Hamburg Institute of International Economics (HWWA)
The Hamburg Institute for International Economics is an independent research institute of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg founded in 1908. With a total staff of 180, and a research staff of 40, it is one of the six major German institutes of economic analysis, which due to the scope of their activities are jointly financed by the Federal Government and the German states. In addition to basic funding, funds are raised for specific research projects carried out on behalf of governmental, scientific and commercial bodies. Traditionally, the HWWA has focused on international economic issues with a strong policy orientation. The Information Centre with its large collection of material and access to international data banks not only supports the research work of the institute but also provides inputs for the scientific and economic community at large. It operates as a depository library of the EU and the UN. Its press documentation has the largest public archive in Europe. The Institute's research activities are concentrated in eight Research Programmes.
The Research Programme International Climate Policy carries out policy-oriented economic research on the impact of climate policy on all economic sectors and the efficient design of the climate regime. The Kyoto Protocol agreed in December 1997 that sets legally binding emission targets and outlines several innovative policy instruments is the background for the research of the Programme. Present research projects deal with (1) the climate policy of the European Union, (2) the setting of baselines for project-based flexible mechanisms, (3) the design of the Clean Development Mechanism and (4) other open questions of the climate regime. Moreover, research on (5) the interaction between climate and trade policy and (6) the impacts of different climate policy instruments on innovation will soon be intensified.
Furthermore, the HWWA actively participates as an observer in international climate negotiations. The Programme's research is accompanied by a small group of international experts in the field of international climate politics.
