Working Papers
» Working Paper D2b.1 Accelerating CO2-Emission Reductions via Corporate Programmes
» Working Paper D1.4 Off4Firms in the Context of the Competitor Landscape.
» Working Paper D1.3 The Current Climate and Energy Policy in the EU and in Switzerland.
» Working Paper D1.2 How Firms can use Psychology to create successful Energy Conservation Interventions.
» Working Paper D1.1 Emission Reduction Activities in Private Households.
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Working Paper D2b.1
Manser, Johannes, Michel Handgraaf, Renate Schubert, Elisabeth Gsottbauer, Marije Cornielje and Ellin Lede (2013): Accelerating CO2-Emission Reductions via Corporate Programmes: Analyzing an Existing Corporate Program. June 2013, Deliverable D2b.1.
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ABSTRACT: This working paper analyzes and assesses the COYou2 Program of the company Swiss Re. This corporate program allows employees to claim subsidies for the realization of various activities reducing their energy consumption and CO2-emissions at home. Examples of such activities are the purchase of a hybrid car, energy efficient building renovation, or the installation of photovoltaic panels. We find that the uptake of such subsidies is very popular among employees. The three main reasons for this are that 1) activities are well communicated and participation and uptake of subsidies is simple and non-bureaucratic, 2) offered emission reduction activities very much fit the profile and needs of employees, and 3) financial incentives are substantial and thus motivating to realize those activities. Yet, we also show that a large share of emission reduction activities would have been realized also without the extra incentive, which calls into question the additionality of many emission reductions. We therefore suggest that in order to ensure additionally of emission reductions in employees’ households, corporate programs may focus on subsidizing activities and green technologies which are not yet widespread. For example, activities such as highly efficient gasoline and diesel cars as well as carpooling have a high potential to reduce CO2-emissions and may be included in such corporate programs.
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Working Paper D1.4
Off4Firms in the Context of the Competitor Landscape. A Competitor Analysis, putting the Product under Development into the Context of the Competitor’s Landscape
ABSTRACT: This competitor analysis will put the future service of Off4Firms into the context of the competitors landscape. It follows the questions, how do the envisioned climate action measures for corporations fit into the existing landscape of energy consultants and in-house strategies. How and where can Off4Firms add value, distinguish itself from existing products and where would partnerships with existing solution providers make sense?
This study shows that Off4Firms borders or overlaps with several markets such as CSR consulting, HR consulting, Engineering Services, Carbon Consulting and Sustainability Consulting, in which we found services similar to some elements of Off4Firms.
However, the measures and services found appear mostly as stand-alone activities without long-term monitoring or impact control.
An integrated solution, which is capable of delivering combined, customised services while being flexible in technology and scope would clearly have an edge over the many stand-alone employee engaging programs.
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Working Paper D1.3
Gerigk, Joschka, Katja S. Halbritter, Michel J.J. Handgraaf, Johannes Manser, Markus Ohndorf and Renate Schubert (2012): The Current Climate and Energy Policy in the EU and in Switzerland. December 2012, Deliverable D1.3.
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ABSTRACT: This working paper is to discuss policy instruments which would, in principle, lend themselves for a scale-up of employer-led incentive schemes. Given that such an implementation requires financial transfers, our focus is on project-based CO2-markets and direct subsidy schemes to end-consumers. Up to the present, only Switzerland has implemented a credit-based emissions trading scheme on the domestic level. While, currently, the Swiss regime does not provide for a potential pooling of small-scale reductions, extending the scheme accordingly would engender only low additional cost. Other eligible regulations are dominated rather by state-set incentives, like subsidies, directly provided to households. Such schemes would be suitable for a pass-through via the employer. Yet, such a redirection of subsidies via firms seems to be more difficult to be implemented from a political and legal perspective. Still, these programmes provide solid support for the presumption that financial transfers provided within an employer-led incentive scheme can considerably speed up switches toward the use of “greener” technologies within households.
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Working Paper D1.2
Handgraaf, Michel, Johannes Manser, Marije Cornielje and Ellin Lede (2013): How firms can use Psychology to create successful Energy Conservation Interventions. A Literature Review. January 2013, Deliverable D1.2.
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ABSTRACT: This working paper includes a large collection of psychological effects that may influence employees’ decisions to participate in corporate programs aimed at reducing energy consumption and CO2-emissions at their individual, household level. We find that companies are very much suitable to motivate individuals to save energy for the following four reasons Firms have a very close relationship to their employees and thus are able to reach out to a large number of households. Second, many firms operate on an international or even global level and can thus further scale up corporate energy saving programs. Third, firms offer an appealing social environment in which employees are embedded on a day-to-day basis. Based on this, social norms, the exchange of information and the general feeling of acting as a group rather than as an individual can all help to increase participation in energy saving activities. Fourth, companies can tackle both the uncertainty inherent to employees’ long term decisions, as well as the problem of high upfront costs for investments in long-term energy conservation through providing subsidies for energy conservation.
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Working Paper D1.1
Manser, Johannes, Renate Schubert and Markus Ohndorf (2012): Emission Reduction Activities in Private Households. Development of Evaluation Criteria and an Application to the Transport Sector. December 2012, Deliverable D1.1.
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ABSTRACT: This working paper depicts a methodology to evaluate household activities which can reduce CO2-emissions and energy consumption, according to four evaluation criteria. The identified evaluation criteria for an activity are its (1) technical reduction potential, (2) cost efficiency and (3) verifiability of emission reductions, and (4) implementation barriers. In comparison to other well-known methodologies to assess technical potential and costs of the emission reductions, the developed methodology also considers rebound effects. Here, the methodology is exemplified for household reduction activities concerning transportation for Germany and Switzerland. We find that the purchase of electric, plug-in hybrid and biofuel cars as well as carpooling has a particular large technical potential to reduce CO2-emissions. However, considering their cost efficiency, verifiability and possible implementation barriers, it shows that rather other reduction measures such as hybrid cars, highly efficient gasoline and diesel cars, as well as home office days are a more promising way to reduce emissions.
