Carbon Dioxide Reduction in an Optimization Model. A Case Study for Switzerland

At the Earth Summit in Rio, Switzerland was among those countries that declared to stabilize their carbon dioxide emissions. In order to achieve such a target, the Swiss energy system is analyzed and, based on this analysis, a dynamic optimization model is developed to evaluate technological C02 reduction measures like fuel or technology substitutions. Specialties of the model are the inclusion of a general economic part in addition to the energy part and a modeling of stocks of capital equipment in the neo-Austrian tradition. The scenario results suggest that, even without technological progress, a stabilization of carbon dioxide emissions is feasible.