Thesis Abstract: Chapter I: Regional burden sharing of GHG mitigation policies – A Canadian perspective. The distribution of the burden of cost arising from the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is a contentious issue in policy discussions; more so among regional jurisdictions in the federalist countries with decentralized authorities over environmental regulations. In this setting, often the policy discussions are focused on the distribution of regional emission reduction targets that, in turn, entails negotiations over the distribution of the scarcity rents and the regional transfers of wealth. The allocation of regional emission entitlements is thus a key factor that could hinder the political feasibility of a national GHG mitigation policy. In this paper, we build a multi-region computable general equilibrium (CGE) model of the Canadian economy to assess the implications of different burden sharing rules governing the national GHG abatement policy with a cap-and-trade system of emission permits. In addition to assessing the impacts of traditional regional emissions allocation rules that involve intra-regional transfers of wealth, we consider a particular emission allocation that avoids such transfers, which may be a more palatable option given the context of likely fierce negotiations over the issue. Our results indicate to differing outcomes depending on the allocation policy in use. The CGE framework is also able to shed light on the transmission mechanisms that drive the results underlying the policy options. Chapter II: Endogenous technological change and emission allowances. Given the imminent threat of global warming due to GHG emissions, a number of emission mitigation policies have been proposed in the literature. However, they generally suffer from the classical equity-efficiency trade-off. High costs from equity concerns often render environmental policies politically unattractive and thus hard to implement. Recent advancement in the climate policy modeling literature that incorporates endogenous technological change (ETC) into the framework can potentially bring new insights into this debate. Using an inter-temporal, multi-sector CGE approach with ETC incorporated into the framework, this paper builds a model that focuses on the equity-efficiency debate for the policymakers. Canada is chosen as the country of investigation for this purpose. The paper provides a new welfare ranking of four permit allocation policies that address the equity-efficiency trade-off. In a second-best setting with pre-existing distortions, output-based allocation (OBA) of emission permits is compared to three other policy options: (i) an emissions trading system with grandfathered allocation (GFA), (ii) an auction permit trading system where permit revenue is recycled to lower payroll taxes (RPT), and (iii) a hybrid of OBA and R&D subsidy (O-R&D). We find that adapting OBA, as well as O-R&D, is welfare improving over GFA. The implicit output subsidy, entailed in the OBA policy, mitigates against the rising cost effect in the GFA policy. This is reinforced through added investment incentive in R&D when ETC in incorporated into the framework. With O-R&D, since the R&D subsidy corrects for market imperfections in the knowledge accumulation process, the effect is further bolstered, culminating into mitigation of uneven distributional outcome for energy-intensive industries as a whole. Contrary to previous results, we also find that, in terms of the welfare metric, OBA unequivocally improves the distributional outcome across sectors as compared to the RPT policy. Inclusion of ETC also unequivocally generates a higher welfare ranking for all permit policy schemes. Chapter III: Emission permit banking and induced technological change. This paper attempts to undertake an exploratory research by integrating two themes in the emission mitigation policy literature, which include: the inter-temporal emission permit banking and borrowing and the role of induced technological change in emission mitigation. Using a simple optimal control approach, we construct a unified framework that evaluates the optimal path of emissions and the optimal trajectory of permit price when both inter-temporal banking and borrowing of permits and the effects of induced technological change (ITC) are present. We find that ITC leads to a declining emission trajectory over time. The effect of ITC on the optimal permit price path, however, is ambiguous and critically depends on the extent of marginal cost saving that emanates from emission-saving technological innovation.

