Redesigning a cap-and-trade program for air emissions by agent-based modeling

Abstract This paper establishes a virtual model based on the concept of agent-based method and cost-effectiveness analysis to determine the feasibility of reviewing and improving the cap-and-trade program, using the air emission program in Taiwan as a case study. We adjusted the emission baseline, r...

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Main Authors: Hsing-Fu Huang, Hwong-Wen Ma
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2022-10-01
Series:Sustainable Environment Research
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s42834-022-00157-4
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author Hsing-Fu Huang
Hwong-Wen Ma
author_facet Hsing-Fu Huang
Hwong-Wen Ma
author_sort Hsing-Fu Huang
collection DOAJ
description Abstract This paper establishes a virtual model based on the concept of agent-based method and cost-effectiveness analysis to determine the feasibility of reviewing and improving the cap-and-trade program, using the air emission program in Taiwan as a case study. We adjusted the emission baseline, reduction target proportion, and trading platform under the scheme and simulated the emission reduction and trading behavior of each type of pollutant in different cases. Based on the comparative results of the modeling schemes analyzed in this paper, it is suggested that to improve the distribution of reduction targets without including trading systems can result in the most reduction amount in the study regions. Compared with an approach that includes a trading system, the proposed method provides a simple approach without any obvious increase in the reduction objects’ average cost per unit of reduction. However, this approach makes it difficult for newly proposed investment projects to settle in the region to acquire the offset; therefore, an alternative measure should be designed for this purpose in such a case. When policy-makers default on making decisions based on air emission caps, a reduction scheme based on a supported trading system will be more adaptable for economic development. It is recommended to consider the maximum emission of the previous 7 years as a baseline, along with a trading platform, for making the market more effective and ensuring a smaller impact on the reduction target of the polluters.
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spelling doaj.art-7140da941998425d8909e18b47f4d1532022-12-22T03:22:32ZengBMCSustainable Environment Research2468-20392022-10-0132111210.1186/s42834-022-00157-4Redesigning a cap-and-trade program for air emissions by agent-based modelingHsing-Fu Huang0Hwong-Wen Ma1Graduate Institute of Environmental Engineering, National Taiwan UniversityGraduate Institute of Environmental Engineering, National Taiwan UniversityAbstract This paper establishes a virtual model based on the concept of agent-based method and cost-effectiveness analysis to determine the feasibility of reviewing and improving the cap-and-trade program, using the air emission program in Taiwan as a case study. We adjusted the emission baseline, reduction target proportion, and trading platform under the scheme and simulated the emission reduction and trading behavior of each type of pollutant in different cases. Based on the comparative results of the modeling schemes analyzed in this paper, it is suggested that to improve the distribution of reduction targets without including trading systems can result in the most reduction amount in the study regions. Compared with an approach that includes a trading system, the proposed method provides a simple approach without any obvious increase in the reduction objects’ average cost per unit of reduction. However, this approach makes it difficult for newly proposed investment projects to settle in the region to acquire the offset; therefore, an alternative measure should be designed for this purpose in such a case. When policy-makers default on making decisions based on air emission caps, a reduction scheme based on a supported trading system will be more adaptable for economic development. It is recommended to consider the maximum emission of the previous 7 years as a baseline, along with a trading platform, for making the market more effective and ensuring a smaller impact on the reduction target of the polluters.https://doi.org/10.1186/s42834-022-00157-4Air emission cap-and-trade programEmission tradingAgent-based modelCost-effectiveness analysis
spellingShingle Hsing-Fu Huang
Hwong-Wen Ma
Redesigning a cap-and-trade program for air emissions by agent-based modeling
Sustainable Environment Research
Air emission cap-and-trade program
Emission trading
Agent-based model
Cost-effectiveness analysis
title Redesigning a cap-and-trade program for air emissions by agent-based modeling
title_full Redesigning a cap-and-trade program for air emissions by agent-based modeling
title_fullStr Redesigning a cap-and-trade program for air emissions by agent-based modeling
title_full_unstemmed Redesigning a cap-and-trade program for air emissions by agent-based modeling
title_short Redesigning a cap-and-trade program for air emissions by agent-based modeling
title_sort redesigning a cap and trade program for air emissions by agent based modeling
topic Air emission cap-and-trade program
Emission trading
Agent-based model
Cost-effectiveness analysis
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s42834-022-00157-4
work_keys_str_mv AT hsingfuhuang redesigningacapandtradeprogramforairemissionsbyagentbasedmodeling
AT hwongwenma redesigningacapandtradeprogramforairemissionsbyagentbasedmodeling