Unilateral Measures and Emissions Mitigation

34 Pages Posted: 3 Nov 2009 Last revised: 12 Mar 2023

See all articles by Shurojit Chatterji

Shurojit Chatterji

Singapore Management University - School of Economics

Sayantan Ghosal

University of Warwick - Department of Economics; University of Glasgow - Adam Smith Business School

Sean Walsh

Centre for International Governance and Innovation (CIGI)

John Whalley

University of Western Ontario - Department of Economics; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER); CESifo (Center for Economic Studies and Ifo Institute); Centre for International Governance and Innovation (CIGI)

Date Written: October 2009

Abstract

We discuss global climate mitigation that builds on existing unilateral measures to cut emissions. We document and discuss the rationale for such unilateral measures argue that such measures have the potential to generate positive spillover effects both within and across countries. In a simple dynamic model of learning we show that while single countries on their own may never get to the point of switching completely to low emission activities, a learning process with positive spillovers across nations is more likely to deliver a global switch to low emissions. We discuss the key features of a new global Intellectual Property (IP) regime that builds on the positive spillovers inherent in unilateral initiatives and accelerates global convergence to low emissions.

Suggested Citation

Chatterji, Shurojit and Ghosal, Sayantan and Ghosal, Sayantan and Walsh, Sean and Whalley, John, Unilateral Measures and Emissions Mitigation (October 2009). NBER Working Paper No. w15441, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1498943

Shurojit Chatterji

Singapore Management University - School of Economics ( email )

90 Stamford Road
178903
Singapore

Sayantan Ghosal

University of Warwick - Department of Economics ( email )

Adam Smith Business School
University of Glasgow
Glasgow, G128QQ
United Kingdom

University of Glasgow - Adam Smith Business School ( email )

Glasgow, Scotland
United Kingdom

Sean Walsh

Centre for International Governance and Innovation (CIGI) ( email )

57 Erb Street West
Waterloo, Ontario N2L 6C2
Canada

John Whalley (Contact Author)

University of Western Ontario - Department of Economics ( email )

London, Ontario N6A 5B8
Canada
519-661-3509, ext. 83509 (Phone)
519-661-3666 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://www.ssc.uwo.ca/economics/faculty/

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

1050 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

CESifo (Center for Economic Studies and Ifo Institute)

Poschinger Str. 5
Munich, DE-81679
Germany

HOME PAGE: http://www.CESifo.de

Centre for International Governance and Innovation (CIGI) ( email )

57 Erb Street West
Waterloo, Ontario N2L 6C2
Canada

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
36
Abstract Views
649
PlumX Metrics