Publications

By Oliver Sartor and Benoît Leguet, I4CE Is the French energy transition compatible with economic growth and a “competitive” French economy? Our answer is “yes, with some conditions”. The French economy is better positioned today for a meaningful energy transition than it has been for over 40 years. At the level of the macro-economy, a […]

Achieving the “energy transition”, it is necessary to ask how individual investments support or hinder progress towards a low-carbon, energy-efficient future. This requires a a systemic approach – or “scope 4” analysis. As demonstrated by the Keystone XL Oil pipeline project in North America, even when individual pieces of infrastructure emit relatively low levels of […]

Backloading was rejected by the European Parliament on 16 April and referred to the Parliament’s ENVI Commission. A new plenary session vote has been scheduled for early July. On ICE Futures Europe, 52% of the whole monthly volume of the daily spot contract has been traded on April the 16th. Structural reforms: discussion at the […]

By Frederic Baron, Valentin Bellassen and Mariana Deheza In a framework where no common forestry policy exists at the EU level (such as the Common Agriculture Policy for agriculture), this report lists EU policies that have an impact on climate change mitigation that can be achieved by the forestry sector. With the objective of analyzing […]

One of the most controversial changes to the EU ETS in Phase 3 (2013-2020) has been the introduction of emissions-performance benchmarks for determining free allocations to non-electricity producers. Phases 1 and 2 used National Allocation Plans (NAPs). For practical reasons NAPs were drawn up by each Member State, but this led to problems, including over-generous […]

By Frédéric OURADOU, Florine WONG, Daniel DELALANDE and Romain Morel The 2013 edition of “Key Figures on Climate” has been prepared within the context of the 18th Conference of the Parties on Climate Change (COP18) held in Doha from 26 November to 7 December 2012. This latest version has been slightly revised from the 2012 […]

By Claudine Foucherot and Valentin Bellassen … counting only emissions of methane and nitrous oxide from cattle, crops and pasture. These emissions have two characteristics making their inclusion in the European Emission Trading Scheme (EU ETS) difficult: they are diffuse and depend on a range of fairly complex pedoclimatic factors. Taking into consideration the whole […]

The Carbon Market Report published last November by the European Commission launched a debate on structural measures to sustainably address the EU ETS’s large surplus and sets out six options for measures which could do so: (a) increasing the EU reduction target to 30% in 2020, (b) retiring a number of allowances in phase 3, […]

By Nicolas Berghmans, Oliver Sartor and Nicolas Stephan, I4CE The European Commission is inviting stakeholders to respond to six proposals it has laid down for structural reforms of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS). We identify three main weaknesses that affect the functioning of the EU ETS: insufficient credibility of long-term scarcity, the consequences […]

On the eve of the introduction of the environmental assessment procedure for planning documents, almost all Regional Climate – Air – Energy Plans have now been published. This Climate Brief assesses regional climate strategies, which rely on significant commitment from those involved, including citizens by changing their behaviour, companies by improving their energy efficiency and […]

By Stephen LECOURT, Clement PALLIERE and Oliver SARTOR From Phase 3 (2013-20) of the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme, carbon-intensive industrial emitters will receive free allocations based on harmonised, EU-wide benchmarks. This paper analyses the impacts of these new rules on allocations to key energy-intensive sectors across Europe. It explores an original dataset that combines […]

By Igor Shishlov and Valentin Bellassen, I4CE According to the latest IEA World Energy Outlook, energy efficiency is a “key option” in transition to a low-carbon economy. A decade of experience with the CDM and JI demonstrates that carbon finance can be used as an effective tool to unlock private investments in energy efficiency. Capital […]

The EU ETS is the main instrument of European climate policy, and many policymakers envisage it as a driving force of the EU’s transition to a low-carbon economy. By putting a price on emissions, the scheme is expected to encourage heavy polluters to develop new low-carbon technologies. At first glance it is encouraging to notice, […]

The Doha Conference in Qatar followed two conferences that yielded relatively significant results, namely Cancun (2010) and Durban (2011). These previous conferences had most notably agreed on a second commitment period for the Kyoto Protocol (KP-CP2), begun a negotiation process aimed at achieving an international post-2020 agreement, as well as furthered progress on the issue […]

By Guillaume Chevaleyre et Nicolas Berghmans, I4CE As from 1 January 2013, auctions will become the main mode for distributing CO2 allowances within the EU ETS. By 2020, almost one billion EUAs will be sold every year and generate income for Member States. Although sales of Phase 3 allowances have begun, uncertainty still surrounds the […]

Everyone wonders which miraculous instrument will enable the Green Climate Fund to mobilize the pledged US$100 billion per year in climate finance by 2020. Developing countries are now asking for interim targets to quench their mounting skepticism that this level of commitment can be reached. In the meantime paradoxically, the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) – […]

By Romain Morel, Benoît Leguet and Valentin Bellassen, I4CE The Doha climate conference (November 26 – December 8, 2012) allowed the UN process to edge forward. Through the definition of the rules for the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol with a foreseeable increase in the ambition of Annex I countries second period commitments […]

By Nicolas Berghmans and Emilie Alberola On October 4th 2012, the European Union adopted a new Directive in order to help reach the common target of a 20% improvement in energy efficiency in 2020. At a time when a major national debate on energy transition is set to take place in France, this new directive […]

By Igor SHISHLOV et Valentin BELLASSEN The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) is the first and by far the largest carbon offset instrument in the world. To date, it is the only market based on an environmental commodity which managed to attract several billions of euros of private capital on an annual basis. Being the first-of-a-kind […]

By Jérémie DE CHARENTENAY, Alexia LESEUR et Cécile BORDIER The Regional Climate-Air-Energy Plan (SRCAE – Schéma Régional Climat-Air-Energie) was introduced by the Grenelle II legislation. The Plans are co-authored by the State through its decentralised services and the Conseil Regionaux (regional councils) with the objective to guide climate and energy policy in the 26 French […]