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Consignment auctions of free emissions allowances

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  • Burtraw, Dallas
  • McCormack, Kristen
Abstract
While the initial distribution of emissions allowances is usually thought to be independent of the emissions outcome, free allocation can affect the efficiency and fairness of allowance trading. Inefficiency may result from thin allowance markets, poor price discovery, and regulatory or organizational complexities that hinder the recognition of opportunity costs. Concerns about fairness may result from intransparency in the process of transferring substantial allowance value. We explore the role of consignment auctions in mitigating these concerns. These revenue-neutral auctions return the financial value of allowances to their original holders while revealing prices and directing allowances to their highest-valued use. They also can be used to support a minimum price when allowances are freely distributed, which may facilitate program linkage. Consignment auctions have minimal administrative costs and do not necessarily involve government. Experience indicates that they can play an important role, especially in new markets.

Suggested Citation

  • Burtraw, Dallas & McCormack, Kristen, 2017. "Consignment auctions of free emissions allowances," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 337-344.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:107:y:2017:i:c:p:337-344
    DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2017.04.041
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    6. Hao Xu & Ming Luo, 2022. "Optimal Environmental Policy in a Dynamic Transboundary Pollution Game: Emission Standards, Taxes, and Permit Trading," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-25, July.
    7. Jae‐Do Song, 2023. "Excessive banking preference in emissions trading," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 44(1), pages 448-458, January.
    8. Liu, Yun & Tan, Bowen, 2021. "Consignment auctions revisited," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 203(C).
    9. Jae-Do Song & Young-Hwan Ahn, 2019. "Cognitive Bias in Emissions Trading," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-13, March.
    10. Wang, M. & Zhou, P., 2022. "A two-step auction-refund allocation rule of CO2 emission permits," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).
    11. Lee, Sang-Ho & Park, Chul-Hi, 2020. "Environmental Regulations in Private and Mixed Duopolies: Emission Taxes versus Green R&D Subsidies," MPRA Paper 98833, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    12. García, Arturo & Leal, Mariel & Lee, Sang-Ho, 2018. "Time-inconsistent environmental policies with a consumer-friendly firm: Tradable permits versus emission tax," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 523-537.
    13. Li, Zhi & Zhang, Da & Zhang, Xiliang, 2022. "Emissions Trading with Consignment Auctions: A Lab-in-the-Field Experiment," EfD Discussion Paper 22-10, Environment for Development, University of Gothenburg.
    14. Doori Kim & Sang‐Ho Lee, 2024. "Environmental policies with the excess burden of public funds and privatisation," Australian Economic Papers, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 63(2), pages 329-349, June.
    15. Burtraw, Dallas & Holt, Charles & Palmer, Karen & Shobe, William M., 2020. "Quantities with Prices: Price-Responsive Allowance Supply in Environmental Markets," RFF Working Paper Series 20-17, Resources for the Future.
    16. Estelle Cantillon & Aurélie Slechten, 2024. "Market Design for the Environment," NBER Chapters, in: New Directions in Market Design, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    17. Jae-Do Song & Young-Hwan Ahn, 2021. "Price Discovery of Consignment Auctions for Emission Permits," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-13, October.
    18. Wang, Bangjun & Ji, Feng & Zheng, Jie & Xie, Kejia & Feng, Zhaolei, 2021. "Carbon emission reduction of coal-fired power supply chain enterprises under the revenue sharing contract: Perspective of coordination game," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    19. Kim, Seung-Leul & Lee, Sang-Ho, 2021. "Optimal tariffs with emissions taxes under non-restrictive two-part licensing strategies by a foreign eco-competitor," MPRA Paper 108496, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    20. Jan Abrell & Johanna Cludius & Sascha Lehmann & Joachim Schleich & Regina Betz, 2022. "Corporate Emissions-Trading Behaviour During the First Decade of the EU ETS," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 83(1), pages 47-83, September.
    21. Sun, YongPing & Xue, JinJun & Shi, XunPeng & Wang, KeYing & Qi, ShaoZhou & Wang, Lei & Wang, Cheng, 2019. "A dynamic and continuous allowances allocation methodology for the prevention of carbon leakage: Emission control coefficients," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 236(C), pages 220-230.
    22. Dalai Ma & Yaping Xiao & Na Zhao, 2022. "Optimization and Spatiotemporal Differentiation of Carbon Emission Rights Allocation in the Power Industry in the Yangtze River Economic Belt," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-15, April.
    23. Wang, Baixue & Duan, Maosheng, 2022. "Consignment auctions of emissions trading systems: An agent-based approach based on China’s practice," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 112(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Climate change; Clean Air Act; Clean Power Plan; Emissions markets; Cap and trade; Allocation;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H44 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - Publicly Provided Goods: Mixed Markets
    • Q53 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Air Pollution; Water Pollution; Noise; Hazardous Waste; Solid Waste; Recycling
    • D23 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Organizational Behavior; Transaction Costs; Property Rights

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