The Canadian agricultural sector was recognised as a potential seller of carbon offset credits in the domestic emission trading system. A number of beneficial management practices may reduce GHG emissions while increasing production efficiency and profitability of agricultural activities. A contingent valuation survey was used to estimate the carbon offset price at which feedlot operators in Ontario would adopt two management practices that reduce GHG emissions: adding roasted soybean seeds to a cattle diet and increasing the intensity of feedlot operations. The value elicitation questions to estimate the mean WTA compensation were designed using a multiple bounded discrete choice format developed by Welsh and Poe (1998). / It was estimated that at a carbon offset price of $ 25.14/t CO2 e provided enough incentive for feedlot operators to intensify their operations and a price of $ 109.51/t CO2e to change their feeding strategies. The mean willingness to accept a cost to change a conventional practice to a greenhouse gas emissions reducing practice was estimated to be 62% of the carbon revenue. The regression analysis demonstrated that producers' willingness to accept compensation was influenced by the individual's characteristics, farm structure variables, and practice attributes. Policy makers may use these results in the design of greenhouse gas reduction strategies for the beef sector.

The purpose of this study is to examine the accounting standard-setting process in relation to emissions rights and related liabilities in the Korean context in order to provide a better understanding of accounting issues under an emissions trading scheme (ETS). Using an interpretive inductive approach, this study comprises semi-structured, face-to-face interviews and analysis of relevant documents. Interviews were carried out with a wide range of key players, including accounting standard setters (Korean Accounting Standards Board, International Accounting Standards Board, and Autorité des Normes Comptables), accounting experts, industry and government. This study identifies how problematic accounting issues on emissions rights and related liabilities have been addressed by accounting standard setters. The key accounting issues under ETS are linked mainly with free allowances. It is found that accounting standard setters attempt to establish the most appropriate accounting standard under the given circumstances reflecting a variety of considerations, and that the most common elements affecting the development of accounting standards for ETS are the legal and economic context, the existing accounting framework, and preceding models and practices. Nevertheless, these factors affect the development of accounting standards for ETS in different ways. Accordingly, the primary accounting issues on which each standard setter concentrates vary depending on different circumstances and considerations. This study investigates the accounting standard-setting process for emissions rights by Korean accounting standard setters, from the agenda-setting stage to the final publication of the standard. The findings reinforce the importance of political factors in the standard-setting process, including stakeholders’ participation in the process, prominent stakeholders, and the motivation, methods and timing of lobbying activities. In particular, the findings have important implications for the effectiveness of lobbying. Overall, the findings confirm that accounting standards are likely to be the political outcome of interactions between the accounting standard setter and stakeholders. The findings highlight desirable factors for accounting models of emissions rights. Desirability or appropriateness of standard is judged by the extent to which stakeholders in institutional environments consider the promulgation to be legitimate or authoritative. Therefore, accounting standard setters must make greater efforts to encourage stakeholders to participate in the standard-setting process in order to ensure institutional legitimacy. The originality of this study lies in its empirical research on accounting issues for ETS from a practical point of view. In particular, in its timely and detailed investigation of Korean accounting standard setters, this study provides a broader understanding of the accounting standard-setting process in the Korean context. The study also advances legitimacy theory by offering a framework particularly applicable to accounting standard setting process, which also incorporates stakeholder theory research. The study finds support from the framework and further contributes to the related literature by reviewing legitimacy conflicts. From an accounting policy point of view, the findings have implications for both national and international standard setters and provide guidance on how to achieve high-quality accounting standards with a high degree of compliance.

Climate change mitigation necessitates substantial alterations to patterns of worldwide economic activity, be that reduction in demand, switches to new technology or 'end-of-pipe' abatement of greenhouse gases. There are profound political, economic and ethical questions surrounding the governance of the means, rate and location of change. Within advanced capitalist economies and internationally through the auspices of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change emissions trading systems have been introduced as part of the broader neoliberal attempts to 'correct market failure' through the definition of new property rights.This thesis investigates the development, constitution and consequences of institutions for the production, exchange and consumption of credits for emissions reductions. Such credits are financial instruments awarded to organisations for putative reductions in emissions from 'business as usual'. In consumption, credits are equated with a quantity of emissions released elsewhere. The 'Instituted Economic Process' framework (Randles and Harvey, 2002) is used to distinguish the various classes of agent involved in these exchanges and identify the economic and non-economic relationships that constitute these institutions. Inspired by the economic anthropology of Karl Polanyi, this approach asks how economic activity is organised and stabilised within society without presuming that there are universal economic laws of 'the market', that there are essential properties of commodities and agents, or that all economic transfers are conducted within markets.I argue that crediting is a socially contingent process of commodification of atmospheric pollution which is both ontologically and normatively problematic. Extant institutions are shown to be precarious by appealing to neutral techno-scientific justifications but remaining reliant on subjective judgement. However, they are sufficiently consistent and credible that they persist and expand. These findings are of interest to the academic communities of political economy and environmental and economic geography, climate change policy makers and the environmental movement more broadly.

