Operational efficiency evaluation and system design improvements for carbon emissions trading pilots in China

Evaluating the operational efficiency of emissions trading pilots has become a crucial task faced by China's emissions trading scheme in its stable transition from pilot programs in limited areas to a nationwide carbon trading market. A number of factors contribute to the difficulty of such eva...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Yue Yang, Liwei Cheng
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2017-11-01
Series:Carbon Management
Subjects:
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17583004.2017.1387033
_version_ 1797678449398120448
author Yue Yang
Liwei Cheng
author_facet Yue Yang
Liwei Cheng
author_sort Yue Yang
collection DOAJ
description Evaluating the operational efficiency of emissions trading pilots has become a crucial task faced by China's emissions trading scheme in its stable transition from pilot programs in limited areas to a nationwide carbon trading market. A number of factors contribute to the difficulty of such evaluations, such as differences in system design, the absence of evaluation systems and the complexity of external factors. A study of the seven major carbon emissions trading pilots in China was conducted. In this paper, the institutional arrangements of carbon emissions trading pilots are differentiated based on six dimensions: distribution systems, flexible mechanisms, emissions control scope, transaction rules, reporting and verification systems, and legal systems. In addition, an evaluation index system is constructed to determine the input and output efficiency of the carbon emissions trading market. The Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) method is used to calculate regional difference coefficients, revise the output index data, and effectively control the influence of the non-equilibrium external environment on efficiency. A Super Slack Based Model (Super-SBM) model is used to measure the operational efficiency of the carbon emissions trading market in the pilot area, and the results indicate that (1) for countries and regions with external environments facing uneven development, a differentiated system design should be developed; (2) the lack of changes in the overall ordering of the pilot efficiency demonstrates that institutional arrangements play a decisive role in the operational efficiency of China's carbon emissions trading market; and (3) none of the seven carbon emissions trading pilots has been operating effectively in China. The results indicate that a series of measures should be formulated, including the introduction of mechanisms for increasing quotas; increasing the flexibility of offsetting mechanisms; lowering the market access threshold; expanding the coverage of emissions control; training and restoring the professional monitoring reporting verification (MRV) ability; strengthening efforts associated within incentives and sanctions; and enhancing the legal enforcement of relevant policies.
first_indexed 2024-03-11T22:59:57Z
format Article
id doaj.art-cc26221e8ca3470e841410c30b52009b
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1758-3004
1758-3012
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-11T22:59:57Z
publishDate 2017-11-01
publisher Taylor & Francis Group
record_format Article
series Carbon Management
spelling doaj.art-cc26221e8ca3470e841410c30b52009b2023-09-21T15:09:04ZengTaylor & Francis GroupCarbon Management1758-30041758-30122017-11-0185-639941510.1080/17583004.2017.13870331387033Operational efficiency evaluation and system design improvements for carbon emissions trading pilots in ChinaYue Yang0Liwei Cheng1Dalian University of TechnologyDalian University of TechnologyEvaluating the operational efficiency of emissions trading pilots has become a crucial task faced by China's emissions trading scheme in its stable transition from pilot programs in limited areas to a nationwide carbon trading market. A number of factors contribute to the difficulty of such evaluations, such as differences in system design, the absence of evaluation systems and the complexity of external factors. A study of the seven major carbon emissions trading pilots in China was conducted. In this paper, the institutional arrangements of carbon emissions trading pilots are differentiated based on six dimensions: distribution systems, flexible mechanisms, emissions control scope, transaction rules, reporting and verification systems, and legal systems. In addition, an evaluation index system is constructed to determine the input and output efficiency of the carbon emissions trading market. The Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) method is used to calculate regional difference coefficients, revise the output index data, and effectively control the influence of the non-equilibrium external environment on efficiency. A Super Slack Based Model (Super-SBM) model is used to measure the operational efficiency of the carbon emissions trading market in the pilot area, and the results indicate that (1) for countries and regions with external environments facing uneven development, a differentiated system design should be developed; (2) the lack of changes in the overall ordering of the pilot efficiency demonstrates that institutional arrangements play a decisive role in the operational efficiency of China's carbon emissions trading market; and (3) none of the seven carbon emissions trading pilots has been operating effectively in China. The results indicate that a series of measures should be formulated, including the introduction of mechanisms for increasing quotas; increasing the flexibility of offsetting mechanisms; lowering the market access threshold; expanding the coverage of emissions control; training and restoring the professional monitoring reporting verification (MRV) ability; strengthening efforts associated within incentives and sanctions; and enhancing the legal enforcement of relevant policies.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17583004.2017.1387033carbon emissions trading marketoperational efficiency evaluationdifferentiation institutional arrangementsuper-sbmtopsis
spellingShingle Yue Yang
Liwei Cheng
Operational efficiency evaluation and system design improvements for carbon emissions trading pilots in China
Carbon Management
carbon emissions trading market
operational efficiency evaluation
differentiation institutional arrangement
super-sbm
topsis
title Operational efficiency evaluation and system design improvements for carbon emissions trading pilots in China
title_full Operational efficiency evaluation and system design improvements for carbon emissions trading pilots in China
title_fullStr Operational efficiency evaluation and system design improvements for carbon emissions trading pilots in China
title_full_unstemmed Operational efficiency evaluation and system design improvements for carbon emissions trading pilots in China
title_short Operational efficiency evaluation and system design improvements for carbon emissions trading pilots in China
title_sort operational efficiency evaluation and system design improvements for carbon emissions trading pilots in china
topic carbon emissions trading market
operational efficiency evaluation
differentiation institutional arrangement
super-sbm
topsis
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17583004.2017.1387033
work_keys_str_mv AT yueyang operationalefficiencyevaluationandsystemdesignimprovementsforcarbonemissionstradingpilotsinchina
AT liweicheng operationalefficiencyevaluationandsystemdesignimprovementsforcarbonemissionstradingpilotsinchina