This thesis examines the economic and environmental impacts that precision agriculture technologies (PATs) can have on the carbon footprint of a grain farm. An analysis is offered using two manuscripts. The first examines the impacts of three PATs and compares the findings to a conventional farming method. It was found that all three PATs investigated showed a potential Pareto improvement over conventional farming. The second manuscript expanded the model used previously to in order to develop a process to construct a carbon efficient frontier (CEF). The model employed examined uniform and variable rate technologies. In addition to the CEF, a marginal abatement cost curve was constructed. Using these curves in a complementary fashion, more accurate information on the adaptive behavior of farmer technology adoption can be gleaned. the information gleaned for the two manuscripts can give both producers and policy makers the analytical tools needed to make more information decisions with regard to economic and environmental feasibility of PATs.

This dissertation addresses the crucial problem of how environmental policy uncertainty influences investments in energy technological change. The rising level of carbon emissions due to increasing global energy consumption calls for policy shift. In order to stem the negative consequences on the climate, policymakers are concerned with carving an optimal regulation that will encourage technology investments. However, decision makers are facing uncertainties surrounding future environmental policy. The first part considers the treatment of technological change in theoretical models. This part has two purposes: (1) to show-through illustrative examples-that technological change can lead to quite different, and surprising, impacts on the marginal costs of pollution abatement. We demonstrate an intriguing and uncommon result that technological change can increase the marginal costs of pollution abatement over some range of abatement; (2) to show the impact, on policy, of this uncommon observation. We find that under the assumption of technical change that can increase the marginal cost of pollution abatement over some range, the ranking of policy instruments is affected. The second part builds on the first by considering the impact of uncertainty in the carbon tax on investments in a portfolio of technologies. We determine the response of energy R&D investments as the carbon tax increases both in terms of overall and technology-specific investments. We determine the impact of risk in the carbon tax on the portfolio. We find that the response of the optimal investment in a portfolio of technologies to an increasing carbon tax depends on the relative costs of the programs and the elasticity of substitution between fossil and non-fossil energy inputs. In the third part, we zoom-in on the portfolio model above to consider how uncertainty in the magnitude and timing of a carbon tax influences investments. Under a two-stage continuous-time optimal control model, we consider the impact of these uncertainties on R&D spending that aims to lower the cost of non-fossil energy technology. We find that our results tally with the classical results because it discourages near-term investment. However, timing uncertainty increases near-term investment.

As concern grows about energy and environment issues, energy and environmental modeling and related policy analysis are critical issues for today's society. Polluting firms such as coal power plants play an important role in providing electricity to drive the U.S. economy as well as producing pollution that damages the environment and human health. This dissertation is intended to model and estimate polluting firms' production using nonparametric methods. First, frontier production function of polluting firms is characterized by weak disposability between outputs and pollutants to reflecting the opportunity cost to reduce pollutants. The StoNED method is extended to estimate a weak disposability frontier production function accounting for random noise in the data. The method is applied to the U.S. coal power plants under the Acid Rain Program to find the average technical inefficiency and shadow price of SO2 and NOx. Second, polluting firms' production processes are modeled characterizing both the output production process and the pollution abatement process. Using the law of conservation of mass applied to the pollution abatement process, this dissertation develops a new frontier pollutant function which then is used to find corresponding marginal abatement cost of pollutants. The StoNEZD method is applied to estimate a frontier pollutant function considering the vintage of capital owned by the polluting firms. The method is applied to estimate the average NOx marginal abatement cost for the U.S. coal power plants under the current Clean Air Interstate Rule NOx program. Last, the effect of a technical change on marginal abatement costs are investigated using an index decomposition technique. The StoNEZD method is extended to estimate sequential frontier pollutant functions reflecting the innovation in pollution reduction. The method is then applied to estimate a technical change effect on a marginal abatement cost of the U.S. coal power plants under the current Clean Air Interstate Rule NOx program.

