News - 2018
Climate change policy research
August 17, 2018
How are greenhouse gases and their increasing concentration in the atmosphere affecting the environment, human health and the economy? What is the impact of various climate change policies on different economic agents such as government, industry and households? Facing challenges in terms of conflicting economic and environmental objectives, governments around the world are seeking effective ways to reduce emissions in the most economically efficient manner. IEESC Ph.D. student Lirong Liu studies economic modeling to understand the effects of GHGs and various climate change policies on the development of climate change regulations.
According to Lirong, who has a background in economics, it is important to understand energy and environmental performance in general. She runs simulations based on various policy scenarios to evaluate their impacts on socio-economic systems using a computable general equilibrium model. Policies have different implications on different jurisdictions and in 2017, Lirong developed a Saskatchewan-specific CGE model. Lirong and IEESC’s research team conducted an impact analysis to provide an evidence-based scientific basis for exploring approaches for managing emissions in the province. Their findings were released in June 2018.
Lirong’s research is supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, Canada Research Chairs Program, and Government of Saskatchewan.
Image source: http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2017/eccc/En4-294-2016-eng.pdf