OECD Economics Department Working Papers

ISSN :
1815-1973 (en ligne)
DOI :
10.1787/18151973
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Working papers from the Economics Department of the OECD that cover the full range of the Department’s work including the economic situation, policy analysis and projections; fiscal policy, public expenditure and taxation; and structural issues including ageing, growth and productivity, migration, environment, human capital, housing, trade and investment, labour markets, regulatory reform, competition, health, and other issues.
 

Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions in a Cost Effective Way in Switzerland You or your institution have access to this content

Auteur(s):
Anita Wölfl1, Patrizio Sicari1
Author Affiliations
  • 1: OCDE, France

Date de publication
04 déc 2012
Bibliographic information
N°:
1002
Pages
30
DOI
10.1787/5k8xff3tgd32-en

Cacher / Voir l'abstract

Switzerland has low greenhouse gas emissions per capita as compared to other countries, which reflects the strong reliance on energy sources emitting few greenhouse gas emissions, especially in electricity generation, and little heavy industry. Greenhouse gas emissions have remained almost the same since 1990, as emission reductions in the residential and industrial sector were offset by increases from the transport sector. It is estimated that, in aggregate, marginal abatement costs are relatively high in Switzerland and meeting the 2020 target of a 20% emission reduction below the 1990 level will necessitate more cost effective policies. In particular, more needs to be done in the road transport sector, the domestic sector with the largest potential for emission reductions at relatively low cost. The incentive for energy saving renovations in rented dwellings could be raised by a better design of existing policies. And the policies in the industrial sector could be made more effective with the transition towards linking the Swiss and the EU emission trading systems.
Mots-clés:
emissions trading system, industry, carbon tax, residential sector, Switzerland, CO2, congestion, agriculture, greenhouse gas emissions
Classification JEL:
  • H23: Public Economics / Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue / Externalities; Redistributive Effects; Environmental Taxes and Subsidies
  • Q18: Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics / Agriculture / Agricultural Policy; Food Policy
  • Q54: Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics / Environmental Economics / Climate; Natural Disasters; Global Warming
  • Q56: Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics / Environmental Economics / Environment and Development; Environment and Trade; Sustainability; Environmental Accounts and Accounting; Environmental Equity; Population Growth
  • Q58: Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics / Environmental Economics / Government Policy
  • R41: Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics / Transportation Systems / Transportation: Demand, Supply, and Congestion; Safety and Accidents; Transportation Noise
  • R48: Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics / Transportation Systems / Government Pricing and Policy