Logo image
Back
Harmonizing climate change adaptation and mitigation policy objectives through carbon market rules and incentives
Abstract

Harmonizing climate change adaptation and mitigation policy objectives through carbon market rules and incentives

Graham Ashford
Proceedings of the 3rd Early Career Researchers National Forum & Workshop, p.24
Early Career Researchers National Forum & Workshop: Australian Climate Change Adaptation Research Network for Settlements and Infrastructure, 3rd (Gold Coast, Australia, 19-Apr-2010–21-Apr-2010)
2010
url
https://www.nccarf.edu.auView
Webpage

Abstract

Environmental Science and Management climate change adaptation mitigation policy
Climate change mitigation policies are typically designed and implemented with little reference to adaptation objectives. The potential outcome is that mitigation activities could unintentionally lead to maladaptation, alter coping thresholds or otherwise constrain adaptive capacity. Examples could include locking into energy, transportation or infrastructure technologies that limit future adaptive potential; pursuing carbon sequestration through forestry and agricultural practices that do not take into account climate change projections on crop tolerances; promoting biofuel production at the expense of food production and so on. The potential for undesirable outcomes suggests the need for proactive processes that ensure the compatibility and synergistic effects of mitigation and adaptation activities, including in the emerging Australian domestic carbon market. Such an approach could lead to the evaluation of mitigation activities not only on the timing and volume of their emissions reductions, but also on their contribution to adaptation and sustainable development. The precedent for this approach exists in the design of the Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). CDM modalities are illustrative of the tools available to Australian policy makers and include: taxing the proceeds of emissions trades or offsets and allocating them to adaptation; developing standards and certification procedures to identify high quality projects so that they can attract a price premium; introducing multipliers to increase or reduce the number of credits granted to an offset project compared to actual emissions reduced in order to promote investment in preferred project types. Strategies to integrate adaptation objectives in to mitigation projects will be presented and discussed.

Details

Metrics

639 Record Views
Logo image