EU Carbon Diplomacy: Assessing Hydrogen Security and Policy Impact in Australia and Germany

Hydrogen is fast becoming a new international “super fuel” to accelerate global climate change ambitions. This paper has two inter-weaving themes. Contextually, it focuses on the potential impact of the EU’s new Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) on fossil fuel-generated as opposed to green hydrogen imports. The CBAM, as a transnational carbon adjustment mechanism, has the potential to impact international trade in energy. It seeks both a level playing field between imports and EU internal markets (subject to ambitious EU climate change policies), and to encourage emissions reduction laggards through its “carbon diplomacy”. Countries without a price on carbon will be charged for embodied carbon in their supply chains when they export to the EU. Empirically, we focus on two hydrogen export/import case studies: Australia as a non-EU state with ambitions to export hydrogen, and Germany as an EU Member State reliant on energy imports. Energy security is central to energy trade debates but needs to be conceptualized beyond supply and demand economics to include geopolitics, just transitions and the impacts of border carbon taxes and EU carbon diplomacy. Accordingly, we apply and further develop a seven-dimension energy security-justice framework to the examples of brown, blue and green hydrogen export/import hydrogen operations, with varying carbon-intensity supply chains, in Australia and Germany. Applying the framework, we identify potential impact—risks and opportunities—associated with identified brown, blue and green hydrogen export/import projects in the two countries. This research contributes to the emerging fields of international hydrogen trade, supply chains, and international carbon diplomacy and develops a potentially useful seven-dimension energy security-justice framework for energy researchers and policy analysts.

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Using the Market to Address Climate Change: Insights from Theory & Experience

Daedalus ◽

10.1162/daed_a_00145 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 141 (2) ◽

pp. 45-60 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Joseph E. Aldy ◽

Robert N. Stavins

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Climate Policy ◽

Carbon Dioxide Emissions ◽

Global Climate ◽

Shadow Price ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Clean Energy ◽

Carbon Intensity ◽

Structural Factors ◽

Carbon Taxes

Emissions of greenhouse gases linked with global climate change are affected by diverse aspects of economic activity, including individual consumption, business investment, and government spending. An effective climate policy will have to modify the decision calculus for these activities in the direction of more efficient generation and use of energy, lower carbon-intensity of energy, and a more carbon-lean economy. The only technically feasible and cost-effective approach to achieving this goal on a meaningful scale is carbon pricing: that is, market-based climate policies that place a shadow-price on carbon dioxide emissions. We examine alternative designs of three such instruments: carbon taxes, cap and trade, and clean energy standards. We note that the U.S. political response to possible market-based approaches to climate policy has been, and will continue to be, largely a function of issues and structural factors that transcend the scope of environmental and climate policy.

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Comments: Carbon Tariffs - Fair Incentives for Change?

Journal of Petroleum Technology ◽

10.2118/0521-0008-jpt ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 73 (05) ◽

pp. 8-8

Author(s):

