Talk of the Nation (2/22/07)
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Sat, 16 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT
Urjit Patel discusses demand for natural gas in India as demand increases in an Opinion from Business Standard
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Mon, 04 Dec 2006 14:00:00 GMT
Event Information:
- December 04, 2006, 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
On November 29, 2006, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments on one of the most important environmental cases in decades, Massachusetts v. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The justices reviewed a federal appeals court ruling in favor of the Bush Administration's refusal to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. On December 4, Brookings continued its Judicial Issues Forum series with a discussion on the case and the larger issues around global warming.
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Sun, 01 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT
Policy Brief by Robert Litan (10/2006)
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Tue, 29 Nov 2005 09:30:00 GMT
Event Information:
- November 29, 2005, 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM
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Mon, 18 Apr 2005 10:00:00 GMT
Event Information:
- April 18, 2005, 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM
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Wed, 16 Feb 2005 00:00:00 GMT
Opinion by Gregg Easterbrook; The New York Times (2/16/05)
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Wed, 09 Feb 2005 10:00:00 GMT
Event Information:
- February 09, 2005, 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM
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Wed, 01 Sep 2004 00:00:00 GMT
Brookings Policy Brief by Pietro S. Nivola. (September 2004)
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Wed, 11 Feb 2004 00:00:00 GMT
Recipient of the 2005 Lynton Keith Caldwell prize for the best book on environmental politics and policy.
Statehouse and Greenhouse examines the surprising evolution of state-level government policies on global climate change. Environmental p
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Mon, 15 Apr 2002 00:00:00 GMT
Gregg Easterbrook takes a look at Bush's environmental policies.
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Mon, 29 Oct 2001 00:00:00 GMT
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Mon, 15 Oct 2001 00:00:00 GMT
Joseph E. Aldy, Peter R. Orszag and Joseph E. Stiglitz conclude that the most auspicious approach to achieving emission reductions in the near-term is implementing a hybrid system of emission quotas with a maximum permit price.
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Mon, 01 Oct 2001 00:00:00 GMT
Policy Brief #66, by Warwick J. McKibbin (October 2000)
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Tue, 31 Jul 2001 00:00:00 GMT
Opinion by Robert W. Crandall, Senior Fellow, the Brookings Institution, in the Wall Street Journal, July 31, 2001
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Tue, 26 Jun 2001 00:00:00 GMT
Opinion by Warwick McKibbin, Non-Resident Senior Fellow, and Peter Wilcoxen, Non-Resident Senior Fellow, The Brookings Institution, June 26, 2001
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Sat, 15 Jul 2000 00:00:00 GMT
Brookings scholars and other economists argue that it would be imprudent not to consider costs in the setting of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards.
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Mon, 24 Apr 2000 00:00:00 GMT
Opinion by Pietro Nivola, Senior Fellow, the Brookings Institution, in The Washington Post, April 24, 2000
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Tue, 01 Feb 2000 00:00:00 GMT
Paper on Climate change by Warwick J. McKibbin and Peter J. Wilcoxen (02/2000)
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Thu, 27 May 1999 00:00:00 GMT
This book explores how policymakers, businesses, and citizen groups are using environmental pragmatism to resolve conflicts and begin shaping the next generation of environmental policy.
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Tue, 01 Dec 1998 00:00:00 GMT
Brookings Review article by Mary Graham (Winter 1998)
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Thu, 01 Oct 1998 00:00:00 GMT
Policy Brief #37, by Donald F. Kettl (October 1998)
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Tue, 01 Sep 1998 00:00:00 GMT
Article by Christopher H. Foreman, Jr., in Science Communication, September 1998
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Sun, 01 Jun 1997 00:00:00 GMT
Brookings Review article by Lester B. Lave (Summer 1997)
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Sun, 01 Jun 1997 00:00:00 GMT
Brookings Review article by Robert Crandall (Summer 1997)