Office for Environmental Programs - Theses
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ItemThe challenges of emissions trading in China( 2012)Under the 12`h Five-Year-Plan (FYP), China is moving forward to the implementation of pilot emissions trading scheme (ETS). This would be the first experiment of mandatory ETS in China and also an important sign on the evolution of the climate policy for China. Voluntary emissions trading practices based around Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and Voluntary Emissions Reductions (VERs) have existed in China in recent years. By contrast, the upcoming pilot ETSs in China will be mandatory for covered sectors and installations. This research compares the EU ETS and the CCX with the China's proposed mandatory pilot ETSs and existing voluntary ETS respectively. Then, challenges that China's ETS may face can be suggested based on the key criteria come up from the EU ETS and the CCX. The challenges of China's ETS can be found in the respects of the establishment of regulatory contexts, cap setting-up and allowances allocation, designing and implementation of a compliance framework, and establishment and operation of diverse trading mechanisms. When comes to the co-operation and linkage among proposed Chinese pilot ETSs and a future national ETS in China, two most possible scenarios are discussed in the thesis. The first potential scenario is that the national ETS replaces pilot ETSs. The second potential scenario is that pilots are linked directly and then to expand as the national ETS. On the other hand, the potential linkage between China's ETS and the EU ETS can be expected, especially as the European Commission announced that the EU would assist China in establishing the national ETS according to an agreement signed by the EU and China in September 2012. However, there will be several issues existing in the establishment of a linkage. Whether those two ETSs are compatible and the allowances are recognised by each other are the key elements of the potential linkage building between the EU ETS and the future national ETS in China.
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ItemThe role of Mexico in the global environmental agenda: a discussion of the leadership framework( 2012)This study discusses the idea of Mexico's participation in the global environmental agenda under the framework of leadership. Therefore in this paper a short historical review of the Country's incremental participation in multilateral Forums, as well as domestic institutional arrangements to align with the international agreement to mitigate and adapt to climate change is reviewed. The conceptual basis of leadership will help to analyse if the role that Mexico has been playing in the last two decades has positioned as a leader of 'other' emergent economies In 2010 the country hosted the 16th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention in Climate Change. This paper discusses how the country displayed great diplomacy skills as it used unconventional methods to facilitate the negotiations in order to reach the Cancun Agreement. Also, at the domestic level Mexico has decided to implement 'stronger' polices to face climate change, while promoting international co-operation for developing countries in terms of mitigation and adaptation. Under this frame it seems like Mexico stopped being a laggard and is becoming a climate change leader. Is this true?
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ItemOcean acidification: the puzzle of an absent issue( 2012)Ocean acidification is predicted to have significant impacts on marine species and ecosystems, with subsequent consequences for human societies. The scientific narrative frames this phenomenon as a significant problem, requiring the intervention of government policy. However, the issue does not appear to occupy a prominent position on policy agendas in Australia. This thesis examines this puzzle, with an aim to understand why the issue has not gained more prominence. To achieve this aim, this research draws on insights provided by the conceptualisation of the issue networks that exists around ocean acidification; analysis and evaluation of the social construction of the phenomenon as a 'problem'; the identification and reconstruction of evident discourses that have emerged around this issue; and evaluating influences on the position of ocean acidification on Australian policy agendas. This thesis shows that the failure of ocean acidification to obtain prominence on policy agendas in Australia is due to the interaction of a range of factors. It finds that lack of engagement by groups of actors who ought to be concerned by the issue, the absence of a 'populariser' to communicate the complex science to a wider audience and generate public awareness and concern, and the failure to adopt a coherent, concise story line, are all likely influences on the issue's agenda position. The dynamics uncovered through this research raise important questions about environmental policy-making processes in Australia, and the role of expert knowledge in informing governments
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ItemStructuring incentives to reduce the economic impact of bushfire risk in a changing climate for the residential built environment( 2012)Climate change is projected to increase the prevalence of bush fires, along with other natural disasters in Australia. Additionally, rates of urbanisation are continually increasing as reflected by the relatively faster growth of cities such as Melbourne compared with rural communities. As cities like Melbourne continues to expand their growth corridors and provide access to cheap land in close proximity to the Australian bush, the result is an increased exposure to significant risk, and largely for low-income communities groups. As of July 1 2013, the Victorian State Government will replace the previous Fire Services Levy with a new levy, the Fire Services Property Levy that is calculated based on property value. This new levy ensures again that the cost of the risk in living on the urban fringe is not borne by the people who choose to live in these areas. This highly inefficient situation will again result is extensive dead-weight loss, as property owners are not confronted with the true reality of costs and benefits regarding their property location decisions. The solution is for the government to ensure that these communities are required to personally address these costs. Three different policy mixes are discussed in this paper: a compulsory insurance model, where all property owners are required to pay for private home insurance that is reflective of levels of risk with which they choose to live; a variable property tax model also reflective of realistic levels of risk and the associated demand for services; and a the Fire Services Property Levy that will be spread so evenly throughout the community that the cost provides no incentive to change behaviour through bush fire mitigation and adaptation measures. The findings from this research and analysis show the compulsory insurance model to be the preferred policy option largely because insurance organisations are better placed to assess risk than is the government. Nonetheless there are a number of key roles that the government can play in providing access to information characterised by the benefits of an increase in a public good. Also there would need to be a transition period to compulsory insurance, whereby the government would need to provide direct income transfers and subsidise mitigation measures to the most vulnerable groups to minimise the impact of potentially high insurance premiums, and also to take responsibility for previous land settlement policies.