GARP Ch 4 Question and answers 100% correct Challenges / disagreements in international climate policy - correct answer Optimal amount of emissions reduction (3.5' in 1990s to 1.5-2' in avoid tipping points), disagreement on moral responsibility (accumulated historic emissions, current share, or...
GARP Ch 4 - Climate and Sustainability
Policies
Challenges / disagreements in international climate policy - correct answer
✔Optimal amount of emissions reduction (3.5' in 1990s to 1.5-2' in avoid
tipping points), disagreement on moral responsibility (accumulated historic
emissions, current share, or future emissions), difficulties of collective action
(tragedy of the commons)
Emissions by country (absolute vs. historic) - correct answer ✔Highest
current annual emissions: China, USA, then India. Asia = 53%, N. America
18%, Europe 17%. Highest culumative emissions: U.S. 1/4, EU (including UK)
1/5, China 1/8, Russia, Japan. N. America and Asia = 29% each, Europe (incl
Russia) = 33%. Future emissions: Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Brazil ppressured
to adopt green models of development.
History & outcomes of Kyoto Protocol - correct answer ✔First global compact
on emissions reductions; legally binding treaty, required high-income "Annex
1" countries to reduce emissions by 5% from 1990 levels by 2008-2012.
Included emissions-trading between Annex 1 countries; "joint implementation"
- Annex 1 countries could undertake tech project / transfer in another Annex 1
country; "clean development mechanism" (CDM), Annex 1 countries could get
credit for emissions reduction project in non-Annex 1 country. Ultimately failed
because lacked implementation, Annex 1 countries didn't like "common but
differentiated responsbilities", US never ratified.
Copenhagen COP - correct answer ✔COP15 in 2009. Lots of pressure bc
Kyoto expired 2012. Failed to come to concensus, but established foundation
for Paris Agreement: i.e. 2'C global warming goal, idea of domestic mitigation
strategies from every country (NDCs)
Outcomes of Paris Agreement - correct answer ✔COP21 in Paris (2015).
Commonly agreed aspiration to keep global temperature rise "well below 2°C
, above pre-industrial levels" and to "pursuing efforts" to limit the rise to 1.5°C.
Invited all countries to submit (non-binding) plans aka NDCs with "ratcheting"
mechanism to increase ambition; relied on peer pressure; nations appointed 2
"high-level champions" each; and recognized subnational actors (cities,
businesses).
Structure, pros and cons of carbon pricing policies (taxes vs. ETS) - correct
answer ✔Carbon tax (price per ton of CO2 emitted): raises revenue, but can
be unpredictable / easily tweaked and thus hard to make investment decisions
over multiple years. Cap-and-trade scheme (cap on total emissions with
tradable permits): more flexible, can create cash flows and better for longer-
term investment decisions, but vulnerable to exogenous shock like a financial
crisis, leading to oversupply of permits.
Sector-specific climate policy examples (i.e. transportation, power generation)
- correct answer ✔Renewable Portfolio standards; Feed-in tariffs
(guaranteed price per unit of electricity generated for sellers over a fixed
period - usually 15-25 years), priority dispatch (prioritize RE transmission), net
metering (billing tool to credit stored RE energy), fuel efficiency and CO2
emissions standards for automobiles.
National and subnational climate policy and actions - correct answer ✔RGGI,
Tokyo cap-and-trade system. Networks/advocacy groups: C40 - coalition of
cities; America's Pledge / America Is All In: public and private subnational
actors. These non-state commitments can be more ambitious and impactful
on top of national pledges.
Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions - correct answer ✔Scope 1: direct emissions
from owned or controlled sources. Scope 2: indirect emissions from the
generation of purchased energy. Scope 3: all indirect emissions (not included
in Scope 2) that occur in the value chain of the reporting company, including
both upstream and downstream emissions.
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