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The FAIR model: A tool to analyse environmental and costs implications of regimes of future commitments

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Abstract

This article describes the policy decision-support tool, FAIR, to assess the environmental and abatement costs implications of international regimes for differentiation of future commitments. The model links long-term climate targets and global reduction objectives with regional emission allowances and abatement costs, accounting for the Kyoto Mechanisms used. FAIR consists of three sub-models: a simple climate model, an emission-allocation model and a cost model. The article also analyses ten different rule-based emission allocation schemes for two long-term concentration stabilisation targets for greenhouse gases. This analysis shows that evaluating regimes requires not only an assessment of the initial allocation, but also of the distribution of abatement costs and the impacts from emissions trading. The Multi-Stage approach (with a gradual increase of Parties adopting emission intensity or reductions targets) and the Triptych approach (with sectoral targets for all Parties) seem to provide the best prospects for most of the Parties when compared to the other allocation schemes analysed.

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  1. Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (MNP at RIVM), PO Box 1, 3720 BA, Bilthoven, The Netherlands

    Michel G. J. den Elzen & Paul L. Lucas

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den Elzen, M.G.J., Lucas, P.L. The FAIR model: A tool to analyse environmental and costs implications of regimes of future commitments. Environ Model Assess 10, 115–134 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10666-005-4647-z

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