Research Reports
Performance of the Chinese New Vehicle Fleet Compared to Global Fuel Economy and Fuel Consumption Standards（February 2014 / Clean Transportation Program）
This study attempts to provide policy-makers with the tools to consider the adoption of footprint-based standards (recently adopted in the US), and evaluate the relative stringency of national standards against the EU and Japan’s standards. First, this paper introduces selected global standards (namely US, EU, Japan, and China), outlines their historic development and evaluates their implementation success, and then the methodology and results are outlined.
AB 32 Training Manuals V：“A Review on the Electricity Sector of California’s Cap-and-Trade Scheme” (December 2013 / Carbon Management Program / CHINESE)
As a primary source of greenhouse gas, the electricity sector is one of the most regulated sectors and is a key participant of the carbon market. This report introduces the market structure and price setting of the electricity sector in China and the U.S., especially California. The report further discusses the allowance budget, allocation mechanism, compliance regulation, revenue allocation, and related impacts of the electricity sector in California’s cap-and-trade scheme. All the specific regulations on California’s electricity sector provide an excellent foundation for cap-and-trade pilots in China.
AB 32 Training Manuals IV：“A Review on Offset Projects of California’s Cap-and-Trade Scheme” (November 2013 / Carbon Management Program / CHINESE)
Covered entities may sell their offset credits as a compliance instrument in California’s cap-and-trade scheme. The design of regulation -- such as requirements for compliance offset protocols, types of offset credits, offset credits creation process, requirements and processes for offset credits issuance, and so forth -- is crucial to a cap-and-trade scheme. This report therefore offers a basic reference for the establishment of China’s carbon market.
AB 32 Training Manuals III：“Brief Introduction on the Cost Control Mechanism of California’s Cap-and-Trade Scheme”(August 2013 / Carbon Management Program / CHINESE)
This report compiles what was achieved from ARB’s workshop held in June 2013, which discussed cost control related issues. We hope that the report will offer references for China’s carbon market, which do not yet have regulations and rules for cost control of the pilot cap-and-trade schemes.
AB 32 Training ManualsⅡ：“2013 Work Plan of California’s Cap-and-Trade Scheme” (July 2013 / Carbon Management Program / CHINESE)
According to the timetable published on the ARB’s website, this report gives a brief introduction on the work plan of California’s Cap-and-Trade Scheme in 2013 in terms of offset program implementation, product-based benchmarks, allowance allocation, auction and trading requirements, and emissions leakage.
2012 China Environmentally Friendly Vehicle Report (June 2013 / Clean Transportation Program)
This periodic report makes use of iCET’s Environmentally Friendly Vehicle rating computing tool to report on China’s greenest cars in 10 different market segments. The 2012 report includes trends identification based on three consecutive years of data collection and annual reporting. The report’s green score ranking, ranging between 1 (least performing) and 10 points (best performing), is based on a globally recognized GHG lifecycle assessment methodology tailored to China’s characteristics. Various private vehicles segment are targeted, such as compact cars, mid-size, medium and large cars, as well as luxury cars, SUVs, MPVs and NEVs. Highlights: 2012 Top 10 models scored 5.69L/100km, marking an annual increase of only 0.05 from the 2011 5.74L/100km on average; The overall environmental performance of China’s Top 10 EFV greatly improved on average. This improvement is likely to be the result of industrial adherence to China’s CAFC; 2012 average green score of newly listed models was around 4.5-6.5 points, compared with 2011 models new listing scores concentrated around 4-6 green score points.
AB 32 Training ManualsⅠ：“A Review on the Auction Mechanism of California’s Cap-and-Trade Scheme”(April 2013 / Carbon Management Program / CHINESE)
California’s Cap-and-Trade Scheme officially started in 2013. It undoubtedly brings new light to a lagging international carbon market. Based on the last two auction results in early 2013, this report analyzes and summarizes relevant terms and conditions of the auction mechanism, aimed at providing China’s pilot provinces and cities with plenty of expert advice.
U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard Implementation Mechanism and Market Tracking (Jan 2013 / Clean Transportation Program / CHINESE)
This report briefly introduces the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), a policy for promoting the use of biofuels in order to reduce the country’s dependency on foreign oil and greenhouse gas emissions. The RFS requests fuel refiner, blenders and importer in the US provide a certain amount of renewable fuels every year (Renewable Volume Obligation – RVO). Obligated parties prove they have achieved their RVO through a renewable fuels certification system, which generates Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) for every unit of qualified renewable fuels produced or released into the market. RINs are a key for tracking renewable fuel consumption, which in turn is a key for implementing the RFS in the US. This documents highlights RFS policy implementing mechanism and marketing tracking, mainly describes importance of RINs, and the method for generating and tracking RINs by both government and fuels industry participants.
2012 China Passenger Vehicle Corporate Average Fuel Consumption Report (June 2013 / Clean Transportation Program)
In the June 2013,five ministries jointly announced "corporate average fuel consumption of passenger cars accounting approach" Innovation Center for Energy and Transportation based on data and standard methodologies from national authorities, iCET research and analysis of the 2012 Chinese different car brands average fuel consumption ranking, reviewed the "Eleventh Five-Year Plan", and forecast the trend of "Twelfth Five-Year Plan" development. Assumptions based on experience and the introduction of a quota value of this concept. Hopes to publish charts, cause-related automobile enterprises to pay attention to environmental protection, the development of energy-saving cars and truly reflects the current situation and policy recommendations.
New Energy Vehicles: Environmental Impact Evaluation System Research (June 2012 / Clean Transportation Program / CHINESE)
New Energy Vehicles have the potential to produce significant environmental benefits when compared to conventional internal combustion vehicles. However, due to China’s relatively dirty sources of electrical power production, when examining NEVs from a lifecycle perspective, they simply aren’t that clean. Furthermore, the batteries used in electric vehicles carry their own environmental impact due to the intensive nature of their industrial production. This report analyses information from both Chinese and global sources, and using iCET’s Environmentally Friendly Vehicle rating system methodology as a basis, incorporates the lifecycle environmental impact of electric vehicles. Using the Nissan Leaf and Toyota Prius as examples, the full lifecycle environmental impacts of a pure electric vehicle and a plug-in hybrid vehicle are evaluated. In the context of the fast development of NEVs in China, taking a lifecycle assessment approach to the environmental impact of vehicles offers a scientific means of understanding the contribution this industry will make to energy efficiency and emission reduction.