2009 Research Portfolio (Draft – TBC by 05/01/09)
Project Highlights
a. Global engagement
International support for domestic policy implementation Phase 2. Following our Phase 1 pilot study, an exploratory study on new approaches to South-North collaboration examines ways in which the international community can best support domestic policy reforms in developing countries. This has already involved a number of case studies of countries and instruments. Support is sought for providing a fuller integrated analysis of the emerging findings, and for outreach work including funding for a journal Special Issue.
b. Cap, trade and Kyoto track negotiations. Principal themes and projects emerging for 2009 broadly correspond to principal negotiating tracks and political processes. The following are being planned for the ‘Kyoto / cap-and-trade’ track.
Price floors, caps, and exchange-rate mechanisms in emission trading mechanisms. Our project on Linkages is revealing the reality that many jurisdictions are considering price caps and/or floors. The issues of ‘price management’ are complex and we aim for a major project to look at the issues, risks and options. We may also consider lessons from exchange rate mechanisms for the management of international linkages.
Distribution and comparability of effort: lessons from effort-sharing in the EU 2020 package; what (if anything) these might imply internationally for the design of a second Kyoto commitment period; indices of effort-sharing; differing political perspectives
Russia and post-transition economies in the future regime. Building upon our established expertise this may divide into two projects: (i) Russia in the context of global energy security and the new politics of East-West relations; and (ii) Transition economies and the Kyoto surplus: what are the options – with particular emphasis upon Ukraine, and the politics of equal treatment vis-à-vis the EU’s New Member States.
Reforming the CDM. Two projects are already under way, one focusing upon incremental reform of project-based and programmatic CDM, and the other on more radical reforms towards sectoral and/or policy-based CDM.
Tackling leakage phase 2. Our present project on options for tackling leakage may well lead to a follow-on proposal to flesh out in more depth the most promising options, and a number of other projects are under active consideration including a project focused upon US re-engagement with a post-Kyoto structure, and new approaches to including land use in post-2012 industrialised country targets. In addition, in consultation with the Chair of the Kyoto negotiations and in collaboration with IIASA and 4CMR, we are also considering ambitious options for developing a platform of modeling support for quantified commitments under the Kyoto negotiation process.
A range of other project proposals are in development and discussion with potential sponsors. These topics will be confirmed by January 2009 and includes the following:
Sectoral Approaches We have developed a proposal for a major study on options for the global steel sector, focusing on India and Japan that will encompass Sectoral Approaches and their existence alongside Emissions trading. This will be project led in India. We also envisage other sector studies including electricity and cement.
Our study on ‘Options for the G8+’ identified key areas that we would seek to build upon, including a deeper look approaches to international bunker fuels and links with international finance, and the expansion of ideas on international networks of low carbon innovation centres. We will also consider whether and how Climate Strategies could develop new analysis of issues around adaptation, and land use (particularly REDD mechanisms).