This thesis employs a parametric input distance function that incorporates both desirable and undesirable outputs to provide a more complete representation of the production technology. Based on the Shephard (1970) theory of duality, we derive the shadow prices of undesirable outputs in the Czech energy sector on the data over the period 2002 - 2007. The medians of our shadow prices estimates are 8374, 1198, 2805, 6051 and 8549 € per ton of PM, SO2, NOx, CO and VOC, respectively. We decompose shadow prices estimates and test the hypotheses that the marginal abatement cost decline over time; that marginal abatement cost rice with the declining emission level; and that marginal abatement cost rice with declining emission rate. Key Words: shadow prices, distance function, undesirable outputs, marginal abatement cost JEL classification: C61, D24, Q53

O Acordo de Paris preconiza que cada país descreva e comunique suas ações climáticas pós-2020. Neste contexto, as Curvas de Custo Marginal de Abatimento (MACC) podem ser úteis aos países e aos tomadores de decisão, pois mostram de forma clara o custo (em unidades monetárias por massa de CO2e) para a implementação de tecnologias de mitigação de emissões de gases do efeito estufa (GEE) e o seu potencial de redução de emissões associado (em massa de CO2e). As MACC podem ser utilizadas para qualquer unidade política, como: país, cidade ou estado. Podem, também, ser aplicadas a diversas áreas, tais como: transporte, construção, poluição do ar, agricultura ou indústria. Diante desta diversidade de estudos e aplicações, o objetivo do presente trabalho foi desenvolver uma metodologia de adaptação de MACC, de estudos publicados na literatura, para qualquer unidade política ou ano de interesse. Isto permitirá a \"reutilização\" destas MACC, porém sem a necessidade da realização de novos estudos. O desenvolvimento da metodologia de adaptação prescindiu de uma meta-análise e harmonização de dados da literatura. A metodologia desenvolvida foi aplica ao Brasil, considerando os subsetores industriais de cimento e de siderurgia. Ela foi, também, implementada no software Access® (e denominada re-MACC) para que todo o processo de adaptação das MACC pudesse ser realizado automaticamente. Analisando um total de 178 tecnologias de baixo carbono para os subsetores de cimento e de siderurgia, o resultado mostrou que seria possível reduzir, em 2014, aproximadamente 52,4% das emissões de CO2e, gerando uma economia monetária de 1.835 US$/tCO2e, caso o Brasil as adotasse. A metodologia foi capaz de harmonizar dados para qualquer unidade política ou ano de interesse, todavia refinamentos são necessários para torná-la ainda mais acurada / The Paris Agreement calls on each country to describe and report on its climate actions post-2020. In this context, the Marginal Abatement Cost Curves (MACC) can be useful to countries and decision makers as they clearly show the cost (in monetary units per mass of CO2e) for the implementation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission mitigation technologies and their associated emission reduction potential (in mass of CO2e). They can be used for any jurisdiction, such as country, city or state. They can also be applied to several areas, such as: transportation, buildings, air pollution, agriculture or manufacturing. In view of this diversity of studies and applications, the objective of the present work was to develop a methodology for adapting MACC, from studies published in the literature, to any jurisdiction or year of interest. This work allows for \"re-using\" these MACC, but without the need for new studies. The development of the methodology is based on a meta-analysis and harmonization of literature data. The methodology was applied to Brazil, considering the industrial cement and steel subsectors. It was implemented in the Access® software (and called re-MACC) so the MACC adaptation process could be performed automatically. Analyzing a total of 178 low-carbon technologies for the Brazilian industrial subsectors of cement and steel, the result showed that it would be possible to reduce by approximately 52.4% of CO2e emissions by 2014, generating monetary savings of 1,835 US$/tCO2e. The methodology proved to be capable in harmonizing the data, however further refinements are needed to make it even more accurate

