2010年-世界发展银行全球_Climate_Change_and_Economic_Policies_in_APEC_Economies___Synthesis_Report_69页_1mb

Summary of Climate Change and Economic Policies in APEC Economies

Core Content

This synthesis report, prepared by the World Bank as part of the APEC Finance Ministers' Policy Initiatives of 2008, outlines the economic policy options for mitigating and adapting to climate change in APEC economies. It is based on four background studies and presents a comprehensive analysis of fiscal, trade, investment, and regulatory policies that can support climate action.

Main Findings

1. Synergies Between Climate and Development Goals

• No-regrets policies that reduce emissions also contribute to other development goals such as poverty reduction and energy access.
• For instance, promoting renewable energy can help electrify rural areas, reducing poverty while lowering emissions.
• The high cost of grid connection in countries like Vietnam and Indonesia makes off-grid renewable energy a "win-win" solution.

2. Importance of Full Policy Instrument Use

• Ambitious emissions and renewable energy targets cannot be achieved without a comprehensive set of economic instruments.
• Developed economies have failed to meet Kyoto targets, and China's emissions have grown rapidly, indicating the need for more diverse policy tools.
• Carbon pricing, while useful, has not been a top priority, and more attention is needed to fully leverage its potential.

3. Fiscal Policies for Mitigation and Adaptation

• Carbon pricing is critical for reducing emissions and can generate significant revenue and trade gains.
• Energy sector reforms are necessary to ensure cost pass-through, making carbon pricing effective and credible.
• Broader economic reforms are also important to avoid growth being biased towards high carbon, energy-intensive technologies.
• Technology-based fiscal support should focus on R&D and innovation, with some targeted support for promising technologies like coal gasification and carbon capture.
• Verifiable emissions targets are essential to guide policy interventions in uncertain environments.

4. Climate Friendly Technologies (CFTs)

• A wide range of CFTs exists in APEC economies, from large-scale to micro-scale technologies.
• Key demand-side technologies include building design improvements, CHP, efficient lighting, and vehicles.
• Supply-side technologies include advanced fossil fuel-based systems and renewables like hydro, wind, bio-fuels, and solar PV.
• CFTs must be used in combination to form a complete mitigation strategy.

5. Market Readiness and Institutional Capacity

• Enhancing market readiness is crucial for effective climate policy implementation.
• This involves improving the ability of markets to transmit carbon price signals, measure and credit emission reductions, and trade emissions rights.
• MRV (Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification) capabilities and emissions inventories are fundamental.
• A diagnostic approach to market readiness assessment is proposed, with APEC economies encouraged to prepare for new market mechanisms like CDM and cap-and-trade systems.

6. Social Safety Nets and Resilience

• Social safety nets, access to credit, and irrigation infrastructure are vital for enhancing community resilience to extreme climate events.
• The report highlights that communities with these supports are more capable of adapting to climate impacts.
• No-regrets policies include building safety nets in underserved areas and strengthening existing ones.
• Gaps in disaster relief systems must be addressed to improve adaptive capacity.

7. Regional Cooperation for Climate Action

• APEC is well positioned to use regional cooperation to advance climate policies.
• Four key areas of cooperation are:
  • Harmonizing trade policies for CFTs to reduce non-tariff barriers.
  • Coordinating regulatory systems to support regional markets for climate-friendly products.
  • Strengthening regional climate monitoring to inform mitigation and adaptation decisions.
  • Knowledge sharing to enhance technical and institutional capacity, particularly in MRV.

Key Information

• APEC economies account for about 60% of global GHG emissions and include the three largest emitters.
• Extreme weather events such as floods, droughts, and storms are expected to increase in frequency and severity, affecting household welfare and agricultural productivity.
• The seven main findings highlight the need for integrated, market-based, and regionally coordinated approaches to climate change.
• Technology transfer, investment, and trade policies are essential for leveraging CFTs in developing economies.

Conclusion

This report provides a strategic roadmap for APEC economies to address climate change through economic policies. It emphasizes the importance of synergies between climate and development goals, market readiness, regional cooperation, and institutional capacity building. The synthesis aims to stimulate dialogue and action among APEC members to ensure effective and sustainable climate policy implementation.