Pam Boschee

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Climate Policy ◽

Global Climate ◽

Carbon Price ◽

Carbon Leakage ◽

Carbon Taxes ◽

Trading Systems ◽

Climate Policies ◽

The Eu ◽

Carbon Tariff

Carbon credits, carbon taxes, and emissions trading systems are familiar terms in discussions about limiting global warming, the Paris Agreement, and net-zero emissions goals. A more recent addition to the glossary of climate policy is “carbon tariff.” While the concept is not new, it recently surfaced in nascent policymaking in the EU. In 2019, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed a “carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM)” as part of a proposed green deal. In March, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on a World Trade Organization (WTO)-compatible CBAM. A carbon tariff, or the EU’s CBAM, is a tax applied to carbon-intensive imports. Countries that have pledged to be more ambitious in reducing emissions—and in some cases have implemented binding targets—may impose carbon costs on their own businesses. Being eyed now are cross-border or overseas businesses that make products in countries in which no costs are imposed for emissions, resulting in cheaper carbon-intensive goods. Those products are exported to the countries aiming for reduced emissions. The concern lies in the risk of locally made goods becoming unfairly disadvantaged against competitors that are not taking similar steps to deal with climate change. A carbon tariff is being considered to level the playing field: local businesses in countries applying a tariff can better compete as climate policies evolve and are adopted around the world. Complying with WTO rules to ensure fair treatment, the CBAM will be imposed only on high-emitting industries that compete directly with local industries paying a carbon price. In the short term, these are likely to be steel, chemicals, fertilizers, and cement. The Parliament’s statement introduced another term to the glossary of climate policy: carbon leakage. “To raise global climate ambition and prevent ‘carbon leakage,’ the EU must place a carbon price on imports from less climate-ambitious countries.” It refers to the situation that may occur if businesses were to transfer production to other countries with laxer emission constraints to avoid costs related to climate policies. This could lead to an increase in total emissions in the higher-emitting countries. “The resolution underlines that the EU’s increased ambition on climate change must not lead to carbon leakage as global climate efforts will not benefit if EU production is just moved to non-EU countries that have less ambitious emissions rules,” the Parliament said. It also emphasized the tariff “must not be misused to further protectionism.” A member of the environment committee, Yannick Jadot, said, “It is a major political and democratic test for the EU, which must stop being naïve and impose the same carbon price on products, whether they are produced in or outside the EU, to ensure the most polluting sectors also take part in fighting climate change and innovate towards zero carbon. This will give us the best chance of remaining below the 1.5°C warming limit, whilst also pushing our trading partners to be equally ambitious in order to enter the EU market.” The Commission is expected to present a legislative proposal on a CBAM in the second quarter of 2021 as part of the European Green Deal.

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Mutation breeding of sorghum to support climate-smart agriculture.

10.1079/9781789249095.0012 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 120-126

Author(s):

Soeranto Human ◽

Sihono ◽

Wijaya Murti Indriatama

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Energy Security ◽

Global Climate ◽

Mutation Breeding ◽

High Productivity ◽

Adverse Conditions ◽

Prolonged Drought ◽

Smart Agriculture ◽

Sorghum Genotypes

Abstract Global climate change effects in agricultural fields often increase plant stress. For mitigating the negative effects of climate change, climate-smart agricultural policies should be developed, for example through the improvement of crop adaptability, productivity and quality in environments impacted by climate change. Attempts to increase crop genetic variability must be sought to aid in mitigating adverse consequences of climate change. For that purpose, mutation breeding plays an important role since it can increase genetic variation of important crops. By selecting desired mutant genotypes, the plant breeder can advance their germplasm by progressing lines with good adaptability, high productivity and quality under adverse conditions. For Indonesia, significant adverse impacts of climate change have appeared in some agricultural regions, such as prolonged drought problems in the east. To face the worsening conditions brought about by climate change and variability, a crop was sought that would require less agricultural input, being drought tolerant, having good adaptability and with high economic value. The choice fell on sorghum (Sorghum bicolor). In certain areas sorghum is recognized as a source of food, feed and fuel. Mutation breeding of sorghum has been conducted at the Centre for Isotopes and Radiation Application (CIRA) of the National Nuclear Energy Agency of Indonesia (BATAN). Sorghum mutation breeding is relevant to the national programme on food and energy diversification to support food and energy security in the country. The breeding objectives are to improve sorghum genotypes for improved yield and quality, and with tolerance to adverse conditions brought about by climate change, especially prolonged drought. Three sorghum mutant varieties have now been obtained and are being developed further by stakeholders. Sorghum cultivation in Indonesia has made significant impacts on mitigating the effects of climate change and supporting the food and energy diversification programme for maintaining food and energy security in the country. It has also promoted economic growth in rural areas impacted by climate change.

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A strategic approach to reduce climate change risks for the LNG industry

The APPEA Journal ◽

10.1071/aj09058 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 50 (2) ◽

pp. 694

Author(s):

Michele Villa

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Oil And Gas ◽

Global Climate ◽

Supply And Demand ◽

Climate Change Policy ◽

Scenario Planning ◽

Fixed Rate ◽

Change Policy ◽

The Government ◽

Compliance Strategy

The Senate rejection of the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme Bill 2009 (CPRS) for the second time in December 2009 caused key sections of Australia’s big business to express concern. The stalled legislation and the challenges associated with the Copenhagen Accord to deliver a clear post-2012 global climate change agreement have only fuelled uncertainty surrounding the future of climate change policy. This uncertainty will come at a cost for the Australian LNG industry where a raft of new projects are fast approaching final investment decisions and the real impact of a carbon impost is difficult to quantify. Despite this uncertainty, subsequent negotiations between the Government and the Opposition regarding the LNG industry, led to an amended version of the CPRS Bill. One of the amendments accepted by the Government was related to the allocation rate and states that LNG is expected to be a moderately emissions intensive trade exposed (EITE) activity and therefore eligible to receive free permits at a fixed rate per tonne of LNG produced. Should this version of the CPRS become legislation in 2010, LNG producers will at least be able to calculate their liability under the scheme and confirm their compliance strategy. Given the significant value at stake with existing and new investments, oil and gas businesses should act with urgency to develop strategies to respond to a carbon constrained future, irrespective of the final legislative design. Scenario planning is an important step in considering the range of regulatory outcomes—both domestic and international—that will impact on the supply and demand of carbon assets.

