Trade in ‘virtual carbon’: Empirical results and implications for policy

The fact that developing countries do not have carbon emission caps under the Kyoto Protocol has led to the current interest in high income countries in border taxes on the ‘virtual’ carbon content of imports. We use GTAP data and input-output analysis to estimate the flows of virtual carbon implicit in domestic production technologies and the pattern of international trade. The results present striking evidence on the wide variation in the carbon-intensiveness of trade across countries, with major developing countries being large net exporters of virtual carbon. Our analysis suggests that a tax on virtual carbon could lead to very substantial effective tariff rates on the exports of the most carbon-intensive developing nations. As an illustration, we find that average tariff rates of 10%, 8% and 12% would be faced by imports from China, India and South Africa if carbon is taxed at $50/ton CO₂. Moreover, there is wide variation in intensiveness across sectors within countries with implications for the disparate effective tariff burdens on particulars parts of the economies of these countries. Such empirical findings, we argue, are useful for framing on-going discussions about the principles and practice of border taxes on virtual carbon.     

International trade buffers the impact of future irrigation shortfalls

There is increasing interest in the water–food nexus, especially the restrictive effect of water on food production in hot spots where irrigation stress is growing. However, little is known about the larger-scale implications of future irrigation shortfalls for global trade and economic welfare, as well as of the potential buffering impacts of international trade on the local impacts of irrigation shortage. In this paper, we utilize a recently developed model, GTAP-BIO-W, to study the economic effects of changes in irrigation outlook for 126 river basins, globally by 2030. Projected irrigation availability is obtained from the IMPACT-WATER model, and imposed upon the present-day economy. Irrigation availability in 2030 is expected to drop by 30–60% in several key rivers basins, including: Hai He, Indus, Luni, and the Eastern Mediterranean basin, leading to significant output declines in China, South Asia, and the Middle East. We find that the regional production impacts of future irrigation water shortages are quite heterogeneous, depending on the size of the shortfall, the irrigation intensity of crop production, the possibility of expanding rainfed areas, as well as the crop mix. These changes in regional output significantly alter the geography of international trade. To compensate for the loss of productivity caused by the irrigation constraint, an estimated 7.6 million hectares of cropland expansion is needed to meet the demand for food. In spite of the remarkable reduction of irrigation in some basins, the resulting welfare impact is relatively modest as a result of the buffering capacity of global markets. The global welfare loss amounts to $3.7 billion (2001 prices) and results from a combination of the reduction in irrigation availability as well as the interplay with agricultural support policies.     

国际海底区域环境保护制度分析与中国实践

为促进国际海底区域资源开发和环境保护的协调可持续发展,提高我国在相关领域的话语权和执行力,文章系统分析国际海底区域环境保护制度的发展特征及其存在的问题,总结我国对国际海底区域环境保护的实践和展望,并提出对策建议。研究结果表明:国际海底区域环境保护制度经历萌芽、成形、发展和充实4个阶段,发展特征主要包括理念的更新、原则的完善以及义务和责任的明确,然而至今在规章环境保护条款、《联合国海洋法公约》非缔约国的环境保护权责和相关利益平衡等方面仍存在问题;我国从参与制定相关制度和开展国内法探索等方面积极实践国际海底区域环境保护;未来应从制定环境保护标准、探索政策环境和平衡各方利益等方面完善国际海底区域环境保护制度,我国应继续参与相关国际法律制度的制定以及完善国内海洋环境保护制度。     

在EBEX-2000实验资料中湍流耗散率、长度尺度和结构参数特征

采用2000年8月在美国加州棉花地两个高度上应用超声三分量仪、快速响应温度和湿度仪进行的EBEX-2000 (International Energy Balance Experiment, 2000, 简称EBEX-2000) 风速三分量、温度和湿度湍流实验观测数据, 计算分析了在不同稳定度下的湍流能量和热量耗散率和湍流结构参数特征.并与Kansas和长白山原始森林湍流实验得到的结果进行了比较, 得到了一些湍流特征量在不同下垫面情况下的一些有意义的特征.     

