Impacts of a Carbon Dioxide Emissions Trading Scheme in German Road Transportation: Mesoeconomic Analysis

To attempt to counter the possible impacts of global warming, the European Union decided to ratify the Kyoto Protocol and promised to reduce its carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 8%, compared with 1990 levels, by 2010. One of the policies that has been implemented to achieve this is the European Emission Trading Scheme (ETS) for CO2 certificates. So far, the transportation sector, which contributes about 28% of European CO2 emissions, has been exempt from ETS, although a further increase in CO2 emissions from the transportation sector is expected in the coming years. Furthermore, this is the only sector in which emissions have increased (by about 32% since 1990). The inclusion of road transportation in ETS is feasible after 2012. A partial mesoeconomic model was used to assess the impacts of a CO2 emissions trading scheme in German road transportation. A hypothetical CO2 emissions trading scheme with an open alternative and a closed alternative was applied to the simulated German road transportation sector. The effects on certificate prices and fuel demand as a result of the individual reactions of households and freight forwarders were calculated. It became apparent that from the current perspective the willingness of households to pay for prestigious (but fuel-inefficient) cars is outweighed by technical mitigation costs in other sectors. Thus, in an open trading scheme without major changes in transportation demand, the main effect will be steady CO2 emissions in road transportation but large payments to other sectors for mitigation.

• Record URL:
  https://doi.org/10.3141/2139-18
• Summary URL:
  http://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=Impacts+of+a+Carbon+Dioxide+Emissions+Trading+Scheme+in+German+Road+Transportation%3a+Mesoeconomic+Analysis&author=P.+Jochem&publication_year=2009
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://www.trb.org/Main/Blurbs/Energy_and_Global_Climate_Change_2009_163018.aspx
• Authors:
  • Jochem, Patrick
• Publication Date: 2009

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References;
• Pagination: pp 153-160
• Monograph Title: Energy and Global Climate Change 2009
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board
  • Issue Number: 2139
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Carbon dioxide; Economic models; Emissions trading; Exhaust gases; Global warming; Highway transportation
• Identifier Terms: Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
• Uncontrolled Terms: Willingness to pay
• Geographic Terms: Germany
• Subject Areas: Environment; Highways; I15: Environment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01126820
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 9780309142694
• Report/Paper Numbers: 09-1433
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Apr 17 2009 9:56AM