Climate change represents a challenging problem in public policy. This project examines various policy solutions to rising emissions, and suggests one that might be best suited to Canada, a highly-integrated, highly-developed economy which relies on natural resources, including fossil fuels, for its balance of payments, governmental revenues, and a small portion of its GDP. It adopts a public policy framework from Simpson, Rivers and Jaccard (2008) to analyze policy solutions using the following criteria: political acceptability, economic efficiency, administrative feasibility and effectiveness at reducing emissions. Additionally, it offers substantial discussion relating to the potential constraints and opportunities to climate change policy presented by NAFTA, compliance with which is key to the viability of any emissions regime. It advocates an upstream cap-and-trade system, integrated with the NAFTA area and regulated by an empowered Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC), as well as complementary policies to lower emissions in inelastic sectors. / Graduate / mat.huff@gmail.com

Depuis plus de 30 ans, la Colombie construit sa politique de préservation des espèces faunistiques et de lutte contre le trafic illégal de ces espèces. Ce cadre institutionnel national s’est vu renforcé par la ratification de la convention CITES (Convention sur le commerce international des espèces de la flore et de la faune sauvages menacées d’extinction) en 1981. Pourtant, ce cadre institutionnel ne suffit pas à infléchir sur le trafic illégal des tortues marines en Colombie. L’analyse des failles du mode de régulation de type « commande et contrôle » montre les limites de l’intervention de l’Etat comme seul modèle possible à gérer le trafic illicite de tortues marines. D’où ma proposition de concevoir et mettre en place un mécanisme de quotas négociables de tortues marines décroissants dans le temps, renforcé par arrangements contractuels. Cette thèse a pour objectif de comparer l’efficacité de ces deux modes de gouvernance à réduire le trafic illégal de tortues marines, du point de vue la performance environnementale, de l’efficacité économique et de l’équité sociale. J’ai évalué les coûts de transactions pour démontrer que la variation dans la structure des coûts de transactions et la distribution de ces coûts auprès des acteurs concernés influent sur la performance finale du cadre institutionnel. Une analyse coûts-avantage a été réalisée pour justifier d’un changement institutionnel, en complément de l’analyse des coûts de transactions. Cette étude s’est situe au nord de la Colombie, sur un territoire de 30 km, territoire des indigènes Wayùu, étant le plus concerné par le trafic illégal de tortues vertes (Chelonia mydas) et tortues à écailles (Eretmochelys imbricata). / For over 30 years, Colombia built its national policy to protect wildlife species against the illegal traffic. The national institutional framework was strengthened by the ratification of the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of flora and fauna threatened with extinction) in 1981. However, this institutional framework is not sufficient to curb the illegal trade of marine turtles species. Despite some success to protect and recover some species, what really matters is the effectiveness of the national policy to conserve wildlife species. Hence my proposal to design and implement a cap and trade system based on transferable quotas decreasing in time, reinforced by contractual arrangements. This self-organized system aims at having zero catches level and enhance conformity and cooperation within the environmental regulation. This thesis aims to compare the efficacy of these two modes of governance to reduce the illegal trade of sea turtles based on the following criteria: the environmental performance, economic efficiency and social equity. I pursuit by estimating the corresponding transaction costs to show that the variation in the structure of transaction costs and the distribution of these costs among stakeholders affect the final performance of the institutional framework. Cost-benefit analysis was performed to justify institutional change, in addition to the analysis of transaction costs. This study is located in the north of Colombia, an area of 30 km, indigenous Wayuu territory, being more concerned with the illegal green turtles (Chelonia mydas) and hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata).

Climate change has become an increasingly important strategic issue for businesses to deal with. The stake is high particularly for those in energy-intensive industries as governments are implementing legislations that limit the carbon emission coming from these industries. Not only are such companies’ carbon emission confronted by regulatory bodies, but also various stakeholders such as customers and investors. Such pressures increased the business relevance of the issue and have provided various strategic contexts and drives. Businesses have responded in different ways to the changes that are coming with climate change. The purpose of this study was to provide insight into the dynamics and characteristics of carbon strategies. The case study companies were three pulp and paper companies located in Sweden, all subjected to the EU ETS regulation. In order to fulfill the purpose we have developed an analytical framework which we applied to the empirical findings. Based on our analysis we concluded that there are several factors that determine and drive the development of carbon strategies: sustainability, energy efficiency, market competition, and owners. The findings also revealed that the most prevalent response type was an optimization strategy, which is enhancing the carbon productivity from operational activities. The findings also confirmed the usefulness and comprehensiveness of the analytical framework employed to the understanding of carbon strategies and development factors.

