The Sustainability Impact of the EU Emissions Trading System on the European Industry

bleischwitz, raimund and fuhrmann, katrin and huchler, elias (2007): The Sustainability Impact of the EU Emissions Trading System on the European Industry. Published in: Bruges European Economic Policy Paper No. briefing no. 17 (September 2007): pp. 1-33.

Abstract

This BEEP explains the mechanism of the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) for the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide and explore into its likely sustainability impact on European industry. In doing so, it focuses on energy-intensive indus-tries like cement, steel and aluminium production as well as on the emerging hy-drogen economy. The BEEP concludes that at the moment it is still very inconsis-tently implemented and has a fairly narrow scope regarding greenhouse gases and involved sectors. It may also give an incentive to relocate for energy-intensive industries. In its current format, the EU ETS does not yet properly facilitate long term innovation dynamics such as the transition to a hydrogen economy. Nevertheless, the EU ETS is foremost a working system that – with some improvements – has the potential to become a pillar for effective and efficient climate change policy that also gives incentives for investment into climate friendly policies.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: emissions trading, EU, sustainability
• Subjects: K - Law and Economics > K3 - Other Substantive Areas of Law > K32 - Environmental, Health, and Safety Law; F - International Economics > F1 - Trade > F15 - Economic Integration; L - Industrial Organization > L5 - Regulation and Industrial Policy > L51 - Economics of Regulation; Q - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics ; Environmental and Ecological Economics > Q5 - Environmental Economics > Q58 - Government Policy

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