This chapter identifies the main price drivers of European Union Allowances (EUAs), valid for compliance under the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) created in 2005 to regulate CO2 emissions of more than 10,000 high carbon-intensive installations across Member States. Based on key...

This article describes the theoretical basis and real-life application of the two main types of instruments – regulatory and economic – used in environmental protection policy, and in particular, in climate change policy. It outlines the context and issues at stake in the choice of...

This article provides a critical appraisal of the concept of sustainable development in light of climate change. As the latest climate change science indicates strong effects of anthropogenic activity on global warming, we review the pros and the cons of prioritizing development over...

The objective set by the IPPC of limiting the increase in average global temperature to +2°C compared to the pre-industrial era is now accepted by all concerned. This ambitious objective was recognised at the Copenhagen Conference in 2009 and confirmed at Cancun in 2010. There are still no...

Le régime de l’assurance des catastrophes naturelles en France est actuellement en équilibre. Cependant, un évènement majeur peut le déséquilibrer et l’Etat peut être appelé en garantie. Des événements climatiques récents ont conduit à l’élaboration d’une réforme,...

The Kyoto Protocol was the first implementation of a concerted international action tackling the risks raised by climate change. In the long run, it could become the driving force of a drastic shift in the way our societies operate. The enforcement of quotas on greenhouse gas emissions and the...

In a world where climate change has become a proven reality, it is clear that global energy consumption is currently on an unsustainable path. Humankind's insatiable appetite for energy has sparked a new crisis, and there is a deep uncertainty about what the long term physical, economic and...

This paper analyses the potential of biomass-based electricity in the EU-27 countries, and interactions with climate policy and the EU ETS. We estimate the potential biomass demand from the existing power plants, and we match our estimates with the potential biomass supply in Europe....