推文信息：

Braun,Marcel.The evolution of emissionstrading in the European Union –The role of policy networks, knowledge andpolicy entrepreneurs. Accountings, Organizations and Society. 2009. Vol.34.Pp.469-487.

摘要：

This paper starts with a recapitulation of how emissions trading becamea cornerstone of the European Union’s climate policy. While a whole bouquet ofreasons can be identified the major reasons why the EU Commission decided topursue the establishment of an emissions trading scheme within the EU are: (1)the integration of international emissions trading into the Kyoto Protocol; (2)the failure of the 6th Conference of the Parties to the United NationsFramework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the withdrawal of theUnited States from the Kyoto Protocol negotiations; and (3) the unsuccessfulattempt to introduce an EU-wide CO2-tax. Other reasons were the fact thatemissions trading did not need unanimity in the European Council like theCO2-tax; the economic efficiency of emissions trading which appealed not only tothe Commission but also to industry and Member States; the danger of afragmented carbon market as the United Kingdom and Denmark had already set updomestic emissions trading schemes that were incompatible; the incentive aEuropean emissions trading scheme would be for the formation of a global carbonmarket; and the possibility to influence investment strategies of powercompanies towards a sustainable modernisation of the EU’s power generation infrastructure.

Drawing uponthese preconditions, this paper analyses the development of the European UnionEmissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS). Based on the fact that the EU is embedded ina multi-level policy-making architecture which encourages the emergence ofpolicy networks it is argued that the EU ETS has been shaped by an (informal)issue-specific policy network established by some staff members from DGEnvironment, including individuals knowledgeable on emissions trading – such asexperts from consultancies, environmental NGOs and the business sector. It isargued that within this European policy network on emissions trading theEuropean Emissions Trading Directive – as adopted on 13 October 2003 – has beennegotiated and developed. It is concluded that the sharing of knowledge aboutthis relatively new and largely unknown regulatory instrument and about designoptions for a potential European emissions trading scheme was the key momentumfor the establishment and continuity of this policy network and that theability of managing knowledge generation processes was the main factor to allowfor a few staff members from DG Environment to play a dominant role as policyentrepreneurs in developing the European Emissions Trading Directive, evenbeyond their formal role of proposing the scheme as representatives from the EUCommission.