December
Seminar: EU-Brazil cooperation on climate change
Part of the Grantham PhD seminar series.
Date and location: 7 December, LSE
Speaker: Carolina Boniatti-Pavese
Seminar: Climate Diplomacy in Durban: behind closed doors
This presentation examines the Durban summit on climate change from the perspective of a government delegate. A participant in UN climate conferences since 2004, Professor Dimitrov will highlight key developments in Durban and assess the current state of global climate negotiations. Access behind closed doors reveals political dynamics that remain hidden to outside observers. The positions and policy preferences of key countries and coalitions, the argumentation strategies they use to persuade others, and achievements and failures in climate talks to date appear different inside the kitchen of global climate politics.
Date and location: 12 December, LSE
Speaker: Radoslav Dimitrov, Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Western Ontario, Canada; Radoslav participates in UN negotiations on climate change as government delegate for the European Union and Bulgaria and is a consultant on climate diplomacy to the World Business Council on Sustainable Development and a political strategist for the global land transportation sector
Chair: Robert Falkner
More information: Presentation slides| (PDF)
Seminar: Public Goods Agreements with Other Regarding Preferences
Why cooperation occurs when noncooperation appears to be individually rational has been an issue in economics for at least a half century. In the 1960s and 1970s, the context was cooperation in the prisoner's dilemma game; in the 1980s, concern shifted to voluntary provision of public goods; in the 1990s, the literature on coalition formation for public goods provision emerged, in the context of coalitions to provide transboundary pollution abatement.
The problem is that theory suggests fairly low (even zero) levels of contributions to the public good and high levels of free riding. Experiments and empirical evidence suggests higher levels of cooperation. This is a major reason for the emergence in the 1990s and more recently of the literature on other-regarding preferences (also known as social preferences). Such preferences tend to involve higher levels of cooperation (though not always).
This paper contributes to the literature on coalitions, public good provision and other-regarding preferences. For standard preferences, the marginal per capita return (MPCR) to investing in the public good must be greater than one for contributing to be individually rational.
We find that Charness-Rabin preferences tend to reduce this threshold for individual contributions. We also find that Charness-Rabin preferences reduce the equilibrium size of a coalition of agents formed to provide the public good. In addition to theoretical results, some experimental implications of the theoretical model are provided. In contrast to much of the literature, we treat the wealth of agents as heterogeneous.
Date and location: 2 December, LSE
Speaker: Charles D Kolstad (Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, University of California): Biography of Charles D Kolstad|
November
Seminar: Achieving Behavioural Change: Towards a New Framework for Communicating Information About Climate Change
It is widely known that, despite increasing scientific consensus on the existence of anthropogenic climate change, people around the world still remain reluctant to change their behaviour. In fact, while nearly 20 years of public communication about climate change has undoubtedly increased international awareness, the literature dealing with how this has affected individual behaviours remains relatively dispersed. This review paper advances a unique angle by making two important contributions.
Firstly, the current paper proposes to maintain a distinction between constructs that measure broad pro-environmental behaviours more generally and specific behaviours that can be directly evaluated in terms of their contribution to 'climate change' (ie climate change mitigating behaviours). If climate change is indeed as urgent as scientists are advocating than it pays to consider effective and efficient ways of targeting and changing those behaviours that are most relevant to the issue at hand. This has the slightly controversial implication of steering away from slightly vague, broad philosophies about human-environment interactions.
Secondly, instead of reporting fuzzy terms such as 'involvement', 'engagement' and 'awareness', this paper goes on to evaluate past and current public interventional efforts directly in terms of actualised behavioural change. Are people reluctant to act simply because they lack the knowledge to do so? Or perhaps we should employ doom scenarios and scare people into changing their behaviour? A grounded psychological overview of theory as well as empirical evidence is provided to help answer these questions. Unfounded criticisms on both the role of knowledge and emotion in behaviour as well as the insufficiency of existing psychological models to predict behavioural change are highlighted.
Finally, a conceptual overview is offered to help structure future debates on the role of public interventions in eliciting wide-scale behavioural change.
Speaker: Sander Van-Der-Linden|, PhD student at Grantham Research Institute
Date and location: 23 November, LSE
Talk: OECD's Green Growth Strategy
The presentation outlined the Green Growth Strategy at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). This strategy aims to help countries foster economic growth and development while ensuring that the environment will continue to provide resources and services that are necessary for economic development and citizens' wellbeing. This will require structural change and sound product, labour market and social policies need to be in place to ensure an efficient and equitable transition. As a concrete example, the presentation highlighted some key results from the OECD's work on climate change.
