Marginal Abatement Cost Curves and the Quality of Emission Reductions : A Case Study on Brazil

doi:10.1080/14693062.2014.953908

Publication:
Marginal Abatement Cost Curves and the Quality of Emission Reductions : A Case Study on Brazil

dc.contributor.author	de Gouvello, Christophe
dc.contributor.author	Vogt-Schilb, Adrien
dc.contributor.author	Hallegatte, Stéphane
dc.date.accessioned	2014-12-04T23:29:32Z
dc.date.available	2014-12-04T23:29:32Z
dc.date.issued	2014-11-18
dc.description.abstract	Decision makers facing emission-reduction targets need to decide which abatement measures to implement, and in which order. This article investigates how marginal abatement cost (MAC) curves can inform such a decision. We re-analyse a MAC curve built for Brazil by 2030, and show that misinterpreting MAC curves as abatement supply curves can lead to suboptimal strategies. It would lead to (1) under-investment in expensive, long-to-implement and large-potential options, such as clean transportation infrastructure, and (2) over-investment in cheap but limited-potential options such as energy-efficiency improvement in refineries. To mitigate this issue, the article proposes a new graphical representation of MAC curves that explicitly renders the time required to implement each measure. Policy relevance: In addition to the cost and potential of available options, designing optimal short-term policies requires information on long-term targets (e.g. halving emissions by 2050) and on the speed at which measures can deliver emission reductions. Mitigation policies are thus best investigated in a dynamic framework, building on sector-scale pathways to long-term targets. Climate policies should seek both quantity and quality of abatement, by combining two approaches: a ‘synergy approach’ that focuses on the cheapest mitigation options and maximizes co-benefits, and an ‘urgency approach’ that starts from a long-term objective and works backward to identify actions that need to be implemented early. Accordingly, sector-specific policies may be used (1) to remove implementation barriers on negative- and low-cost options and (2) to ensure short-term targets are met with abatement of sufficient quality. Indeed, such policies can avoid under-investment in the long-to-implement options required to reach long-term targets, which are otherwise difficult to enforce.	en
dc.identifier.citation	Climate Policy
dc.identifier.doi	10.1596/20660
dc.identifier.issn	1469-3062
dc.identifier.uri	https://hdl.handle.net/10986/20660
dc.language.iso	en_US
dc.publisher	Taylor and Francis
dc.rights	CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 IGO
dc.rights.holder	World Bank
dc.rights.uri	http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/igo
dc.subject	carbon lock-in
dc.subject	climate change mitigation policy
dc.subject	low-carbon development plan
dc.subject	sectoral policy
dc.subject	technology policy
dc.title	Marginal Abatement Cost Curves and the Quality of Emission Reductions : A Case Study on Brazil	en
dc.type	Journal Article	en
dc.type	Article de journal	fr
dc.type	Artículo de revista	es
dspace.entity.type	Publication
okr.associatedcontent	http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14693062.2014.953908 Journal website (version of record)
okr.crosscuttingsolutionarea	Climate Change
okr.date.disclosure	2014-11-14
okr.date.doiregistration	2025-05-06T11:28:16.157093Z
okr.doctype	Publications & Research::Journal Article
okr.externalcontent	External Content
okr.globalpractice	Environment and Natural Resources
okr.globalpractice	Energy and Extractives
okr.identifier.doi	10.1080/14693062.2014.953908
okr.journal.nbpages	703-23
okr.language.supported	en
okr.peerreview	Academic Peer Review
okr.region.administrative	Latin America & Caribbean
okr.region.country	Brazil
okr.topic	Environment::Climate Change Mitigation and Green House Gases
okr.topic	Environment::Environmental Economics & Policies
okr.topic	Environment::Pollution Management & Control
okr.unit	Climate Change Group; and Energy and Extractives Global Practice
okr.volume	15(6)
relation.isAuthorOfPublication	464cf77e-5e05-5115-97fe-d40b61d3996e
relation.isAuthorOfPublication	2fea2b63-4a74-5fbd-b964-71ef895df009
relation.isAuthorOfPublication.latestForDiscovery	464cf77e-5e05-5115-97fe-d40b61d3996e