Thesis Abstract: Chapter I: Regional burden sharing of GHG mitigation policies – A Canadian perspective. The distribution of the burden of cost arising from the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is a contentious issue in policy discussions; more so among regional jurisdictions in the federalist countries with decentralized authorities over environmental regulations. In this setting, often the policy discussions are focused on the distribution of regional emission reduction targets that, in turn, entails negotiations over the distribution of the scarcity rents and the regional transfers of wealth. The allocation of regional emission entitlements is thus a key factor that could hinder the political feasibility of a national GHG mitigation policy. In this paper, we build a multi-region computable general equilibrium (CGE) model of the Canadian economy to assess the implications of different burden sharing rules governing the national GHG abatement policy with a cap-and-trade system of emission permits. In addition to assessing the impacts of traditional regional emissions allocation rules that involve intra-regional transfers of wealth, we consider a particular emission allocation that avoids such transfers, which may be a more palatable option given the context of likely fierce negotiations over the issue. Our results indicate to differing outcomes depending on the allocation policy in use. The CGE framework is also able to shed light on the transmission mechanisms that drive the results underlying the policy options. Chapter II: Endogenous technological change and emission allowances. Given the imminent threat of global warming due to GHG emissions, a number of emission mitigation policies have been proposed in the literature. However, they generally suffer from the classical equity-efficiency trade-off. High costs from equity concerns often render environmental policies politically unattractive and thus hard to implement. Recent advancement in the climate policy modeling literature that incorporates endogenous technological change (ETC) into the framework can potentially bring new insights into this debate. Using an inter-temporal, multi-sector CGE approach with ETC incorporated into the framework, this paper builds a model that focuses on the equity-efficiency debate for the policymakers. Canada is chosen as the country of investigation for this purpose. The paper provides a new welfare ranking of four permit allocation policies that address the equity-efficiency trade-off. In a second-best setting with pre-existing distortions, output-based allocation (OBA) of emission permits is compared to three other policy options: (i) an emissions trading system with grandfathered allocation (GFA), (ii) an auction permit trading system where permit revenue is recycled to lower payroll taxes (RPT), and (iii) a hybrid of OBA and R&D subsidy (O-R&D). We find that adapting OBA, as well as O-R&D, is welfare improving over GFA. The implicit output subsidy, entailed in the OBA policy, mitigates against the rising cost effect in the GFA policy. This is reinforced through added investment incentive in R&D when ETC in incorporated into the framework. With O-R&D, since the R&D subsidy corrects for market imperfections in the knowledge accumulation process, the effect is further bolstered, culminating into mitigation of uneven distributional outcome for energy-intensive industries as a whole. Contrary to previous results, we also find that, in terms of the welfare metric, OBA unequivocally improves the distributional outcome across sectors as compared to the RPT policy. Inclusion of ETC also unequivocally generates a higher welfare ranking for all permit policy schemes. Chapter III: Emission permit banking and induced technological change. This paper attempts to undertake an exploratory research by integrating two themes in the emission mitigation policy literature, which include: the inter-temporal emission permit banking and borrowing and the role of induced technological change in emission mitigation. Using a simple optimal control approach, we construct a unified framework that evaluates the optimal path of emissions and the optimal trajectory of permit price when both inter-temporal banking and borrowing of permits and the effects of induced technological change (ITC) are present. We find that ITC leads to a declining emission trajectory over time. The effect of ITC on the optimal permit price path, however, is ambiguous and critically depends on the extent of marginal cost saving that emanates from emission-saving technological innovation.

