potential challenges faced by the u.s. chemicals industry under a carbon policy美国化学工业所面临的潜在挑战下一个碳政策.pdfVIP

Sustainability 2009, 1, 592-611; doi:10.3390/su1030592 OPEN ACCESS sustainability ISSN 2071-1050 /journal/sustainability Article Potential Challenges Faced by the U.S. Chemicals Industry under a Carbon Policy Andrea Bassi 1,2,* and Joel Yudken 3 1 Millennium Institute, 2111 Wilson Blvd, Suite 700, Arlington, VA 20001, USA 2 University of Bergen, Postboks 7800, 5020 Bergen, Norway 3 High Road Strategies / 104 N, Columbus Street, Arlington, VA 22203, USA; E-Mail: jyudken@highroa * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: ab@; Tel.: +1-703-351-5081; Fax: +1-703-351-9292. Received: 29 July 2009 / Accepted: 31 August 2009 / Published: 3 September 2009 Abstract: Chemicals have become the backbone of manufacturing within industrialized economies. Being energy-intensive materials to produce, this sector is threatened by policies aimed at combating and adapting to climate change . This study examines the worst-case scenario for the U.S. chemicals industry when a medium CO2 price policy is employed. After examining possible industry responses, the study goes on to identify and provide a preliminary evaluation of potential opportunities to mitigate these impacts. If climate regulations are applied only in the United States, and no action is taken to invest in advanced low- and no-carbon technologies to mitigate the impacts of rising energy costs, the examination shows that climate policies that put a