Thesis (Ph. D. (Accounting)) -- University of Limpopo, 2017. / This research examined the effect of carbon emissions reduction on financial performance Johannesburg Stock Exchange’s SRI companies. Empirical results of corporate fossil energy-based dependence on environment and economic performance thus far have been ambiguous. The major objective of this research was to examine the effect of emissions and energy intensity on market and accounting based performance measures. This research adopted the positivist paradigm approach and therefore used a quantitative causal research approach. Archival data was collected from fourteen JSE’s SRI companies for seven years. The research applied a panel data analysis, a total of 98 observations were derived from panel data set. Multiple linear and causal econometric models were applied in the data analyses namely ordinary least squares (OLS), fixed effects and dynamic models. OLS results showed a significant effect of energy usage intensity (ENGINT) on return on assets (ROA), and return on sales (ROS), with carbon emissions intensity (EMSINT) exhibiting a significant effect on return on assets (ROA), and return on sales (ROS). When the study controlled for omitted variable bias and possible orthogonality condition, a significant negative effect of energy intensity (ENGINT) on equity returns (EQRTNS) was found. Impulse response analysis revealed that shocks in energy intensity on average tend to decrease firms’ financial value, while shocks in emissions intensity on average increase firms’ financial value within the sampled companies. Whilst testing for causality, the Panel Granger causal analysis showed unidirectional effect of EMSINT on EQRTNS, and bidirectional causal relationship between EMSINT and MVE/S at 1% significant level. This research made a contribution by extending the model used by previous researchers through the use of multiple market and accounting based performance measures which were analysed using advanced econometric models: Arellano-Bond DPD model, impulse response function in short PVARs and Bootstrap dynamic panel threshold model. In addition, this thesis suggested a model to advance future research on carbon emissions and firm performance and managerial decision propensity for carbon reduction. / Carbon Disclosure Project and School of Accountancy of the University of Limpopo

Emission trading is a tool for achieving the European commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The aim is to create an effective European emissions trading market with the least possible negative impact on economic development and employment within the Union. Waste incineration plants in Sweden were added into this systemin2013andthe general situation has been a non-functioning market with a surplus of allowances where the emission cap was not tight enough to drive a significant reduction in emissions. For the upcoming trading period starting 2021 the cost for emission allowances is expected to increase due to the reformation, and the challenge is to allocate the cost for allowances in a fair and sustainable manner. The aim of this thesis is to present options on how to allocate the cost for emission allowances related to waste incineration plants with energy recovery in Sweden. The aim is further to understand how the cost allocation can result in a decrease of CO2emissions and thereby a lower climate impact. The initial idea for the research topic was proposed by the case study company and further developed in conjunction with the author, supervisor and examiner. The research is based on a case study of Tekniska Verken AB, an energy recovery company in Sweden. A case study approach was chosen as the research questions focuses on investigating a contemporary phenomenon within a real-life context. Data collection consisted of a literature review, semi-structured interviews and field visits, where the interviews were the main source of data for this research. The overall understanding is that the cost for emission allowances should be allocated further up the waste supply chain, all the way to product producers. By allocating the cost to waste providers by increased waste incineration treatment-price, the cost is pushed one step upstream. In this case, differentiating the waste providers by divide them into categories(such as municipal waste for example)and allocate the cost for emission allowances based on the performance of each category is a realistic and feasible solution aiming upstream. The cost can be allocated differently among waste providers depending on which category the waste derives from or on an overall level, tentatively using radiocarbon method. The radiocarbon method is considered reliable and practical to use compared to other options. Adopting polluters pay principle identifies the polluters and by allocating the cost for emitting carbon towards them plants an incentive to improve sorting and to decrease the share of fossil content. This can eventually contribute to a lower impact.

The interdisciplinary research project AviClim (Including Aviation in International Protocols for Climate Protection) has explored the feasibility for including aviation’s full climate impact, i.e., both long-lived CO2 and short-lived non-CO2 effects, in international protocols for climate protection and has investigated the economic impacts. Short-lived non-CO2 effects of aviation are NOx emissions, H2O emissions or contrail cirrus, for instance. Four geopolitical scenarios have been designed which differ concerning the level of international support for climate protecting measures. These scenarios have been combined alternatively with an emissions trading scheme on CO2 and non-CO2 species, a climate tax and a NOx emission charge combined with CO2 trading and operational measures (such as lower flight altitudes). Modelling results indicate that a global emissions trading scheme for both CO2 and non-CO2 emissions would be the best solution from an economic and environmental point of view. Costs and impacts on competition could be kept at a relatively moderate level and effects on employment are moderate, too. At the same time, environmental benefits are noticeable.