Thesis Abstract: Chapter I: Regional burden sharing of GHG mitigation policies – A Canadian perspective. The distribution of the burden of cost arising from the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is a contentious issue in policy discussions; more so among regional jurisdictions in the federalist countries with decentralized authorities over environmental regulations. In this setting, often the policy discussions are focused on the distribution of regional emission reduction targets that, in turn, entails negotiations over the distribution of the scarcity rents and the regional transfers of wealth. The allocation of regional emission entitlements is thus a key factor that could hinder the political feasibility of a national GHG mitigation policy. In this paper, we build a multi-region computable general equilibrium (CGE) model of the Canadian economy to assess the implications of different burden sharing rules governing the national GHG abatement policy with a cap-and-trade system of emission permits. In addition to assessing the impacts of traditional regional emissions allocation rules that involve intra-regional transfers of wealth, we consider a particular emission allocation that avoids such transfers, which may be a more palatable option given the context of likely fierce negotiations over the issue. Our results indicate to differing outcomes depending on the allocation policy in use. The CGE framework is also able to shed light on the transmission mechanisms that drive the results underlying the policy options. Chapter II: Endogenous technological change and emission allowances. Given the imminent threat of global warming due to GHG emissions, a number of emission mitigation policies have been proposed in the literature. However, they generally suffer from the classical equity-efficiency trade-off. High costs from equity concerns often render environmental policies politically unattractive and thus hard to implement. Recent advancement in the climate policy modeling literature that incorporates endogenous technological change (ETC) into the framework can potentially bring new insights into this debate. Using an inter-temporal, multi-sector CGE approach with ETC incorporated into the framework, this paper builds a model that focuses on the equity-efficiency debate for the policymakers. Canada is chosen as the country of investigation for this purpose. The paper provides a new welfare ranking of four permit allocation policies that address the equity-efficiency trade-off. In a second-best setting with pre-existing distortions, output-based allocation (OBA) of emission permits is compared to three other policy options: (i) an emissions trading system with grandfathered allocation (GFA), (ii) an auction permit trading system where permit revenue is recycled to lower payroll taxes (RPT), and (iii) a hybrid of OBA and R&D subsidy (O-R&D). We find that adapting OBA, as well as O-R&D, is welfare improving over GFA. The implicit output subsidy, entailed in the OBA policy, mitigates against the rising cost effect in the GFA policy. This is reinforced through added investment incentive in R&D when ETC in incorporated into the framework. With O-R&D, since the R&D subsidy corrects for market imperfections in the knowledge accumulation process, the effect is further bolstered, culminating into mitigation of uneven distributional outcome for energy-intensive industries as a whole. Contrary to previous results, we also find that, in terms of the welfare metric, OBA unequivocally improves the distributional outcome across sectors as compared to the RPT policy. Inclusion of ETC also unequivocally generates a higher welfare ranking for all permit policy schemes. Chapter III: Emission permit banking and induced technological change. This paper attempts to undertake an exploratory research by integrating two themes in the emission mitigation policy literature, which include: the inter-temporal emission permit banking and borrowing and the role of induced technological change in emission mitigation. Using a simple optimal control approach, we construct a unified framework that evaluates the optimal path of emissions and the optimal trajectory of permit price when both inter-temporal banking and borrowing of permits and the effects of induced technological change (ITC) are present. We find that ITC leads to a declining emission trajectory over time. The effect of ITC on the optimal permit price path, however, is ambiguous and critically depends on the extent of marginal cost saving that emanates from emission-saving technological innovation.

