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Assessing the performance of the UK Emissions Trading Scheme

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Abstract

The UK’s Climate Change Programme introduced an Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) for greenhouse gases. Firms in over 40 industrial sectors which have negotiated “Climate Change Agreements” setting quantitative energy efficiency targets can use the ETS to trade over-and under-compliance with these targets. In parallel, a limited number of firms have become major participants in the ETS as a result of an auction of subsidies for additional abatement commitments. The paper describes the UK arrangements and assesses the economic efficiency and environmental effectiveness of the ETS, drawing on evidence of participants’ behaviour both in the incentive auction, and in subsequent trading.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Economics, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK

    Stephen Smith

  2. Department of Economics, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK

    Joseph Swierzbinski

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  1. Stephen Smith
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  2. Joseph Swierzbinski
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Correspondence to Stephen Smith.

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Smith, S., Swierzbinski, J. Assessing the performance of the UK Emissions Trading Scheme. Environ Resource Econ 37, 131–158 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10640-007-9108-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10640-007-9108-5

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