O Acordo de Paris preconiza que cada país descreva e comunique suas ações climáticas pós-2020. Neste contexto, as Curvas de Custo Marginal de Abatimento (MACC) podem ser úteis aos países e aos tomadores de decisão, pois mostram de forma clara o custo (em unidades monetárias por massa de CO2e) para a implementação de tecnologias de mitigação de emissões de gases do efeito estufa (GEE) e o seu potencial de redução de emissões associado (em massa de CO2e). As MACC podem ser utilizadas para qualquer unidade política, como: país, cidade ou estado. Podem, também, ser aplicadas a diversas áreas, tais como: transporte, construção, poluição do ar, agricultura ou indústria. Diante desta diversidade de estudos e aplicações, o objetivo do presente trabalho foi desenvolver uma metodologia de adaptação de MACC, de estudos publicados na literatura, para qualquer unidade política ou ano de interesse. Isto permitirá a \"reutilização\" destas MACC, porém sem a necessidade da realização de novos estudos. O desenvolvimento da metodologia de adaptação prescindiu de uma meta-análise e harmonização de dados da literatura. A metodologia desenvolvida foi aplica ao Brasil, considerando os subsetores industriais de cimento e de siderurgia. Ela foi, também, implementada no software Access® (e denominada re-MACC) para que todo o processo de adaptação das MACC pudesse ser realizado automaticamente. Analisando um total de 178 tecnologias de baixo carbono para os subsetores de cimento e de siderurgia, o resultado mostrou que seria possível reduzir, em 2014, aproximadamente 52,4% das emissões de CO2e, gerando uma economia monetária de 1.835 US$/tCO2e, caso o Brasil as adotasse. A metodologia foi capaz de harmonizar dados para qualquer unidade política ou ano de interesse, todavia refinamentos são necessários para torná-la ainda mais acurada / The Paris Agreement calls on each country to describe and report on its climate actions post-2020. In this context, the Marginal Abatement Cost Curves (MACC) can be useful to countries and decision makers as they clearly show the cost (in monetary units per mass of CO2e) for the implementation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission mitigation technologies and their associated emission reduction potential (in mass of CO2e). They can be used for any jurisdiction, such as country, city or state. They can also be applied to several areas, such as: transportation, buildings, air pollution, agriculture or manufacturing. In view of this diversity of studies and applications, the objective of the present work was to develop a methodology for adapting MACC, from studies published in the literature, to any jurisdiction or year of interest. This work allows for \"re-using\" these MACC, but without the need for new studies. The development of the methodology is based on a meta-analysis and harmonization of literature data. The methodology was applied to Brazil, considering the industrial cement and steel subsectors. It was implemented in the Access® software (and called re-MACC) so the MACC adaptation process could be performed automatically. Analyzing a total of 178 low-carbon technologies for the Brazilian industrial subsectors of cement and steel, the result showed that it would be possible to reduce by approximately 52.4% of CO2e emissions by 2014, generating monetary savings of 1,835 US$/tCO2e. The methodology proved to be capable in harmonizing the data, however further refinements are needed to make it even more accurate

The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of alternative cropping systems on farm net returns, and nitrate-N and sediment yields in Thomas Brook Watershed (TBW). The study involved integrated bio-physical and economic optimization modelling. Crop yield and nitrate-N pollution response functions were estimated and then used in trade-off analysis between farm returns and environmental quality improvement. Five crop rotation systems were evaluated for seven fertilizer levels under conventional tillage (CT) and no-till systems (NT). Nitrate-N leached, as well as estimated maximum economic rate of N (MERN) fertilizer level and marginal abatement costs depended on crop type, rotation system, and tillage type. The most cost effective cropping systems that met restrictions on Health Canada maximum limit on nitrate-N in water included corn-corn-corn-alfalfa-alfalfa under NT for corn-based cropping systems, potato-winter wheat-carrot-corn under CT for vegetable horticulture-based and potato-barley-winter wheat-potato-corn under NT for potato-based cropping systems.

La planification urbaine stratégique en France se voit chargée de manière croissante des questions environnementale et climatique. Mais est-elle réellement capable d'infléchir les dynamiques d'étalement ainsi que de former un cadre efficace pour la réduction des émissions des transports ? Et que peuvent apporter l'analyse économique et la simulation prospective à la démarche de planification ? Pour y répondre nous avons replacé notre analyse de l'apport des outils économiques à la planification urbaine dans la perspective d'ensemble de réforme politique et administrative du contexte français. Cela a pris la forme d'une analyse critique de la pratique actuelle de la planification, des évolutions à l'œuvre et des conditions d'une meilleure intégration de l'analyse économique dans la démarche et les méthodes de planification. Nous avons construit et utilisé sur le cas de Grenoble, des outils d'analyse économique permettant de traiter la question des politiques climatiques locales dans la planification, d'une manière prospective et systémique. Il s'agit de la 1ère application du modèle de simulation urbanisme-transport TRANUS en France, et de son utilisation dans le cadre d'une méthodologie économique pour produire des courbes de coût d'abattement intégrant le caractère systémique de la ville pour le secteur des transports. Le modèle et la méthodologie économique qui lui est adossée constituent ce que nous appelons l'outil TRANUS+. Nous avons également réinterrogé plusieurs points à partir du cadre de la planification urbaine : la question du choix des outils de modélisation ainsi que celle des modalités du calcul économique, la question de la vulnérabilité énergétique liée à la mobilité, celle enfin du déploiement des véhicules électriques. Cela nous permet d'avoir une vision d'ensemble des apports de la planification et des voies pour la renforcer. / Strategic spatial planning in France is currently given a rising importance for environmental and climate issues. But is this tool really able to reduce urban sprawl and to produce a efficient framework for reducing transport emissions? And what can be the potential contributions to planning of economic analysis and prospective modelling? To answer this, we developed our study on the contribution of economic tools to planning into the global political and administrative reforms of France. We then produced a critical analysis of current planning practices and recent evolutions, and try to define the conditions for a better integration of economic analysis into planning processes and methods. For our case study (Grenoble urban area) we built and used economic tools able to inform local climate policies in the framework of urban planning. It is the first implementation of the land -use transport interaction model TRANUS in France, which was linked to an original economic methodology in order to produce marginal abatment cost curves useful at the urban level. This model and the methodology can take into account the systemic nature of cities and then help to define better transport policies: we call this tool TRANUS+. To have a more complete view of the urban planning question and the way to improve it, we investigated several issues from the perspective of planning: the choice of modelling tool and the role of cost-benefit analysis, energy poverty in the transport sector, electric vehicle deployement.