拍卖机制在碳市场配额分配中的应用回顾和比较分析

配额拍卖机制在碳市场中具有重要作用。文中在综述配额拍卖机制研究进展的基础上,重点回顾拍卖机制在欧盟、美国加州和澳大利亚等具有代表性的国际碳市场中的应用情况,结合国内试点碳市场的运行情况,分析不同地区碳市场中拍卖机制的效果。研究认为,国际碳市场拍卖机制设计较为完善,在实际应用中效果良好,起到了增强市场流动性的作用,国内各试点碳市场拍卖机制仍处于探索阶段。文中从拍卖机制的要素设计、平台建设、所得资金管理等方面对全国统一碳市场配额拍卖机制设计提出建议,为全国碳市场中拍卖机制的建设提供参考。     

Acceptance of the international compensation regime for tanker oil pollution – And its implications for China

The international compensation regime for tanker oil pollution has been successful in providing adequate and prompt compensation to pollution victims in its member states. Nevertheless, the attitudes of different countries toward acceptance of this regime have varied considerably. This paper aims to explain three main factors in the acceptance of the regime, including: (1) The level of economic development; (2) the risk of exposure to tanker oil spills; and (3) the financial burden associated with adherence to the International Oil Pollution Compensation Fund (IOPC). Using both fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis and an Ordered Probit model, this study found two patterns causing upper-middle and high income countries to have a high acceptance level: (a) Those facing a medium risk of oil spills and having a low financial burden; and (b) those facing a high risk of oil spills. The study reveals that, for a country with a high risk of exposure to tanker oil spills, such as China, with its improvement in economic status it is far better for it to join the IOPC Fund, so as to provide better protection both for potential pollution victims and for the marine environment. The results of this study can also be applied to other countries that are considering whether or not to accept the international compensation regime for tanker oil pollution.     

1996—2013年上海虹桥机场低能见度及低跑道视程特征分析

利用1996—2013年上海虹桥机场逐时地面观测资料,对影响机场正常运行的主导能见度低于800 m（低能见度）和跑道视程（RVR）低于550 m（低RVR）时次的出现次数进行统计分析,得到以下结论：1996—2013年虹桥机场除2002年低RVR时次出现较多外,其余年份均为低能见度时次出现更多;低能见度及低RVR时次出现次数分别以57次/年和26次/年的速率减少;季节变化特征显示两者均在12月出现最多,9月出现最少,11月至次年2月是两者出现的高频季节,5—9月为低频季节;一天中低能见度及低RVR多集中出现于19:00—01:00（世界时）,其中23:00达各自峰值;进入夜间后低能见度时次的出现比率首先较大,后半夜开始低RVR影响逐渐凸显。虹桥机场低能见度时次出现次数随能见度数值的降低呈先减少后增多趋势,低RVR时次则在150~200 m及0~50 m两个区间出现次数较多。     

Chain of custody as an organizing framework in seafood risk reduction

Changes in the terms and direction of international trade in seafood, an increased understanding of and concern for the public health risk imposed by seafood products, and advances in information management technology combine to open opportunities to manage more effectively seafood-borne risk. Present regulatory mandates and programs lack sufficient integration for effective risk mitigation and do not adequately reflect the trans-national nature of seafood trade or the increased complexity of seafood production. This paper argues that the concept of a "chain of custody" - from the ocean to the final consumer - provides a useful integrating framework for understanding and refining efforts to reduce public health concerns surrounding the consumption of seafood.     

International trade and industrial dynamics: Geographical and structural dimensions of Chinese and Sino-EU merchandise trade

This paper draws on trade data to examine the degree of upgrading of China’s trade structure with the world as a whole and in particular with the European Union (EU). More specifically it examines the evolution of the industrial structure of China’s trade with the world and with the EU between 1996 and 2008 and of the underlying dynamic indicators of revealed comparative advantage. This method of analysing China’s industrial structure provides clear evidence of upgrading into more advanced industries without at present losing significant competitive advantage in industries employing unskilled workers. The examination of revealed comparative advantage indices for world and Sino-EU trade also indicates an increasingly high degree of interdependence between the EU and China between 1996 and 2008. The EU (especially Germany, the UK, and France) is China’s most important export market, though it is also much more important as a market for China’s exports than the EU is as a supplier for China. China’s consequent trade surplus with the EU has gradually shifted from textiles and clothing to machinery and furniture. Further investigation reveals that the complementary Sino-EU bilateral trade is moving towards intra-industry trade at the 4-digit level of HS (Harmonization System) commodity classification. Although China is still a ‘global sweatshop’ with a strong specialization in labour-intensive commodities produced for economically developed countries (by importing machinery, raw materials and exporting processed goods), there are signs of technological upgrading in number of selected sectors in China, noticeably electronics, computers and telecommunications equipment. China’s reliance of imports of minerals indicates however that energy and resource security could be an important constraint on China’s long-term economic development.     

上海国际航运中心集装箱深水港岩土工程概况

文章概述上海国际航运中心集装箱深水港的定位，港址和跨海大桥地区基底地质、区域稳定性及松散堆积层的岩土工程基本特征。