The thesis analyses forms and levels of social exclusion of Zimbabwean migrants in the South African labour market and society. The research reveals that migrants face social exclusion through unruly practices of public officials and institutional bias. At community and individual level migrants are devalued and stigmatised by the local South Africans and other Zimbabwean migrants. To some extent Zimbabwean migrants participate in their own exclusion as they are divided along regional and ethnic lines. The thesis proposes an analytical framework for understanding the social exclusion of Zimbabwean migrants emphasising on how devaluation of migrant identity narrows the existing structure of opportunity, leading to various coping mechanisms some of which are deviant. The thesis proposes a moral and pragmatic view in understanding the social exclusion of migrants from a cosmopolitan perspective where migrants are citizens of a global world. Using a qualitative methodology the research provides an in-depth analysis of the life histories of fifty eight (58) ‘documented’ and ‘undocumented’ Zimbabwean men and women in Kempton Park and Tembisa. The research was carried out in 2012. Migrants respond to social exclusion by using social capital in the form of family/kinship, ethnic and church networks. Zimbabweans mainly rely on bonding rather than bridging social capital. To a greater extent, migrant networks help them to ‘get by’ and simply survive. The few that have managed to ‘get ahead’, have made use of networks with South African residents and other individuals outside their migrant network systems. These have facilitated acquisition of fake identity documents, jobs and other necessities. Family networks are beginning to repel migrants because of the economic pressures they face leading to the weakening of ties among Zimbabwean migrant family members. / Sociology / D. Litt. et Phil. (Sociology)

服務貿易總協定(General Agreement on Trade in Services，GATS)將服務依其提供之方式區分為四類。其中之一，乃藉由自然人跨越國境之方式進行，因此，是類服務供給方式，除模式四、自然人呈現外，一般常以自然人移動名之。 對於資金與技術相對匱乏的開發中會員而言，自然人移動毋寧為具有比較利益的服務提供模式之一。藉由短期勞力移動至海外，不但可解決國內勞力過剩之問題，更能帶來可觀的外匯收入，改善本國經濟狀況；他方面，短期移出之勞力於海外工作時所習得之新穎技術與知識，亦將有助於國內生產及服務水準之提升。而就已開發會員來說，在出生率低、人口結構呈現高齡化等因素影響下，許多產業所面臨的工資高漲及人才難覓之窘境，使先進國家不得不正視勞動力需求之議題。 儘管不少會員國對於勞動力的引進有所需求，但由於人員移動所牽涉的層面太廣，移民政策、社會安全乃至文化認同等因素盤根錯節，使得各國在模式四的開放上相當保守，不但承諾項目僅集中於專業人士(specialist)與企業內部人員調動(intra-corporate transferee)等白領階級，更有著林林總總的管制態樣。在不願意受到GATS承諾拘束，卻又有實際需求的情況下，許多會員轉而以本國立法或雙邊、複邊的合作方式，引進外國服務提供者。 此一保守之承諾現狀令人力資源豐沛的開發中會員極為不滿，因此，於2000年WTO新回合談判時，以印度為首之開發中會員即紛紛提出具體之建言，試圖打開目前在GATS架構下人員移動之僵局。另一方面，學者間亦陸續表達其對於模式四自由化之看法，並分別從闡釋開放市場所帶來經濟誘因、區隔自然人移動與移民、長期勞動力移動間之不同等角度切入，藉此釐清各國之疑慮，以期模式四在新回合談判下能有所突破。 面對模式四自由化聲浪高漲之勢，人員移動進一步開放的問題，於新回合中已難以迴避，由於人員移動所牽涉層面甚廣，對我國而言，倘稍有不慎，不但將造成我國就業市場門戶洞開的嚴重後果，其後續效應，如本地勞工失業率上升、及對治安、文化語言等衝擊，將為我國帶來不可預測的影響。舉例而言，我國模式四承諾中之第三類自然人移動，其內涵為何？如依國貿局之中譯文—「受中華台北企業僱用之自然人」(a natural person employed by business entities in Chinese Taipei)，則對我國就業市場產生如何影響，我國又應如何因應，值得深思。 職是之故，自然人移動之基本概念、內涵上之爭議，乃至於會員各陣營間意見落差等議題之釐清，對於我國新回合談判而言，實屬刻不容緩之事。本文之研究動機，即針對模式四規範上的重要問題、我國模式四承諾中之「第三類自然人移動」及相關談判策略進行分析，希冀對我國談判當局能有所助益。 關鍵字：服務貿易總協定、自然人移動、模式四、商業據點呈現、模式三、商業訪客、跨國企業內部調動人員、獨立服務提供者、第三類自然人移動、GATS簽證、經濟需求測試、工作證。 / The General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) is undoubtedly a milestone of the Uruguay Round of negotiations, as it has successfully brought services into the multilateral framework of trades. Under the GATS regime, services are trade via four modes of supply, namely, cross-border supply (mode1); consumption abroad (mode 2); commercial presence (mode 3); movement of natural persons (mode 4). Notwithstanding the GATS has taken the important step towards bringing services into the multilateral framework of trade, the liberalization commitments that have reaped during first round negotiations are so limited. They are highly asymmetric across different sectors and modes of supply, in particular, the movement of natural persons. Developing countries were disappointed by the dearth of the commitments in the aspect of their comparative advantage, and now seek to great openness. Meanwhile, lots of multinational corporations attempt to enlarge the scope of movement of personnel as well. Due to the aging populations, developed countries today are facing an increasing severe shortage of workers, including skilled and less skilled. These shared interested seem to create an optimistic negotiating environment for the current negotiations. The problem is, however, whether and how the coincidence