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Climate Policy

Climate Policy 6 (2006) 411–422

Research Article

Implications of announced phase II national allocation plans for the EU ETS

Karsten Neuhoff, Markus Åhman, Regina Betz, Johanna Cludius, Federico Ferrario, Kristina Holmgren, Gabriella Pal, Michael Grubb, Felix Matthes, Karoline Rogge, Misato Sato, Joachim Schleich, Jos Sijm, Andreas Tuerk, Claudia Kettner and Neil Walker


Abstract

We quantified the volume of free allowances that different national allocation plans proposed to allocate to existing and new installations, with specific reference to the power sector. Most countries continue to allocate based on historic emissions, contrary to hopes for improved allocation methods, with allocations to installations frequently based on 2005 emission data; this may strengthen the belief in the private sector that emissions in the coming years will influence their subsequent allowance allocation. Allocations to new installations provide high and frequently fuel-differentiated subsidies, risking significant distortions to investment choices. Thus, in addition to supplying a long market in aggregate, proposed allocation plans reveal continuing diverse problems, including perverse incentives. To ensure the effectiveness of the EU ETS in the future, the private sector will need to be shown credible evidence that free allowance allocation will be drastically reduced post-2012, or that these problems will be addressed in some other way.

Keywords: Emissions trading; National allocation plans; Comparison; European Member States

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Print ISSN 1469-3062
Online ISSN 1752-7457