Carmen Bunzl - Universidad Pontificia Comillas

Chapter 2. Options for future climate change architectures 81
Strengths
Even in the absence of an agreed global long-term target, the urgency of
addressing climate change is now broadly accepted. Global CO2 emissions from
energy production and use are expected to grow rapidly (IEA, 2007). The idea
of targeting the principal emitters has gained ground. Sectoral approaches may
broaden participation in tackling climate change, including emerging
economies and are also thought to help moderate competitiveness concerns in
trade-exposed industries. Emissions would be identified in a sector by sector
basis, building confidence in that policies and measures can be carried out to
reduce emissions.
A number of authors (Schmidt et al., 2006; Bodansky, 2007; Egenhofer, 2008)
have suggested that sectoral approaches may provide an appropriate
framework for post-Kyoto agreements.
Some industrial sectors are so concentrated that even a small number of
companies represent a significant share of emissions; it is natural that climate
change policy would focus on them. Specified targets could be set, starting with
specific sectors that are particularly important, politically easier to address,
globally homogeneous or relatively isolated from competition with other
sectors. Targets may be fixed or dynamic, binding or no-lose.Some candidates
in industry for sectoral approaches (see Vieillefosse, 2007; Baron, 2007;
Egenhofer, 2008):
• Aluminium 0.9% of world GHG emissions (2004)
10 biggest producers = 54% of the world market
• Cement 4.6% of world GHG emissions (2005)
10 biggest producers = 25% of global output
• Steel 5.22% of world GHG emissions (2005)
10 biggest producers = 26% of global output
Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería ICAI Carmen Bunzl Boulet Junio 2008