Introduction: Economic Aspects of and Policy Options for Climate Protection

Abstract

At the time of the workshop, upon which this volume is reporting, it was not clear how the international political process on global climate change would develop. Would there be an agreed target for greenhouse gas emission reductions for the so-called Annex I countries as a result of the international negotiating process or would there just be more political rhetoric? Would economic measures like emission trading schemes get a chance or would international climate policy resort to fixed national reduction targets and command-and-control policies making it impossible to achieve international targets through an efficient environmental policy based on market-oriented instruments?