Date of Award

6-1-2014

Document Type

Masters Thesis

Degree Name

M.A.

Organizational Unit

College of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences

First Advisor

Chiara Piovani, Ph.D.

Second Advisor

Markus Schneider

Third Advisor

Yavuz Yasar

Fourth Advisor

Dale Rothman

Keywords

Global climate change, Climate policies, Energy efficiency policies

Abstract

Global climate change is a worldwide challenge requiring a coordinated, international policy response. However, political pressures and disagreements between developed and developing countries have obstructed past climate negotiations and have stalled the adoption of binding greenhouse gas emission reduction targets. Despite slowmoving international climate negotiations and comprehensive climate policies, many countries have turned to energy efficiency as a politically feasible tool to lower energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. Economists debate the effectiveness of energy efficiency policies due differing perspectives regarding the relationship between energy use and economic growth. Because of this fundamental disagreement, economists often come to different conclusions as to whether energy efficiency routinely leads to either a reduction in energy use or leads to an economy-wide increase in energy use. Even when accounting for the rebound effect, many studies indicate that energy efficiency remains a highly cost-effective energy resource in the near future. Energy efficiency policies also offer an immediate and politically feasible policy tool to encourage the adoption of more comprehensive climate policies.

Publication Statement

Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.

Rights Holder

Amy G. Laughlin

Provenance

Received from ProQuest

File Format

application/pdf

Language

en

File Size

103 p.

Discipline

Economics, Environmental economics

Download



Included in

Economics Commons

Share

COinS