Energy and Climate Change

Webpages covering specific topics:

• Energy (Renewable Energy)
• Climate Change (Emissions Trading, Future Regime, Sectoral Approaches)
• Sustainable Development 
   

"Getting Serious about 2030 Targets" - ECP side event at Copenhagen, 12 December 2009, 15:30-17:30, EU Pavillon

Announcement of preliminary publication

Taxing carbon at the border?

The European Union has been a pioneer in combating global climate change through its emissions trading system (ETS), which puts a price on greenhouse gas emissions by assigning emissions allowances that can be traded within the EU.  But most other large countries do not price carbon, thereby placing EU industry at a disadvantage. A new study carried out by a team of CEPS experts in trade and climate change, led by Daniel Gros and Christian Egenhofer, explores the question whether it would make sense for the EU to impose a ‘carbon border tax’? Download a preliminary version of the study here.

"Addressing security of supply: Is the EU heading in the right direction?", Speech by Christian Egenhofer at the Irish Institute for European Affairs, Dublin, 4 December 2009

Special Climate Change Seminars Series

The domains of energy, the environment and sustainable development are strategic for Europe. They are interconnected, interdependent and under continuous public observation as they are principal to the Union's prosperity. At the same time, globalisation is changing the reference framework for both policy and business. Competition for the attraction of investment is a major determinant for policy choices.

Energy market liberalisation and the move towards a European integrated energy market change the framework for regulatory and competition policy, leading to a gradual emergence of an EU energy policy. The global effort to reduce human-induced climate change and the EU leadership accelerates the trend towards "Europeanisation" of the energy, environment and climate change domain.

These developments occur at a time of additional pressure to minimise non-CO2 environmental impacts of energy and material use, transport and other services in the EU and parallel to the Union's venture towards sustainable development via the allocation of increasing funds towards R&D.

CEPS brings together these concerns and produces first-class independent policy research.
 

The CEPS programme is based on the proven format of combining in-depth research with stakeholder discussions and review. The programme is developed in consultation with the EU institutions (European Commission, European Parliament), member states, other research institutes, CEPS members, notably business and industry and relevant stakeholders such as NGOs and trade unions.
Principal activities include:

• CEPS Publications: (CEPS bookshop)
• CEPS multi-stakeholder groups (Task Forces website)
• In-depth research projects (e.g. on the future of the international climate regime supported by the government of Japan (ESRI project) or security of supply supported by the European Commission (INDES project)
• Formalised network activities (European Climate Platform; RINGOs network)
   
• Conferences

   

CEPS Associate Fellows:
Thomas Brewer, Associate Professor, McDonough School of Business, Georgetown University, Washington D.C.;
Carlo Carraro, Professor of Economics, University of Venice and Research Director, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM), Italy;
Frank Convery, Professor for Economics and Head of Environment Department, University College Dublin; Ireland;
Louise van Schaik, Fellow, The Netherlands Institute for International Relations Clingendael.