Standard economic theory provides clear guidance on the design of cost-efficient policy in the presence of imperfect markets and externalities. However, observed policies reveal extensive discrepancies between principles and practise. Based on interviews with core politicians from the Norwegian...

The prospects for an international agreement within the United Nations Framework on Climate Change (UNFCCC) resulting in a common carbon price ‐ such as a global cap and trade scheme ‐ can for now only be seen as a long term goal. In the meantime, we have to work in a world of unilateral...