2017 Energy Transition Forum
October 5-6, 2017
Energy & Climate Policy in California, Germany, & China:
Policy Leadership and Challenges
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California
Host: The USC Price School of Public Policy and
Schwarzenegger Institute of State and Global Policy
Location: USC
Thursday, October 5
Session 1: Status of COP 21 Paris Accords
This session focuses on the status of the goals, funding, and implementation of the 2015 Paris Accords, with particular attention to the US, China and EU countries.
Moderators: Adam Rose (USC) and Qi Ye (Tsinghua)
Presentations
Dan Wei (Price), “Promise and performance of cap-and-trade under the Accords”
Qi Ye (Tsinghua), “Effectiveness of the UN-Lead Approach to Global Climate Governance”
Comments
Matthew Kahn, USC Professor of Economics, Spatial Sciences, and Environmental Studies
Session 2: Political Economy of Climate Policy at the Subnational Level
This session focuses on several sub-national governmental initiatives on climate change and the implications for the achievement of the Paris Accords.
Moderator: Dan Mazmanian
Presentations
Roger Karapin (CUNY Hunter College), Presentation: "The Political Viability of Carbon Pricing: Policy Design and Framing in California and British Columbia", Paper: "The Political Viability of Carbon Pricing: Policy Design and Framing in British Columbia and California"
Michael Pahle (PIK Potsdam), “Sequencing in climate policy to ratchet-up stringency over time”
Christian Flachsland (Hertie), “Enhancing climate policy ambition using strategic transfers: allowance allocation and revenue spending in the EU ET”
Comments
Mary Nichols, Chair, California Air Resources Board
Session 3: Renewable Energies – Technology, Economics, and Policy
This session focuses on the interdependence of technology, economic, and public policy in achieving climate change policy.
Moderator: Lion Hirth (Hertie)
Presentations
Lion Hirth (Hertie), "Securing the market value of wind and solar energy: smart wind turbine design"
Antonio Bento (Price) “Emissions reductions or green booms? The Effects of a Renewable Portfolio Standard"
Zhu Liu (University of East Anglia) “Four ways China will lead the world in low carbon development”
Comments
David Abel, Founder of ABL Inc. and the VerdeXchange Conference
Session 4: Household Energy Behavior
This session focuses on household energy footprints and energy use and CO2 emission choices at the household level.
Moderator: Detlof von Winterfeldt (USC) "Household Energy Consumption and Carbon Footprints"
Presentations
Nicole Sintov (Ohio State University), “Cognitive accessibility as a new factor in pro-environmental spillover: Results from a field study of household food waste management” (with, Sally Geislar and Lee White)
Lee White (Price), “Controlling household electricity loads: the effect of income and perceived control on TOU acceptance”
Comments
Lauren Faber, Chief Sustainability Office, City of Los Angeles
Friday, October 6
Session 5: Urban Strategies for Climate Change
This session focuses on the extent and key features of local-level action in the field climate change mitigation and adaptation.
Moderator: Hilda Blanco (Price)
Presentations
GU Chaolin (Architecture, Tsinghua), “Low-carbon Urban Planning Technique based on Urban Carbon Emission Inventory: Case of Harbin Green Eco-City in China”
Marlon Boarnet (Price), “Policies for Reducing Vehicle Travel and GHG Emissions in California”
Hilda Blanco (Price), “Inconsistent GHG Inventories: the Weak Link in Assessing Local Climate Action”
Comments
Kyle Konis (Architecture, USC)
Session 6: The Role of Governance in Climate Change and Sustainable Development
This session focuses on the importance of governance in the pursuit of climate change and sustainable development policies, from the local to global level.
Moderator: Yan Tang (Price)
Presentations
XUE Lan, (Tsinghua), "Governance Innovation For Sustainable Development Goals"
Miranda Schreurs (Technical University of Munich), “Socially Just Energy Transformations in Asia”
Christian Flachsland (Hertie), “Polycentric Climate Governance”
Comments
Dawn Nakagawa, Exec. VP of the Berggruen Institute
Photos from the event can be seen in the links below:
Governor Schwarzenegger visit to 2017 Energy Transition Forum