Title: Chapter 10: Decentralised control of greenhouse gas emissions: coordination and cooperation

Authors: Hans W. Gottinger

Addresses: Department of Meteorology, Istanbul Technical University, Maslak, 80626 Istanbul, Turkey

Abstract: In Chapter 2, we considered the difficulties of obtaining international cooperation in the control of CO₂ emissions. The approach adopted in this chapter assumes there is an ‘empowered’ United Nations, as a principal, that coordinates its members (agents) toward a common goal, which makes this a team-like principal agent structure. We shall show that if at least two countries commit themselves to cooperative behaviour through a team they will arrive at optimal welfare for each of them. This is particularly true if one of them acts as principal, a group of countries or an empowered United Nations and the other as an agent, e.g. a smaller country, both of which have different information structures.

Keywords: CO₂ emissions; greenhouse gases; international cooperation; United Nations.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2002.000690

International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 2002 Vol.17 No.5/6, pp.624-639

Published online: 14 Jul 2003 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article