The WITCH Model: Structure, Baseline, Solutions

59 Pages Posted: 6 Feb 2007

See all articles by Valentina Bosetti

Valentina Bosetti

Bocconi University; CMCC - Euro Mediterranean Centre for Climate Change

Emanuele Massetti

Georgia Institute of Technology; CESifo (Center for Economic Studies and Ifo Institute); CMCC - Euro Mediterranean Centre for Climate Change; International Monetary Fund (IMF)

Massimo Tavoni

Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM); Princeton University - Princeton Environmental Institute

Date Written: February 1, 2007

Abstract

WITCH - World Induced Technical Change Hybrid - is a regionally disaggregated hard link hybrid global model with a neoclassical optimal growth structure (top down) and a detailed energy input component (bottom up). The model endogenously accounts for technological change, both through learning curves that affect the prices of new vintages of capital and through R&D investments. The model features the main economic and environmental policies in each world region as the outcome of a dynamic game. WITCH belongs to the class of Integrated Assessment Models as it possesses a climate module that feeds climate changes back into the economy. Although the model's main features are discussed elsewhere (Bosetti et al., 2006), here we provide a more thorough discussion of the model's structure and baseline projections, to describe the model in greater detail. We report detailed information on the evolution of energy demand, technology and CO2 emissions. We also explain the procedure used to calibrate the model parameters. This report is therefore meant to provide effective support to those who intending to use the WITCH model or interpret its results.

Keywords: Climate Policy, Hybrid Modelling, Integrated Assessment, Technological Change

JEL Classification: O33, O41, Q43

Suggested Citation

Bosetti, Valentina and Massetti, Emanuele and Tavoni, Massimo, The WITCH Model: Structure, Baseline, Solutions (February 1, 2007). FEEM Working Paper No. 10.2007, CMCC Research Paper No. 7, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=960746 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.960746

Valentina Bosetti (Contact Author)

Bocconi University

Via Gobbi 5
Milan, 20136
Italy

CMCC - Euro Mediterranean Centre for Climate Change

via Augusto Imperatore, 16
Lecce, I-73100
Italy

Emanuele Massetti

Georgia Institute of Technology ( email )

685 Cherry St.
Atlanta, GA 30332-0345
United States

CESifo (Center for Economic Studies and Ifo Institute)

Poschinger Str. 5
Munich, DE-81679
Germany

CMCC - Euro Mediterranean Centre for Climate Change

via Augusto Imperatore, 16
Lecce, I-73100
Italy

International Monetary Fund (IMF) ( email )

700 19th Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20431
United States

Massimo Tavoni

Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM) ( email )

Corso Magenta 63
20123 Milan
Italy

Princeton University - Princeton Environmental Institute

22 Chambers Street
Princeton, NJ 08544-0708
United States

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