Mediaspace scheduled maintenance: Aug 25, 2026 07:00 - 12:00 AM. During this time, videos will be temporarily unavailable. Check status updates.

Lecture

Environmental Policies: Command Control, Permits Trading, Taxation

In course

ENV-610: Ecological economics

This course is an introduction to economic theory applied to environmental issues. It presents the methods used to assess environmental impacts and natural resources as well as environmental regulation instruments. It then broadens the analysis to ecologic ...

Description

This lecture covers environmental policies such as command and control, emissions trading, and taxation. It discusses the marginal abatement cost, emissions trading systems, implementing an ETS, abatement with trade, gains with trade, taxation versus ETS, and thresholds for the Swiss CO₂ tax.

This video is available exclusively on Mediaspace for a restricted audience. Please log in to MediaSpace to access it if you have the necessary permissions.

Watch on Mediaspace

Official source

Ontological neighbourhood

Environmental science

Climate: Climate change mitigation

Related concepts (26)

Carbon emission trading

Emission trading (ETS) for carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases (GHG) is a form of carbon pricing; also known as cap and trade (CAT) or carbon pricing. It is an approach to limit climate change by creating a market with limited allowances for emissions. This can lower competitiveness of fossil fuels and accelerate investments into low carbon sources of energy such as wind power and photovoltaics. Fossil fuels are the main driver for climate change. They account for 89% of all CO2 emissions and 68% of all GHG emissions.

Emissions trading

Emissions trading is a market-based approach to controlling pollution by providing economic incentives for reducing the emissions of pollutants. The concept is also known as cap and trade (CAT) or emissions trading scheme (ETS). Carbon emission trading for and other greenhouse gases has been introduced in China, the European Union and other countries as a key tool for climate change mitigation. Other schemes include sulfur dioxide and other pollutants.

Embedded emissions

One way of attributing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is to measure the embedded emissions of goods that are being consumed (also referred to as "embodied emissions", "embodied carbon emissions", or "embodied carbon"). This is different from the question of to what extent the policies of one country to reduce emissions affect emissions in other countries (the "spillover effect" and "carbon leakage" of an emissions reduction policy). The UNFCCC measures emissions according to production, rather than consumption.

Greenhouse gas emissions

Greenhouse gas emissions (abbreviated as GHG emissions) from human activities strengthen the greenhouse effect, contributing to climate change. Carbon dioxide (), from burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas, is one of the most important factors in causing climate change. The largest emitters are China followed by the US, although the United States has higher emissions per capita. The main producers fueling the emissions globally are large oil and gas companies.

Tax

A tax is a compulsory financial charge or some other type of levy imposed on a taxpayer (an individual or legal entity) by a governmental organization in order to collectively fund government spending, public expenditures, or as a way to regulate and reduce negative externalities. Tax compliance refers to policy actions and individual behaviour aimed at ensuring that taxpayers are paying the right amount of tax at the right time and securing the correct tax allowances and tax reliefs.

Related lectures (35)

Swiss Climate Objectives and Carbon Offsetting

Explores Swiss climate objectives, emission reduction strategies, sectoral targets, carbon offsetting, and the implications of different carbon credits.

Carbon Budget and Emissions Gap

Explores tipping elements, CO2 emission reductions, carbon budget, and global warming thresholds.

Global Warming: COP27 Recap

Recaps COP27 outcomes, discusses carbon budget limits, and explains metrics like GWP and GTP for emission comparison.

Carbon Budget Metrics

Discusses COP27 outcomes, carbon budgets, emission metrics, and the importance of accurate measurements for achieving climate goals.

Cost-Efficiency in Environmental Policy

Explores criteria for environmental policy instruments, marginal cost, abatement levels, and cost-efficient mitigation efforts.

Related concepts (26)

Carbon emission trading

Emissions trading

Embedded emissions

Greenhouse gas emissions

Tax