Energy & Carbon Emissions in Selected Countries: US, France, Brazil, Russia & China - Prof, Study notes of Introduction to Public Administration

Download Energy & Carbon Emissions in Selected Countries: US, France, Brazil, Russia & China - Prof and more Study notes Introduction to Public Administration in PDF only on Docsity! PPA 777 Professor David Popp The Economics of Environmental Policy Spring 2009 The Climate Change Policy Simulation The Climate Change Policy Simulation will be held on Monday, April 13. The simulation is intended to give you a chance to make use of many of the things we have discussed in class in an actual policy setting. For this exercise, students will be assigned to groups representing various players in the climate change debate. The policy simulation will include representatives from the United States, France, China, Brazil, Russia and Japan. This handout includes background information on each country, as well as a summary of each country’s main interests. Further information is available in the articles contained in the reading packet. You may also consult outside resources, such as the Internet, for other information that you may need. The policy simulation takes the form of an international negotiation on the next round of climate policy. The Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012. Although the Protocol has now been ratified by a sufficient number of countries to take effect, its ultimate success reducing emissions is hampered by the United States’ decision to pull out of the agreement. Given the large amount of carbon emissions coming from the United States, an agreement without their participation is likely to be ineffective. Thus, the primary goal of this meeting is to reach an agreement for the next round of climate policy that ensures at lest partial participation of the United States. The moderator is convening this session with the hope that a dialogue among the affected parties will help to reach a compromise that all groups can be happy with. Each group will be responsible for preparing a 2-3 page policy brief that outlines your goals. This policy brief is due via e-mail on Thursday, April 9, so that each group will have a chance to review the briefs. Please e-mail the reports using the e-mail discussion list, so that they are distributed to all participants of the negotiations prior to the simulation. At the beginning of the simulation, each group will have five minutes in which to present their goals to the group. You may use this five minutes to raise particular concerns and to propose potential areas for negotiation. The remainder of the class will be left for negotiations among the groups. We will cover some basic issues in the economics of climate change in class on Wednesday, April 8. Attendance at the simulation is important, as the simulation makes up 10% of your grade for the course. If you will be unable to attend, please let me know in advance. Unexcused absences will receive a zero for that portion of your grade. Background Information on Participants of the 2009 Climate Change Policy Simulation Note: much of this information comes from the Energy Information Administration’s country reports. You can access these at http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/country/index.cfm United States Energy use: The United States is both the world’s largest energy consumer and producer. Total energy consumption in 2006 was 100 quadrillion Btu, or 21% of the world’s total. Per capita energy consumption was 335 million Btu. The strong economic performance of the United States during the 1990s helped to increase energy usage. Of total energy consumption, 40% came from oil, 23% from natural gas, and 22% from coal. Although most electricity currently is generated in coal plants (52%, compared to 21% nuclear and 16% of natural gas), most new electric power plants use natural gas. However, production of electricity from natural gas fell slightly in recent years, due to higher natural gas prices. Carbon dioxide emissions: Total carbon dioxide emissions in 2005 were 5.9 billion metric tons. This is 20% of the global total. Even on a per capita basis, the U.S. figure of 19.8 metric tons per person is much higher than other developed countries. In the Kyoto Protocol, the United States pledged to reduce carbon emissions 7% from 1990 levels by 2008-2012. Since then, total emissions have increased, and President George W. Bush stated that the U.S. will not ratify the Kyoto Protocol. The election of President Obama increases the likelihood that the U.S. will pass emission restrictions, but any policy will still need the support of Congress to pass. During the previous rounds of negotiations, concerns of the U.S. included having an international trading scheme to reduce emissions, allowing credit for creating carbon sinks, and including developing countries in any final agreement. Recent domestic efforts have focused on reducing carbon intensity (emissions per dollar of GDP), rather than overall carbon emissions. France Energy use: In 2006, France consumed 11.4 quadrillion Btu of energy, 2.4% of the world’s total consumption. Nonetheless, per capita consumption was just 180.7 million Btu. Of this, 39% comes from nuclear power, 36% from petroleum, 16% from natural gas, 5% from hydroelectric power, and 4% from coal. Thanks to a strong commitment to nuclear power, France has reduced its dependence on energy exports. France is the largest per capita producer of nuclear energy. About 79% of France’s electricity is currently generated from nuclear power. Unlike other European countries, France plans to continue developing its nuclear power capacity. France developed its nuclear power capabilities in response to the energy crises of the 1970s. At that time, France’s electricity production was heavily dependent on fossil fuels. As recently as 1980, nuclear accounted for only 15% of electricity generation. In 1973, over 80% of France’s electricity came from fossil fuels. Because France has limited fossil fuel resources, most of these fossil fuels were imported. For example, about 96% of oil currently consumed in France is imported. Despite the reliance on nuclear power, air pollution problems are still a concern. Over 3 million cars enter Paris each day, leading to significant air pollution concerns. Carbon dioxide emissions: Thanks to its heavy use of nuclear power, carbon dioxide emissions in France are relatively low. Total carbon dioxide emissions are 418 million metric tons. This is just 1.4% of global carbon emissions. Per capita carbon emissions are just 6.6 metric tons, which is lower than most developed countries. For comparison, France does better than countries such as Germany (10.4), the United Kingdom (9.7), Japan (9.8), and Italy (8.1), but worse than Sweden (6.4) and Switzerland (6.1). Due to increased nuclear power, France’s carbon emissions have improved over time. Ironically, although France supports a strong climate change agreement, meeting the emissions targets will be difficult. As a result of their reliance on nuclear power, France’s carbon emissions are already lower than most nations. Further reductions will be challenging. Also, like most European countries, France objects to allowing emissions credits for protecting carbon sinks such as forests. Nonetheless, France ratified the Kyoto Protocol in May of 2002. Under the Protocol, European Union countries have pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 8% below its 1990 level. The responsibility for individual EU countries varies, and determines the number of carbon permits allocated to each country for the EU carbon trading system. Because of these earlier reductions, France simply needs to keep emissions at 1990 levels. The French government has already approved some plans, such as a carbon tax, to meet this obligation.