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Ristino, Laurie; Michel, Katherine Hannon --- "Carbon trading in the United States" [2015] ELECD 203; in Van Calster, Geert; Vandenberghe, Wim; Reins, Leonie (eds), "Research Handbook on Climate Change Mitigation Law" (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2015) 476

Book Title: Research Handbook on Climate Change Mitigation Law

Editor(s): Van Calster, Geert; Vandenberghe, Wim; Reins, Leonie

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

ISBN (hard cover): 9781849803809

Section: Chapter 22

Section Title: Carbon trading in the United States

Author(s): Ristino, Laurie; Michel, Katherine Hannon

Number of pages: 23

Abstract/Description:

Despite several attempts, the United States Congress has been unable to pass cap and trade legislation. Congress’ failure to regulate greenhouse gas emissions has provoked a variety of responses. For example, states have implemented regional carbon trading programs with a range of designs and varying levels of success. In addition, states and environmental organizations successfully sued to compel the US Environmental Protection Agency to regulate carbon emissions under the Clean Air Act, a process that is continuing to unfold. Whether the resulting regulations will either pre-empt or, alternately, promote state and regional carbon markets remains to be seen. Meanwhile, private organizations and individuals have increasingly embraced voluntary carbon offsets, providing an example of a growing alternative to compliance markets. This chapter summarizes the ongoing experiments with carbon trading that continue to evolve in the face of weak federal leadership on climate change.