Speakers: Nathalie Girouard, coordinator for OECD Green Growth Strategy, and Nicola Brandt, responsible for the analysis and policy advice concerning green growth issues within OECD Economic Surveys of member countries
Date and location: 22 November, LSE
More information: Presentation slides| (PDF)
Seminar: Carbon Markets Regulation: the case for a CO2 Central Bank
Part of the 'Climate Change and Environment Seminar Series: Michaelmas Term 2011', hosted jointly by the Grantham Research Institute, the Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy, and LSE's Department of Geography and Environment
How does one steal billions of Euros from fiscal authorities or embezzle millions from blue chip companies? Just use the European carbon market! The rapid development of this new market has attracted professional traders that have contributed to its success, but also criminal players that have undermined its reputation. After VAT frauds and unlawful recycling of CERs in 2009 and 2010, the EU ETS was disrupted by massive cyber attacks in January 2011. The European Commission reacted rapidly by blocking all spot transactions for several days, in order to restore confidence. These occurrences give rise to the question as to what type of regulation is needed in this new market.
Discussion on ways to enhance carbon market oversight was initiated by a European Commission communication in December 2010. So far the discussion has mainly focused on the issues of the market infrastructure security and the legal status of allowances. This paper recalls the main failings that have appeared in the carbon market, analyses the ongoing decisions taken by the European Commission and stresses the need for a new independent body acting as a CO2 Central Bank.
Speaker: Christian de Perthuis (Climate Economics Chair, University Paris-Dauphine)
Date and location: 9 November, LSE
More information: Biography of Christian de Perthuis|
Lecture: Decarbonising Britain
Part of the ESRC Festival of Social Science|
The UK has an aggressive plan to decarbonise its economy by 34% in 2020, 50% in 2027 and 80% in 2050. This lecture will look at the economic, technical and policy challenges of achieving these targets. It will discuss the role of technology options like renewable energy and electric cars, energy efficiency and ask about the importance of changing behaviour for example on energy use and transportation. The lecture will review the main carbon policies and ask whether they are sufficient to meet the ambitious carbon targets.
Speaker: David Kennedy|, Chief Executive of the Committee on Climate Change and Visiting Senior Fellow of the Grantham Research Institute
Chair: Michael Jacobs|, Visiting Professor of the Grantham Research Institute
Date and location: 1 November, LSE
More information: Podcast of lecture|
October
Seminar: Compensating for Climate Mitigation: can social policies ameliorate the regressive effects?
Part of the 'Climate Change and Environment Seminar Series: Michaelmas Term 2011', hosted jointly by the Grantham Research Institute, the Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy, and LSE's Department of Geography and Environment
"The lower VAT rate on household energy should be abolished to achieve more uniform carbon taxation, with more targeted tools being used to ameliorate the distributional consequences" (Bowen and Rydge, Grantham/OECD Report Climate Change Policy in the UK).
This paper shows just how difficult such compensation is, yet, without it, popular opposition to climate mitigation could build. Almost all carbon pricing on domestic energy is heavily regressive, yet compensation via benefits, tax credits and tax allowances always leaves large numbers of low-income losers: people in inefficient dwellings, rural households, under-occupied houses and so on. Other policies need considering, including social energy pricing, taxing second homes, and, of course, much speedier and effective retrofitting of dwellings. In a second part this paper moves beyond Kyoto production-based emissions to calculate the distribution of the much greater emissions embodied in all household consumption throughout the UK. To tax and compensate these raises further problematic policy issues. In both cases, closer integration of economic, social and environmental policies is required.
Speaker: Ian Gough| (Centre for the Analysis of Social Exclusion (CASE), LSE)
Date and location: 20 October, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
Seminar: Agency problems in climate change adaptation financing
Part of the Grantham PhD seminar series
Economic impacts caused by weather-related extreme events and gradual climate change will hurt developing country economies the most. International financial transfers are increasingly being sought as crucial to help developing countries adapt. We use contract theory to investigate what factors affect the feasibility of a financing mechanism to deliver adaptation finance at scale while providing an incentive for adaptation to take place at the lowest possible cost. In particular we look at a representative donor's behavior when different assumptions are made with respect to the observability of adaptation effort by the recipient and with respect to the terms of the financing agreement.
