Brookings: Experts - Bryan K. Mignone

Cost Containment for Cap-and-Trade: Designing Effective Compliance Flexibility Mechanisms

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Concerns about the economic costs of climate policy and the potential for volatility in the future carbon market have led to a proliferation of possible mechanisms to mitigate these concerns. Bryan Mignone shows how a coherent "cost containment" policy could be constructed by considering two key substantive objectives – price stability and cost viability – and then tailoring policy instruments to meet these objectives.

Emissions Targets in Cap-and-Trade: Choosing Reduction Goals Compatible with Global Climate Stabilization

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Binding greenhouse gas emissions targets are the backbone of any cap-and-trade system, but the appropriate stringency of domestic reductions remains an unresolved issue in US legislation. In this paper, Bryan Mignone shows how available scientific information could be coupled with a variety of judgments about climate risk and international burden-sharing to yield a plausible range of domestic cap-and-trade targets.

Carbon Offsets, Reversal Risk and U.S. Climate Policy

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

One controversial issue in the larger cap-and-trade debate is the proper use and certification of carbon offsets related to changes in land management. Bryan Mignone, Matthew Hurteau, Yihsu Chen and Brent Sohngen show how reversal risk associated with such instruments could be properly internalized in a crediting framework and how this framework itself could be used to manage prices in the future carbon market.

Carbon Offsets and the Emerging Climate Coalition

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

As the Senate discusses the Waxman-Markey bill, Brian Mignone writes that architects of climate policy would do well to heed key lessons from the House debate. Mignone believes well-designed guidelines toward carbon offsets should enhance three key objectives, including political support for cap-and-trade, and preserve or enhance the environmental integrity of the broader policy.

Carbon Market Conundrum: How To Build a Better Safety Valve

Thu, 26 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Of all the controversial elements of cap-and-trade policy, none has proven more difficult to resolve than the debate over “cost containment.” Bryan Mignone explores two key objectives for architects of climate policy to grapple with while framing the issue.

How Obama Should Confront Climate Change

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Writing as the UN Conference on Climate Change occured in Poland, William Antholis and Bryan Mignone argued that over the past decade, the evidence for human-induced climate change has become one of the most widely accepted scientific findings of our time. They offer four recommendations for President Barack Obama to carry out a comprehensive and economically sensible approach to the issue.

Technological Scarcity, Compliance Flexibility and the Optimal Time Path of Emissions Abatement

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The economic costs of a cap-and-trade system will depend on the extent to which the program facilitates compliance flexibility. Bryan Mignone compares the costs of different cap-and-trade policy architectures and estimates the economic value of realizing flexibility with respect to the timing of emissions abatement.

Prices in Emissions Permit Markets

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Establishment of a mandatory cap-and-trade system in the United States remains an essential element of a comprehensive response to the global climate problem. Bryan Mignone considers the expected evolution of allowance prices in the future carbon market and what this implies for the design of provisions to limit the economic costs of such a program.

Drilling Our Way to the Future

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Bryan Mignone discusses the pros and cons of lifting offshore drilling bans in exchange for increases in financial incentives for renewable energy. He believes that while additional drilling is not the ultimate answer, it can have some near-term benefits while the gradual displacement of oil use for transportation occurs.

Insuring the Climate

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

With cleanup from Hurricane Ike now underway across Texas and the upper Gulf coast, Bryan Mignone argues it is time to work to mitigate the costs of climate change. He writes that reducing carbon dioxide concentrations will help counter threats posed by extreme conditions such as drought and sea-level rises, in addition to lowering the growing risk of large hurricanes.

International Cooperation in a Post-Kyoto World

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Bryan Mignone assesses prospects for international cooperation on global warming.

Parameters of Energy Security

Thu, 28 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Ultimately, successful international coordination on climate change will depend on the extent of domestic support, and domestic support, in turn, will depend on the existence of a broad security-environment coalition.

Climate, Bush and the G-8

Wed, 06 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Speaking to the Global Leadership Campaign, President Bush announced his intention to convene a meeting of major greenhouse gas-emitting nations to develop, by the end of 2008, an internationally coordinated climate strategy for the post-Kyoto period. Given the reception he received from Democrats and environmentalists, one could be forgiven for thinking he had just reaffirmed his aversion to Kyoto.

The National Security Dividend of Global Carbon Mitigation

Fri, 01 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Paper by Bryan K. Mignone, AEI-Brookings Joint Center (June 2007)

Climate of Subtle Conflict

Sun, 22 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Opinion by Brian K. Mignone and Mark D. Drapeau, The Washington Times (4/22/07)

Next Climate Change Battle: The Economy

Tue, 13 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Opinion by Bryan K. Mignone, The Baltimore Sun (2/13/07)