United States
What is a cap-and-trade program?
A cap-and-trade program sets a maximum limit, or a “cap,” on
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from those facilities and sectors
covered by the regulation. An emitter covered by the cap
has two primary obligations:
A reverse auction in the Conestoga watershed in Pennsylvania demonstrated that auctions are a more cost-effective way to allocate conservation funding than the traditional funding allocation process used in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s
The proposed Congressional appropriation of $400 million per year over five years to support the deployment of clean energy technologies in developing countries could demonstrate much awaited United States leadership in responding to the global crisis of climate change.
- Caps, Coverage and Compliance
- Market Oversight and Structure
- Cost Containment
- Allowance Value Distribution
- International Engagement and Competitiveness
- State and Regional Programs
- Complementary Policies
Carbon offsets can be an effective tool for lowering the costs of compliance in a cap-and-trade program, and are already being widely used internationally to comply with greenhouse gas emissions targets. To function well and maintain the integrity of a cap-and-trade system, carbon
Coal is a key fuel source for current and future electric power generation. Coal becomes even more critical when cost of electricity and security of supply issues are viewed in light of other fuel sources such as gas or uranium. Yet coal combustion
As political momentum surrounding climate change builds in the US, policymakers are taking a fresh look at national climate policy and American involvement in multilateral climate negotiations.
My name is Jonathan Pershing, and I am the Director of the Climate, Energy and Pollution Program at the World Resources Institute.
U.S. decision-makers enjoy access to some of the best economic information and analysis in the world, including detailed measurements of economic activity, employment, and changes in the productivity of labor and capital. These statistics and indicators drive policy and move markets.
What is a Renewable Electricity Standard (RES)?