In a contemporary with intense concerns towards global warming, this thesis has investigated the matter of how trade regulation policies, responding to climate change, are rhetorically motivated and discussed within international forums. Particularly by looking at the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism and by critically dissecting how the EU has been navigating its conflicting position; on one hand, as the self-appointed leader of progressive climate actions, on the other hand, as the guardian of the common economic interests of the Union – and on a third stand, as a prominent member of the World Trade Organization, with binding obligations to not violate its rules.  On the basis of a theoretically post-colonial perspective, this paper has explored the power-relational tensions operating within discussions, practically by investigating the narrating presence of post-colonial tendencies. The study has additionally been interested in contributing to wider discussions on ideas and processes influencing the evolvement of international trade regulations on climate, and similarly, to constructively nuance the leadership role shouldered by the EU. This has been completed through an operationalization of three theoretical concepts; Universalism, Otherness/Self and Hegemony - and by implementing a mixed-method approach, bringing forward both qualitative and quantitative results answering up to the question on how the EU’s motivation in favour of the CBAM has been carried out rhetorically – both within internal discussions and during official WTO meetings.  Based on two data-cases reflecting the nature of EU’s rhetoric within the two forums, and in relation to the three theoretical concepts - intentionally developed to detect different post-colonial features - this study resulted in interesting outcomes demonstrating distinct rhetorical patterns. While in WTO contexts, emphases were put on asserting the EU as the natural leader and the CBAM as the most ambitious and effective environmental tool – internal discussions revealed contrastingly higher emphases on motivating the CBAM in terms of being a convenient regulation, serving the climate objective - most importantly - without interfering, nor jeopardizing the sovereignty of EU’s economic position. In fact, comparing between the two data-cases, the frequency of code-words motivating economic interests were 178% higher in internal EU discussions. It has therefore been verified that EU’s internal discussions on how to tackle global warming are strongly interlinked with reasonings around economic matters of interests. On the contrary, this is exceedingly toned down during official WTO-meetings.

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<p>Den 1 januari 2005, startades det europeiska handelssystemet med utsläppsrätter. Handelssystemet avser att minska</p><p>koldioxidutsläppen inom Europa, för att fullfölja åtagandet i Kyotoprotokollet. I Sverige har flera sektorer påverkats</p><p>av handeln med utsläppsrätter bl.a. energisektorn, som står i fokus för denna studie.</p><p>Syftet med uppsatsen är att studera hur de större och mindre energibolagen samt de ansvariga myndigheterna i</p><p>Sverige uppfattar systemet för handel med utsläppsrätter. För att uppfylla syftet formulerades ett antal</p><p>frågeställningar om hur energibolagen och myndigheterna ser på handelssystemets följande områden, fördelar och</p><p>nackdelar, implementering, tilldelningsprinciper, förbättringspotential, framtida utveckling, samt om det finns några</p><p>likheter och skillnader mellan energibolagen. Detta gjordes genom intervjuer med representanter från ett urval av</p><p>svenska energibolag och ansvariga myndigheter. Resultatet av intervjuerna analyserades och jämfördes med tidigare</p><p>studier. Därefter diskuterades frågeställningarna.</p><p>Slutsatserna visar att handelssystemet anses vara ett kostnadseffektivt styrmedel. Vidare visar slutsatserna att vid</p><p>implementeringen var tidspressen det största problemet för både energibolagen och myndigheterna. Vad gäller</p><p>tilldelningsprinciper föredrar energibolagen tilldelning baserad på riktmärken, detta bl.a. då de ser problem med</p><p>uppdatering av de historiska utsläppen. När det gäller handelssystemets förbättringspotential önskar energibolagen</p><p>främst större harmonisering, längre perioder samt en förenkling av reglerna och kraven. Både energibolagen och</p><p>myndigheterna framhåller att handelssystemets framtid är väldigt osäker och att det beror mycket på vilka</p><p>internationella beslut som fattas. En skillnad som har kunnat urskiljas mellan de större och mindre energibolagen är</p><p>att de större tänker globalt på klimatproblematiken och miljön, i jämförelse med de mindre energibolagen, vars fokus</p><p>ligger på den inhemska marknaden.</p>