Trade
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Legality of Measures Addressing Carbon Leakage
Differences in national climate protection policies can lead – at least in principle – to "carbon leakage", i.e. the relocation of industries to countries with less stringent climate change legislation and a subsequent increase in greenhouse gas emissions in those countries. In a legal study for the German Federal Environmental Agency (UBA), the Ecologic Institute and WTI Advisors analyse whether measures to address carbon-leakage are compatible with EU and WTO law. The study is available for download.
Keeping Illegal Fish and Timber off the Market
Trade and Environment
Environmental technologies are key for an environmentally friendly and sustainable world economy. International trade and private investment will play a critical role in promoting the widespread use of environmental technologies. Within this context, Ecologic Institute analyzed the relationship between environmental protection, trade and development. This study is available for download.Read more
Assessment of Proposals on Climate Tech Transfer
Technology transfer is one of the central issues in the international climate negotiations, reflecting a general consensus that effectively mitigating climate change and adapting to it will require the wide-spread use of climate-friendly technologies. Despite this consensus, many of the details – such as funding, institutional mechanisms and the role of intellectual property – remain controversial. Through this project, the Ecologic Institute examined national and international proposals made in the context of recent UNFCCC technology negotiations. Prospective rules and mechanisms incorporated in existing drafts were also analyzed. The final study is available for download.
Trade and Climate Change
Trade and Climate Change
In the framework of this project, Ecologic wrote a policy paper shedding light at the most important aspects of the relationship between trade and climate change policies. The policy paper investigates which trade-related policies should be adopted to combat climate change and reviews the compatibility of those measures with the law of the World Trade Organization (WTO). Particular attention is given to issues that are of relevance to developing countries.
Climate Change: Are Border Adjustment Measures only the Third-Best Option (Out of Three)?
Border Adjustment Measures (BAM) have been discussed as a tool to equalize costs that industries with stringent greenhouse gas requirements have to bear, as some international competitors do not face these costs and allegedly enjoy a free ride. At a workshop of the German Federal Environment Agency (UBA), Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf and Michael Mehling discussed whether BAM are an adequate tool to address competitiveness concerns arising from the EU's ambitious climate change policies.
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