Policy options for sustainable energy use in a general model of the UK economy

Completed

Other Cross-Cutting Technologies or Research(Energy system analysis)

Basic and strategic applied research

SOCIAL SCIENCES (Economics and Econometrics)

Systems Analysis related to energy R&D (Energy modelling)

Dr TS Barker
Land Economy
University of Cambridge

Standard

ESRC

01 January 1992

31 December 1993

24 months

£93,560

No relevance to Underpinning Sectors

East of England

ESRC Energy

Dr TS Barker, Land Economy, University of Cambridge

Objectives not supplied

If economic development continues on its present path, global greenhouse gas (GG) emissions can be expected to increase further from present levels, rather than to decline. For Western economies such as the UK the challenge in cutting emissions is even greater because emissions per head of population are much higher than in most developing countries. A reduction of GG emissions to sustainable rates implies massive changes in levels and structures of energy use and radical changes in economic behaviour. The project is to adapt and revise the existing Cambridge Multisectoral Dynamic Model (MDM) so as to provide a quantitative assessment of the costs and benefits for the UK in policies in GG abatement. An important first stage in the research will be the estimation of a system to allow the different fuel inputs to industries and consumers to change according to relative prices. The research will develop the methodology of quantitative analysis of energy policies relating to GG emissions. It will explore how long-run technical change, particularly that associated with energy use, can be modelled and introduced into an economic model, ensuring satisfactory properties of the model over the next century.

12/09/11