Linking certificate trading schemes for greenhouse gas emissions, renewable energy and energy efficiency

Diploma Thesis from the year 2008 in the subject Environmental Sciences, grade: 1, University of Applied Sciences Burgenland (Nachhaltige Energiesysteme), language: English, abstract: Climate Change is real, and the impacts on ecology, economy and human lifestyle are expected to be tremendous. In order to effectively but also cost efficiently combat climate change, market based instruments are being used in environmental policy. Certificate schemes have been and are being created for trading of greenhouse gas reductions (Grey Certificates), renewable energy (Green Certificates) and energy efficiency (White Certificates). So far, Europe is the frontrunner in implementing especially Greenhouse Gas emission trading schemes. However, as climate change is a global problem, similar markets should be established all over the world and ideally be linked in order to achieve economic optimal solutions. This thesis describes characteristics of the different instruments and trading schemes (Grey, Green and White Certificates) and identifies major design parameters of the systems with the focus on compatibility and potential for establishing links between schemes of the same type or among the certificate types. Implications of establishing links, which can be planned and wanted but also conflicting with other goals, are discussed. As greenhouse gas emissions trading schemes are the most developed and experienced trading schemes in climate change policy, the focus of this work lies on the analysis of the different Greenhouse Gas emission trading schemes (ETS). For the compatibility analysis of ETS, the EU ETS is chosen as reference system. An outlook for near-term linking options and a summary conclude the analysis based on the findings of the work. As more and more environmental policies and instruments emerge around the world due to rising awareness for the problem of climate change, this thesis gives an overview but can not cover all different certificate systems in place and planned.