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Energy security and global climate change mitigation

Energy Policy ◽

10.1016/s0301-4215(03)00105-8 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 32 (6) ◽

pp. 715-718 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Hillard G Huntington ◽

Stephen P.A Brown

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Global Climate Change ◽

Energy Security ◽

Climate Change Mitigation ◽

Global Climate ◽

Change Mitigation

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ATFL1 (Anti-TFL1), a novel orthologue induces flowering in the masting alpine snow tussock, Chionochloa pallens (Poaceae)

10.22541/au.162462717.73253693/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Samarth * ◽

Robyn Lee ◽

Dave Kelly ◽

Matthew Turnbull ◽

Richard Macknight ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Global Climate ◽

Perennial Grass ◽

Nitrogen Levels ◽

Terminal Flower ◽

Terminal Flower 1 ◽

Summer Temperatures ◽

Potential Impact

Masting, the synchronous highly variable flowering across years by a population of perennial plants, has been shown to be precipitated by many factors including nitrogen levels, drought conditions, spring and summer temperatures. However, the molecular mechanism leading to the initiation of flowering in masting plants in particular years remains largely unknown, despite the potential impact of climate change on masting phenology. We studied genes controlling flowering in Chionochloa pallens, a strongly masting perennial grass. We used a range of in situ and manipulated plants to obtain leaf samples from tillers (shoots) which subsequently remained vegetative or flowered. Here, we show that a novel orthologue of TERMINAL FLOWER 1 (TFL1; normally a repressor of flowering in other species) promotes the induction of flowering in C. pallens (hence Anti-TFL1), a conclusion supported by structural, functional and expression analyses. Global transcriptomic analysis indicated differential expression of CpTPS1, CpGA20ox1, CpREF6 and CpHDA6, emphasising the role of endogenous cues and epigenetic regulation in terms of responsiveness of plants to initiate flowering. Our molecular-based study has provided insights into the cellular mechanism of flowering in masting plants and will supplement ecological and statistical models to predict how masting will respond to global climate change.

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BRICS Countries in International Climate Policy

Vestnik RUDN International Relations ◽

10.22363/2313-0660-2021-21-1-64-78 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

pp. 64-78

Author(s):

Yuri Yurievich Kovalev ◽

Olga Sergeevna Porshneva

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Climate Policy ◽

Oil And Gas ◽

Global Climate ◽

Ecological Modernization ◽

Carbon Intensity ◽

Brics Countries ◽

Climate Policies ◽

International Climate Policy ◽

International Climate

The article presents an analysis of the BRICS countries climate policies at the global and national levels. The authors consider the positions of these states within the framework of both international climate conferences (Conference of the Parties) held under the auspices of the UN since 1992, and the summits of BRICS member states in the years 2011-2020. The paper covers strategies and results of national climate policies implemented in these countries. Using structural, comparative, and content analysis methods, the authors emphasize that BRICS countries play a key role in stabilizing the climate of our planet today. It is impossible to achieve the main aim of the Paris Agreement without a comprehensive transformation of environmental practices in these societies. BRICS adheres to the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities in its position towards international climate policy; the BRICS countries stand for sustainable economic growth through the introduction of new environmental technologies, and against restrictive measures that impede their economic development. At the same time, the Russian economys dependence on the extraction and export of fuel resources complicates environmental transformation. Russia is dominated by a negative narrative of climate change, where the urgent ecological modernization of the economy is seen as a threat to key sectors (oil and gas) of the economy. The implementation of international agreements to reduce the carbon intensity of the Russian economy, the creation of conditions for the transition to climate-neutral technologies, would contribute not only to the fight against global climate change, but would become a powerful incentive for the modernization of the economy, accelerating innovation and increasing its competitiveness.

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