Fourth Quarter 2008

Global carbon mechanisms.  A final study in the series is underway, evaluating progress on Green Investment Scheme mechanisms. The prescience of this final area of research was highlighted with the announcement on 30th September of the first contractual GIS deal, an exchange of Kyoto units to Belgium in return for committed and monitored investment in improving energy efficiency in Hungary.

The high-level insights from the various pillars of work are being brought together in a Carbon Trust synthesis report on the Global Carbon Mechanisms. The overall evaluation is intended to include a fast-track analysis of the impact of fossil fuel prices and the economic downturn on the likely demand for Kyoto credits and allowances. The aim is to publish in the first week of December with a launch at the Poznan conference.

Emissions trading. Our major project on International Linkages between emerging emissions trading schemes (Phase 1) will be available in draft on 31 December.  This will compile the latest analyses on proposed design of emission trading schemes in the US, Canada, Australia, Japan and New Zealand, with authors from each of these regions, and present a synthesis of implications for international linkages.

Public-private cooperation on innovation. Climate Strategies also secured a contract for the Beijing conference on Climate Change and Technology Transfer, 7-9th November. This collaboration, between a leading Indian researcher and the Carbon Trust, addresses public-private cooperation on innovation, and sets out a basic case for an international network of Low Carbon Technology Innovation and Diffusion Centres.  We seek support to develop this idea further and write up the proposal for a major global outlet.

International support for domestic policy implementation Phase 1   (Previously described as South North) Our Phase 1 pilot project is revealing several interesting options for approaches ‘beyond the CDM’ that would support the kind of structural transformations that will be required globally.  Specifically the frameworks for technology transfer and financial flows to the developing countries. By the end of 2008, the pilot project will deliver results and proposals for follow-on studies will be presented. This project requires funding for phase 1 and phase 2