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Uncertainties in Responding to Climate Change: On the Economic Value of Technology Policies for Reducing Costs and Creating Options

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  • Demetrios Papathanasiou
  • Dennis Anderson

Abstract

The paper presents a simplified model of the form often used to project long-term emissions of carbon dioxide from energy production and use. It then considers three uncertainties in parameters of the model concerning (a) the rate of improvement in energy efficiency, (b) the costs of environmental damage, and (c) the rate of technical progress in the development and use of technologies for abating C02 emissions. Monte Carlo analysis is used to estimate the frequency distributions of costs and benefits under different policy assumptions. The results suggest that the possibilities of an economic surprise cannot be ruled out and that 'technology policies' to support the development of non-carbon technologies directly are robust under uncertainty. Such policies can also be defended by reference to their option value, to their environmental benefits, and to the positive externalities of innovation.

Suggested Citation

  • Demetrios Papathanasiou & Dennis Anderson, 2001. "Uncertainties in Responding to Climate Change: On the Economic Value of Technology Policies for Reducing Costs and Creating Options," The Energy Journal, , vol. 22(3), pages 79-114, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:enejou:v:22:y:2001:i:3:p:79-114
    DOI: 10.5547/ISSN0195-6574-EJ-Vol22-No3-4
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Anderson, Dennis & Bird, Catherine D, 1992. "Carbon Accumulations and Technical Progress--A Simulation Study of Costs," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 54(1), pages 1-29, February.
    2. René Kemp, 1997. "Environmental Policy and Technical Change," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 1187.
    3. Ruth A. Judson & Richard Schmalensee & Thomas M. Stoker, 1999. "Economic Development and the Structure of the Demand for Commercial Energy," The Energy Journal, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 2), pages 29-57.
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