Speaker: Gianni Ruta|, PhD student at Grantham Research Institute
Date and location: 19 October, LSE
September
Seminar: How Will European Cities Adapt to Climate Change?
Joint Grantham Research Institute and SERC seminar
As world greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, we have strong individual and collective incentives to adapt to the "known unknown" challenges that climate change will pose. Given free mobility of labour and capital within the European Union, urban economics offers some predictions concerning how the new risks and opportunities posed by climate change will affect the spatial distribution of economic activity within Europe. This talk will sketch a research agenda focused on the microeconomics of climate change adaptation, with a special focus on the choices of optimising households, firms and local governments.
Speaker: Matthew E Khan, Institute of the Environment, the Department of Economics, and the Department of Public Policy, UCLA
Date and location: 20 September, 2 to 4pm, London School of Economics and Political Science
More information: Previous slides: The microeconomics of urban adaptation to climate change in Europe| (PDF) | Previous paper: Urban growth and climate change| (PDF) | Blog review by Henry Overman|
May
Public lecture: An Economist Tries to Grapple with Catastrophic Climate Change
Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment public lecture
Catastrophic climate-change damages are characterised by deep structural uncertainties in the science, combined with severe constraints on the ability to evaluate meaningfully the welfare losses. The critical question is: 'How fast does the probability of a catastrophe decline relative to the welfare impact of the catastrophe?' In this lecture, Professor Martin Weitzman attempted to distil the problem down to a simplistic numerical exercise and accompanying discussion that highlighted the most basic issues.
Speaker: Professor Martin Weitzman, Professor of Economics at Harvard University, and fellow of the Econometric Society and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Date and location: 24 May 2011, LSE
More information: Further details from LSE Events|
Event: Climate Finance in Africa: from aid to trade
Hosted by the CMIA and the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
This event explored the complementary and competing perspectives of academe, government and market participants with regard to complex key issues in the project financing of offset investments in Africa. The aim is to identify how all parties can work together towards their common objective of combating climate change while encouraging the region's clean and sustainable growth.
Date and location: 12 May, LSE
More information: Further event details| | Event program|
April
Seminar: A Climate Strategy Beyond 2012: what have we learnt from monetary policy?
Grantham Research Institute seminar
Speaker: Professor Warwick J. McKibbin, Professor and Director of the ANU Research School of Economics and Professor in the ANU College of Business and Economics and Adjunct Professor in the Australian Centre for Economic Research in Health at the Australian National University
Date: Wednesday 13 April 2011, 5pm
Location: Room 1.15, New Academic Building, 54 Lincolns Inn Fields, LSE
Attendance: The seminar is open to all and registration is not needed
More information: Further details about seminar| | Biography of Warwick J. McKibbin|
Report launch event: The Low-Carbon Transition
A joint European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) / Grantham Research Institute event
'The Low Carbon Transition' is a special report on climate change mitigation in the countries from central Europe to central Asia, prepared jointly by the Office of the Chief Economist at the EBRD and the Grantham Research Institute at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).
EBRD Chief Economist Erik Berglöf and Chairman of the Grantham Research Institute Nicholas Stern will open the launch event. The presentation of the main findings of the report will be followed by a panel discussion and a Q&A session. A reception will follow.
Date and location: 6 April 2011, One Exchange Square, London
More information: Further details about the event|
March
Seminar: Small-Number Statistics, Common Sense, and Profit: challenges and non-challenges for hurricane forecasting
Part of the PhD Seminar Series that alternates locations between the Grantham Institute at Imperial| and the Grantham Research Institute at LSE.
Speaker: Alexander Jarman, Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at LSE
Date and location: 30 March 2011, LSE
More information: Abstract of seminar|
Seminar: Climate Change, Economic Growth, and Health
Seminar on paper that studies the interplay between climate, health, and the economy in a stylised world with four heterogeneous regions, labelled 'West' (cold and rich), 'China' (cold and poor), 'India' (warm and poor), and 'Africa' (warm and very poor). From the Department of Geography and Environment at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment.
Speaker: Professor Masako Ikefuji, Institute of Social and Economic Research at Osaka University, Japan
Date and location: 24 March 2011, LSE
More information: Abstract of seminar| | Full paper on 'Climate change economic growth and health'| (PDF)
Public lecture: US Energy and Climate Change Policy
Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment public lecture.
