scholarly journals The Implementation of Climate Change Policy in Post-Soviet Countries Achieving Long-Term Targets

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 4558
Author(s):  
Yuliia Matiiuk ◽  
Mykolas Simas Poškus ◽  
Genovaitė Liobikienė

Contribution to climate change mitigation is required for all world countries. Post-Soviet countries’ climate change policy strategies by 2030 (2035) were adopted relatively recently. Thus, the aim of this study is to analyze the achievements of climate change policy, encompassing carbon emissions, energy intensity, and renewable energy consumption, in separate Post-Soviet countries and to reveal the possibilities of reaching their long-term 2030–2035 targets. The results showed huge differences in carbon emissions, energy intensity, and the share of renewable energy consumption among Post-Soviet countries. Analyzing the trends of climate change policy implementation in almost all Post-Soviet countries (except Ukraine and Uzbekistan), carbon pollution increased during the analyzed period (2002–2014). The highest growth of emissions was observed in Georgia and Tajikistan. Furthermore, the economic development level was positively and significantly related to the level of carbon emissions. During the 2002–2014 period, energy intensity decreased in all Post-Soviet countries, particularly in those where the level was lower. The share of renewable energy consumption increased the most in countries that are members of the EU (Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia) and Moldova, which declared its willingness to join the EU. However, the energy intensity and the share of renewable energy consumption were insignificantly related to the level of economic development. Analyzing the possibility of achieving the Post-Soviet countries’ climate change policy targets, the results showed that only some of them will succeed. Therefore, Post-Soviet countries should implement more efficient climate change policies and effective tools in order to achieve their targets.

Resources ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Genovaitė Liobikienė ◽  
Mindaugas Butkus ◽  
Kristina Matuzevičiūtė

Energy taxes are one of the main market-based tools directed toward mitigating climate change in the European Union (EU). Therefore, the aim of this article was to analyze whether energy taxes really contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the successful implementation of climate change policy. Applying the Granger causality test on time series and using panel data analysis, the direct and indirect (via the reduction of fossil energy consumption (FEC) and energy intensity (EI), as well as the increase of renewable energy consumption (REN)) impacts of energy taxes on GHG emissions in EU countries were analyzed in the present study. The results showed that energy taxes did not Granger-cause fossil energy consumption, energy intensity, renewable energy consumption, and GHG emissions in almost all EU countries. Regarding the panel data analysis, the results showed that energy taxes did not, directly and indirectly, influence GHG emissions. Therefore, this paper shows that generally, energy tax policy in EU countries is ineffective. Thus, tax policy should be reformed and matched with an emissions trading system in seeking climate change mitigation.


2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 427-443 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fırat Emir ◽  
Festus Victor Bekun

This study empirically examines the relationship between energy intensity, carbon emissions, renewable energy consumption, and economic growth for the case of Romania given the conflicting evidences in the literature between 1990 and 2014 on a quarterly basis. To this end, our study employs an autoregressive distributive lag (ARDL) model for cointegration, while direction of causality was achieved via the Toda–Yamamoto model. Empirical findings reveal cointegration among the variables under consideration. The causality results show feedback causality between energy intensity and economic growth while uni-directional causality is seen running from renewable energy consumption to economic growth. Thus, this study affirms the energy-led growth hypothesis. Therefore, our study corroborates with the current success story of Romania attaining her energy targets within two decades. However, there is need to sustain this milestone by further diversification of her energy portfolio into other cleaner energy sources.


Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (14) ◽  
pp. 4199
Author(s):  
Jinjin Zhou ◽  
Zenglin Ma ◽  
Taoyuan Wei ◽  
Chang Li

Based on threshold regression models, this paper analyzes the effect of economic growth on energy intensity by using panel data from 21 developed countries from 1996 to 2015. Results show that a 1% increase in GDP per capita can lead to a 0.62–0.78% reduction in energy intensity, implying economic growth can significantly reduce energy intensity. The extent of the reduction in energy intensity varies depending on the economic development stages represented by key influencing factors including energy mix in consumption, urbanization, industrial structure, and technological progress. Specifically, the reduction in energy intensity due to economic growth can be enhanced with relatively more renewable energy consumption and more urban population until a threshold point, where the enhancement disappears. On the other hand, the extent of the energy intensity reduction due to economic growth can be weakened with relatively more tertiary industry activities and more research and development (R&D) investment in an economy until a threshold point, where the weakening cannot continue. However, compared to the early stages represented by the low ends of renewable energy consumption, urban population, tertiary industry activities, and R&D investment, the later stages represented by the high ends of these key factors after a threshold show the weakened effect of economic growth on the decline of energy intensity. Hence, when an economy is well-developed, policy makers are advised to put fewer expectations on the role of economic growth to reduce energy intensity, while pursuing relatively cleaner energy, greater urbanization, more tertiary industry activities, and advanced technologies.


2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 285
Author(s):  
Omer Ugur ◽  
Kadir Caner Dogan ◽  
Metin Aksoy

The European Union has grown up in terms of influence and size in international politics. The size of its economy and the ever-increasing membership, have seen its ambitions grow meaning that the EU now has an international presence it did not have at its formation. It is easy to say that with the EU being an ambitious actor in international politics, the rise into prominence of climate change naturally came in handy for the EU as it provided an opportunity for the EU to assert itself and prove both its capacity and presence. The 1992 Rio Earth Summit and the withdrawal of the USA from the obligations of the Kyoto came as a blessing in disguise for the Union as it seized the moment to assert itself. Thus, in trying to understand what role the EU has or is playing in international climate change politics, there is need to assess its leadership claims and what it has done to prove these claims. To get there, the paper will navigate through a part of the discipline of International Relations (IR) to understand how it provides for a basis to explain or understand the EU’s limitations and strengths on actorness.


2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 43-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Jordan ◽  
Harro van Asselt ◽  
Frans Berkhout ◽  
Dave Huitema ◽  
Tim Rayner

The European Union (EU) has sought to lead the world in the adoption of ambitious climate change mitigation targets and policies. In an attempt to characterize and broadly explain the resulting pattern of EU climate governance, scholars have employed the term “multi-level reinforcement.” This term does help to account for the paradoxical situation whereby the EU seeks to lead by example but is itself a relatively leaderless system of governance. Drawing on a much fuller empirical account of the evolution of EU climate governance, this article finds that the term captures some but not all aspects of the EU's approach. It identifies four other paradoxical features of the EU's approach and assesses the extent to which they exhibit “multi-level reinforcement.” It concludes by looking forward and examining the extent to which all five features are expected to enable and/or constrain the EU's ability to maintain a leading position in climate governance.


2020 ◽  
Vol 32 ◽  
pp. 100535 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hemachandra Padhan ◽  
Purna Chandra Padhang ◽  
Aviral Kumar Tiwari ◽  
Rizwan Ahmed ◽  
Shawkat Hammoudeh

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