of interests could be taken used of to further liberalizations. Besides the introduction - Chapter 1, the study could be divided into five parts. First, the study endeavors to clarify the meaning and scope of mode 4, inter alia, the most debated issue – if “natural persons employed by host-country companies “falls within the GATS. It has been argued that since the Annex of Movement of Natural Persons covers ”employed by a service supplier of a Member”, this could include foreigners employed by host-country companies. Owing to the fact that Art.1: 2(d) of the GATS defines mode 4 as “ the supply of service …by a service supplier of one Member, through the presence of natural persons of a Member in the territory of any other Member”, this argument is not accepted by the majority opinions. Chapter 2 attempts to analyze how the opaqueness result from and sketches out the sensitivities involved the issue. Apart from the economic impacts of mode 4, some observers argue that the real grounds behind the reluctance of Members to expand mode 4 commitments are uncertain social and political impacts. Therefore, economic impacts, as well as social influences and debates will also be discussed in this Chapter. In accordance with the data of WTO Secretariat and International Mutual Fund (IMF), it’s apparent that mode 4 is by far the smallest mode of service delivery in terms of both flows and volumes of schedules. Moreover, the limited commitments that have been made under the mode 4 almost exclusively refer to so-called “white-collar” personnel, especially to the intra-corporate transferees (ICT), which are linked to commercial presence. In addition, a variety of obstacles, such as burdensome visa/work permit procedures, economic needs tests (ENTs), licensing requirement, pre-employment, wage parity, and social security taxes, etc., have made the scheduled concessions more limited. All the patterns of mode 4 commitments and barriers are presented in Chapter 3. Chapter 4 first outlines the brief history of post-Uruguay Round negotiations from 1994 to 1995 that is helpful to perceive the interests of conflicts of interests between the capital-surplus and labour-surplus countries. In addition, all the proposals pertaining to liberalizing mode 4 commitments for the new round negotiations are detailed listed in this Chapter. Mode 4 commitments of Taiwan are evaluated in Chapter, in particular, the potential impacts of the 3rd category personnel. The study seeks to submit several strategies for the purposes of tackling the envisaged menaces. The last Chapter is the conclusions and recommendations. All the crucial issues are collected as a whole, meanwhile, negotiating strategies and proposals with respect to GATS visa, ENTs, categories of personnel, uniformity of the terms of the specific commitments, transparency, domestic regulations, the use of ISCO-88 for the scheduling etc. for the new round negotiations are submitted to the authorities concerned as well. Key words: GATS, commercial presence, mode 3,movement of natural persons, mode 4, 3rd category personnel, business visitor, intra-corporate transferees (ICT), independent service contractor, GATS visa, ENTs, work permit, W/120, ISCO-88.

1 Abstract The thesis "Employment of foreigners" analyses individual aspects of current legislation in the area of employment of foreigners. It is primarily focusing on nationals from non-EU countries. The thesis is divided into five parts. The first chapter focuses on defining the basic terms typical for the employment of foreigners and often used in the whole thesis. Their precise definition is crucial for a comprehensive analysis of the issue of employing foreigners. The second chapter provides a brief overview of the individual types of residence permits, on the basis of which a foreigner may reside in the Czech Republic. Although the thesis is mainly focused on the employment of foreigners from third countries, it also includes EU citizens and their family members for the sake of complexity. The thesis defines the basic difference between the certificate of temporary residence and the temporary residence permit, including the particulars that the foreigner must submit to obtain it. At the end of the first part of the chapter are summarised the basic conditions of permanent residence. The second part of the chapter is devoted to the conditions of entry of foreigners from third countries in the Schengen area, as well as the basic definition of short-term, long-term and permanent residence in the Czech...