Speaker: Senator Lindsey O. Graham
Chair: Dr Robert Falkner|, Senior Lecturer in International Relations at LSE
Date and location: 24 March 2011, LSE
More information: LSE Events page| | Podcast of event|
Event: The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity
Hosted by the Department of Geography and the Environment and the Grantham Research Institute for Climate Change and the Environment.
Speaker: Pavan Sukhdev|
Chair: Dr Giles Atkinson
Date and location: 21 March 2011, LSE
More information: LSE Events page| | Podcast of event| | Video of event|
Public lecture: The Low-Carbon Industrial Revolution
Part of LSE Works, a new series of public lectures, sponsored by SAGE publications, that will showcase some of the latest research by LSE's Research Centres.
Nicholas Stern provided an overview of progress towards low-carbon economic growth and managing the risks of climate change, offering his views on the prospects for an international agreement on climate change, including an assessment of the United Nations negotiations.
Speaker: Lord Nicholas Stern|, Chair of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment and the Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy (CCCEP)|
Respondents: Professor Michael Jacobs|, Visiting Professor at the Grantham Research Institute, and Gerard Lyons, Chief Economist and Group Head of Global Research at Standard Chartered Bank
Chair: Professor Judith Rees|, Director of the Grantham Research Institute
Date and location: Thursday 17 March, LSE
More information: LSE events page|
Seminar: Uncertain Emission Reductions from Forest Conservation: REDD in the Bale Mountains Eco-Region, Ethiopia
Part of the PhD Seminar Series that alternates locations between the Grantham Institute at Imperial| and the Grantham Research Institute at LSE.
Speaker: Charlene Watson, Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at LSE
Date and location: 16 March, LSE
More information: Abstract of seminar|
Seminar: Climate Mitigation: sustainable preferences and cumulative carbon
Part of the Climate Change and Environment Seminar Series (Lent term 2011), hosted jointly by the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, the Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy (CCCEP)|, and the Department of Geography and Environment at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).
Speaker: Simon Buckle|, Grantham Institute for Climate Change at Imperial College
Date and location: 10 March, LSE, London
More information: Abstract of seminar|
February
Panel discussion: After Cancun: the prospects for international climate diplomacy
Hosted jointly by the Grantham Research Institute and CCCEP|.
Panellists:
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Peter Betts, Director of International Climate Strategy, UK Department of Energy and Climate Change - DECC
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Michael Jacobs, Visiting Professor at Grantham Research Institute and Special Adviser to Gordon Brown from 2004 to 2010
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Sebastian Oberthuer, Academic Director at the Institute for European Studies, Vrije Universiteit Brussels, and member of the Compliance Committee of the Kyoto Protocol
Chair: Robert Falkner, Department of International Relations and LSE Global Governance, LSE
Date and location: 25 February, LSE, London
Seminar: Beyond Money: willingness to pay for GHG emissions reductions
Speaker: Timo Goeschl, University of Heidelberg
Date and location: 15 February, LSE, London
January
Seminar: Climate Models: some cautionary notes
Part of the LSE-Imperial Grantham PhD Seminar Series (Michaelmas term).
Speakers: Alice Verweyen and Erica Thompson
Date and location: 26 January, Grantham Institute for Climate Change, Imperial College, London
Workshop: Developing Policy Regimes for Combating Climate Change
A CAGE/CCCEP workshop.
The focus was on the ongoing global climate change negotiations under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, following on from the December 2009 meeting in Copenhagen, policy initiatives towards a low-carbon economy, both nationally and internationally, and the situation after the December 2010 Cancun UNFCCC meeting.
Date and location: 25 January, Wellcome Collection Conference Centre, London
More information: Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy (CAGE) event details|
Seminar: Climate Change, Justice, and Future Generations
Part of the Climate Change and Environment Seminar Series (Lent term 2011).
Speaker: Joerg Chet Tremmel|, University of Tuebingen, Germany and Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment
Date and time: Tuesday 18 January, 5 to 6.30pm
Location: Connaught House, Aldwych, room CON.H102, LSE, London
More information: Abstract of seminar|
Seminar: Extinction Risk and Climate Change
Part of the LSE-Imperial Grantham PhD Seminar Series in the Michaelmas term.
Speaker: Maria Dickinson
Date and location: 12 January, Grantham Institute for Climate Change, Imperial College