Every country should have a moral responsibility to sanction its residents in a bid to curb the effects of global warming. South Africa has a unique economic and social set-up which has to be considered in crafting a policy and legislation or designing an environmental tax regime. The objective of this study was to analyse the current incentives for environmental taxes as contained in the Income Tax Act and provide recommendations on proposed changes to the existing incentives. In addition, it compares and establishes what South Africa can learn and adapt from Malaysia and Denmark, two countries who have successfully implemented environmental taxes and renewable energy incentives. It also explores the arguments for and against carbon tax (tax mechanism system) in South Africa on the energy intensive sector. The study continues to consider what the prospects are of achieving this purpose and the possible adverse impact it may have on the operating profits of energy-intensive companies. Carbon tax may result in a substantial elimination of tax contributions, a massive reduction in exports and major retrenchment and job losses, given the ever rising electricity tariff. There is much debate as to whether a cap-and-trade system would be preferable to a tax mechanism system, therefore the pros and cons of both systems are addressed and both systems’ sustainable positive and negative impacts are compared. This study explored the shortcomings of South Africa’s environmental tax laws by comparing them to the environmental tax regimes and the different incentives and tax rebates offered by Malaysia and Denmark to reduce emissions. The study firstly concluded that positive encouragement through incentivising green behaviour is preferable to a punitive tax mechanism given the fact that South Africa is still growing its economy. Therefore the introduction of a carbon tax would significantly reduce company profits, may result in unemployment and a substantial reduction in exports especially if it is not gradually introduced at a minimum charge given South Africa’s volatile labour and trade union nature. Secondly, if South Africa eventually decides to introduce carbon tax, it should emulate the Danish system that is taxing the industrial emission of carbon and earmark that income for industrial subsides and investment in greener sources of energy. AFRIKAANS : Elke land het 'n morele verantwoordelikheid om sy inwoners bewus te maak van aardsverwarming in 'n poging om die gevolge daarvan te bekamp. Suid Afrika het 'n unieke ekonomiese en sosiale opset het wat behoorlik oorweeg moet word voor ʼn groenbeleid of wetgewing geïmplementeer word. Die doelwit van die studie is om die huidige groenbelastingaansporings te analiseer soos in die Inkomstebelastingwet vervat en om aanbeveelings te maak in terme van moontlike veranderinge tot dié bepalings. Bykomstig hiertoe vergelyk en bepaal die studie wat Suid Afrika van lande soos Maleisië en Denemarke kan leer in terme van groenbelastingaansporings. Albei hierdie lande het 'n reputasie dat hulle groenbelasting en hernubare-energie aansporings suksesvol geimplementeer het. ‘n Ondersoek is gedoen om die impak van koolstofbelasting (belastingmeganisme ontwerp) in Suid-Afrika op die energie-intensiewe sektor te bepaal. Die impak van koolstofbelasting en die moontlike negatiewe gevolge wat dit kan inhou vir die bedryfswins van die energie-intensiewe maatskappye, word ook in ag geneem. Die negatiewe gevolge kan moontlik lei tot ‘n substansiële afname in belastingbydraes, 'n vermindering in uitvoere en verliese aan werkgeleenthede, gegewe die immer stygende elektrisiteitstariewe in Suid-Afrika. Daar word tans gedebatteer of 'n handelsbeperkingbeleid (plafon-en-handelstelsel) beter vir Suid Afrika sal wees as 'n belastingmeganisme ontwerp om koolstofvrystellings aan te spreek. Die voor- en nadele van elke stelsel sal ondersoek word en die twee stelsels se doeltreffendheid ten opsigte van die hantering van ekologiese uitdagings sal vergelyk word. Die studie sal die tekortkominge van Suid-Afrika se groenbelastingwette ondersoek deur dit te vergelyk met die groenbelastingstelsels, die verskillende aansporingsmeganismes en belastingkortings wat deur Maleisië en Denemarke aangebied word, om koolstofgasse te beperk of te verminder. Daar is eerstens tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat positiewe aanmoediging deur insentiewe vir groengedrag verkies word bo ‘n belastingmeganisme aangesien Suid-Afrika in ‘n ontwikkelende stadium is. Koolstofbelasting mag 'n uitgebreide negatiewe effek op maatskappywins hê, wat kan lei tot ‘n toename in werkloosheid en ‘n aansienlike vermindering in uitvoere, veral as dit nie geleidelik geïmplementeer word teen 'n minimum koste nie., gegewe Suid-Afrika se wisselvallige arbeids-en vakbond-omgewing. Tweedens, indien Suid-Afrika besluit om koolstofbelasting te implementeer moet Denemarke se voorbeeld gevolg word waar belasting gehef word op industriële vrylating van koolstof. Die herinvestering van die belastinginkomste in die bedryf deur middel van subsidies vir navorsing en beleggings in alternatiewe energiebronne, skoner ontbranding van brandstof, koolstof-opname tegnologie en ander omgewingsinnoverings sal koolstofbelasting se sukses bepaal. / Dissertation (MCom)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Taxation / unrestricted