This master thesis examines Directive 2014/66/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council on the conditions of entry and residence of third-country nationals in the framework of an intra-corporate transfer, the so-called ICT-directive and its corresponding rules in the Swedish legal framework with a main point on the principles of good administration. This issue is deliberated in relation to the direct effect of the European Union and the national procedural and institutional autonomy to determine whether the Directive’s procedural safeguards have been implemented satisfactorily. The principle of good administration has a wide comprehension and therefore, in this thesis, the focus is on the right to have his or her affairs handled impartially and fairly, an obligation of the administration to give reasons for its decisions and a right to be heard in the Directive and the corresponding rules of the Swedish utlänningslagen (2005:716) and utlänningsförordningen (2006:97) also with consideration to the Swedish förvaltningslagen (1986:223) and the new förvaltningslagen (2017:900). This master thesis is based on the legal-judicial and comparative law approaches to solve the legal problems that arise after the national implementation of this Directive. Finally, criticism has been directed towards the principle of good administration in the Union law and Swedish law. / I denna magisteruppsats analyseras Europaparlamentets och rådets direktiv 2014/66/EU om villkor för inresa och vistelse för tredjelandsmedborgare inom ramen för företagsintern förflyttning av personal, det så kallade ICT-direktivet (Intra-Corporate Transfer) och de motsvarande reglerna i den svenska rätten med tonvikt på principen om god förvaltning. Ämnet behandlas i förhållande till Europeiska unionens direkta effekt och den nationella processuella och institutionella autonomin för att undersöka huruvida direktivets rättssäkerhetsgarantier har implementerats på ett tillfredställande sätt. Principen om god förvaltning har en bred förståelse och i denna uppsats sätts fokus på omsorgsprincipen, motiveringsskyldigheten och rätten att bli hörd i ICT-direktivet och de motsvarande reglerna i den svenska utlänningslagen (2005:716) och utlänningsförordningen (2006:97) samt med beaktande av förvaltningslagen (1986:223) och den nya förvaltningslagen (2017:900). Magisteruppsatsen tillämpar den rättsdogmatiska och komparativrättsliga metoden för att lösa de juridiska problemen som uppkommer vid den nationella implementeringen av ICT-direktivet. Slutligen har kritik riktats till principen om god förvaltning i unionsrätten och i den svenska rätten.

The Swedish government is legally obliged to conduct climate policy work that will protect nature and humanity from the harmful effects of climate change. Obligations related to the environment arise under Swedish domestic law, European law and international law. This thesis investigates the possibilities for the Swedish public to initiate climate change litigation against the Swedish government due to insufficient climate actions. I examine three climate change litigation approaches from selected jurisdictions, including Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and the United Kingdom. By transposing the three litigation approaches into the Swedish legal order I seek to discuss the possibilities for the public to challenge the Swedish state's responsibility in climate matters. This thesis claims that the possibilities for the concerned public to address climate change are restricted. International obligations derived from the European Convention on Human Rights and the Aarhus Convention have given individuals substantive rights and procedural rights in matters related to the environment. However, the implementation of the international obligations are not always enshrined in the national law.

This dissertation is dedicated to study the design and utilization of financial contracts and pricing mechanisms for managing the demand/price risks in electricity markets and the price risks in carbon emission markets from different perspectives. We address the issues pertaining to the efficient computational algorithms for pricing complex financial options which include many structured energy financial contracts and the design of economic mechanisms for managing the risks associated with increasing penetration of renewable energy resources and with trading emission allowance permits in the restructured electric power industry. To address the computational challenges arising from pricing exotic energy derivatives designed for various hedging purposes in electricity markets, we develop a generic computational framework based on a fast transform method, which attains asymptotically optimal computational complexity and exponential convergence. For the purpose of absorbing the variability and uncertainties of renewable energy resources in a smart grid, we propose an incentive-based contract design for thermostatically controlled loads (TCLs) to encourage end users' participation as a source of DR. Finally, we propose a market-based approach to mitigate the emission permit price risks faced by generation companies in a cap-and-trade system. Through a stylized economic model, we illustrate that the trading of properly designed financial options on emission permits reduces permit price volatility and the total emission reduction cost.

Thesis (M. En.)--Miami University, Institute of Environmental Sciences, 2006. / Title from first page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 35 [1st set of paginations]).