Reducing carbon emissions in our societies requires a massive shift towards renewables. In Sweden, biomass is the dominant source for the district heat production, but growing demand for biomass in other sectors may cause pressure on it. In this context, this thesis explores the possibility to supply heat with solar parabolic thermal collectors to a district heating system in Kosta, a locality in Lessebo municipality, Kronoberg county. The simulations and calculations are based on the locally available hourly data of weather conditions, supply and return temperatures of district heat and heat demand profiles. The energy production as well as the profitability of the installation is evaluated through the calculation of carbon abatement costs, considering that heat supplied from solar collectors spares biomass which can be made available for decarbonating the power sector. Results have shown that a solar installation that cover most of the heat demand during the months of summer, thus 10% of the annual heat demand, can be profitable. This study also investigates different scenarios with increased costs for the biomass resource to simulate the growing pressure around this resource and concludes that with growing costs of the biomass resource, solar application will become more attractive, allowing to make larger solar district heating plants profitable.

全球暖化已成為大多數國家近幾年所關心的議題。雖然臺灣政府於2010年5月所核定的「國家節能減碳總計畫」之中，儘管減量目標及原則業已確立，但未充分探討各別產業的面臨碳排放管制時所造成的影響，因此，臺灣各產業或次部門究竟應承擔多大的減量責任仍是混沌不明。 為了更清楚瞭解碳排放管制對於臺灣工業部門之各產業的影響，本文以方向性距離函數，估算工業部門中14個產業367家上市櫃、興櫃和公開發行公司於2005年至2010年，在不同電力消費所產生的CO2之責任歸屬情況下之生產效率及汙染減量成本，以反映各產業於管制下的機會成本，便於鎖定某些產業或公司，來賦予減量責任。結果發現，各產業在實施碳排放管制後的效率水準，會高於未實施碳排放管制時的效率水準，且各產業的平均總汙染減量成本與每噸二氧化碳減量成本相差甚大。而臺灣尚未通過相關法規以規範各產業二氧化碳排放水準，若各產業節能技術或政府相關配套政策未改善，倉促實施碳排放管制，除了對管制對象的產生影響外，也可能間接衝擊未管制對象。政府除了加強輔導各種產業從事節能技術外，也需要適當的公布各產業各公司的各種汙染排放量資訊，以供各界研究碳排放管制或其他汙染排放管制對社會的影響。 / Global warming has become the topic of most countries which concerns things in recent years. Government sets up CO2 reduction objectives and principle in “General National Plan for Energy Saving and Carbon Reduction” in 2010, but the plan doesn’t probe effect of CO2 regulation which different industries. Therefore, it is unknown that different industries should be responsible for the abatement of CO2. In order to clearly understand effect of CO2 regulation for Taiwan industrial sector, this paper use directional distance function to estimate production efficiency and pollution abatement cost of 367 public companies in 14 industries in industrial sector from 2005 to 2010, and to reflect different industries’ opportunity cost under CO2 regulation. Production efficiency of different industries after the implementation of CO2 regulation will be higher than before the implementation of CO2 regulation. On the other hand, different industries have a variety of average pollution abatement cost and pollution abatement cost of CO2 per ton. However, Taiwan has not yet adopted the environment laws to set up industrial CO2 emission level, if the government hurriedly implemented CO2 regulation for Taiwan industrial sector, may be indirectly influence other sectors. Hence, the government should not only urge that industries must be engaged in energy-saving technologies, but also announce companies’ various pollution emission information which provides research institutes to analyze effect of social welfare under CO2 regulation.