scholarly journals REGIONAL IMPLICATIONS OF NATIONAL CARBON TAXES

2018 ◽  
Vol 09 (01) ◽  
pp. 1840008 ◽  
Author(s):  
MARTIN T. ROSS

This paper examines impacts of nationally-imposed carbon taxes on different regions of the United States. The goal is to see what can be learned about the drivers of regional political support for and opposition to such measures. Whether at the state, regional or national levels, carbon taxes are one option for reducing greenhouse gas emissions; several state and regional programs are already under way and lowering emissions. This analysis uses a U.S. regional version of the DIEM computable general equilibrium model to explore relationships between carbon taxes, emissions, and economic growth. One area of emphasis is how the distribution of impacts may be affected by differences in regional household spending patterns, the types of industries and electricity generation situated in those regions, and the locations of energy production and energy-intensive manufacturing. The modeling also explores how carbon tax revenues can be used to offset impacts on regional factor earnings.

2018 ◽  
Vol 09 (01) ◽  
pp. 1840011 ◽  
Author(s):  
WARWICK J. MCKIBBIN ◽  
ADELE C. MORRIS ◽  
PETER J. WILCOXEN ◽  
WEIFENG LIU

This paper examines carbon tax design options in the United States using an intertemporal computable general equilibrium model of the world economy called G-Cubed. In this paper, we discuss four policy scenarios that explore two overarching issues: (1) the effects of a carbon tax under alternative assumptions about the use of the resulting revenue, and (2) the effects of a system of import charges on carbon-intensive goods (“border carbon adjustments” or BCAs). Consistent with earlier studies, we find that the carbon tax raises considerable revenue and reduces CO2 emissions significantly relative to baseline, no matter how the revenue is used. Gross annual revenue from the carbon tax with lump sum rebating and no BCA begins at $110 billion in 2020 and rises gradually to $170 billion in 2040. By 2040, annual CO2 emissions fall from 5.5 billion metric tons (BMT) under the baseline to 2.4 BMT, a decline of 3.1 BMT, or 57%. Cumulative emissions over 2020 to 2040 fall by 48 BMT. Also consistent with earlier studies, we find that the carbon tax has very small overall impacts on gross domestic product (GDP), wages, employment, and consumption. Different uses of the revenue from the carbon tax result in slightly different levels and compositions of GDP across consumption, investment and net exports. Overall, using carbon tax revenue to reduce the capital income tax rate results in better macroeconomic outcomes than using the revenue for lump sum transfers. Counter to their purported purpose of protecting U.S. trade strength, for a given revenue policy, BCAs tend to produce lower net exports than the carbon taxes alone. This is generally because the BCAs raise the value of the dollar relative to other currencies, thus lowering exports more than they lower imports. This is consistent with standard results in the international trade literature on the effects of import tariffs and export subsidies on real exchange rates, a result that is often overlooked in the discussion of domestic carbon policy. In a finding new to the literature, our results show that BCAs can have strikingly different effects depending on the use of the revenue. Under a lump sum rebate, BCAs exacerbate the impact of the carbon tax by lowering domestic output further than it would fall under the carbon tax alone. Under a capital tax swap, however, BCAs have a moderating effect: they reduce the impact of the tax on most industries.


Author(s):  
Sam Meng ◽  
Mahinda Siriwardana ◽  
Judith McNeill

Reductions in greenhouse gas emissions are essential to reducing the rate and scale of anthropogenic climate change to levels that can sustain the planet’s biosphere. A carbon tax is a policy measure that is designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by increasing the prices of the highest carbon-polluting goods and services in an economy, thus encouraging substitution towards resultant relatively cheaper and less-polluting goods where possible. When Australia introduced such a tax in 2012, there was a fear that it could threaten the resources boom, considered the engine of Australian economic growth in recent years. By employing a computable general equilibrium model and an environmentally-extended Social Accounting Matrix, this paper demonstrates the effects of a carbon tax on the resources sector. The modelled results show that, in a flexible exchange rate regime, all resources within the sector will be affected negatively but to different degrees. The brown coal sector will be the hardest hit, with a 25.74 per cent decrease in output, 52.94 per cent decrease in employment and 89.37 per cent decrease in profitability. However, other resources in the sector would be only mildly affected. From the point of view of sustainability, the most significant results are that, under the carbon tax, the resources sector contributes considerably to the carbon emission reduction target of Australia. Given that brown coal accounts for only a small portion of the resources sector, it is reasonable to suggest that a carbon tax would not significantly affect the overall performance of the sector.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noah M. Sachs

In this Article, I demonstrate that the regulatory strategy for energy efficiency is working. Although information disclosure, financial incentives, and other softer alternatives to regulation play a vital role in reducing energy demand, these should be viewed as complements to efficiency regulation, rather than replacements. The regulatory approach has led to substantial cost and energy savings in the past, it has enjoyed bipartisan political support, and it targets products and behaviors that are difficult to address through other policy tools. Given the politics of climate change in the United States, which make federal carbon taxes or a cap-and-trade system infeasible, the regulatory option should be expanded, not abandoned.


2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 784-801
Author(s):  
Levent Aydın

Although the idea of carbon tax was debated widely in the early 1970s, the first carbon taxes were imposed in some Northern European countries at the beginning of the 1990s. Since the Paris summit in 2015, there has been a growing interest in carbon tax that has begun to increase again. Although Turkey’s share of carbon emissions in terms of total global emissions is low, the rate of increase in emissions has increased in recent years and should be a cause for concern. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to analyze the possible effects of carbon taxes on Turkey’s economy by disaggregating the electricity sector a by using the computable general equilibrium model. Simulation results show that carbon taxation is a highly effective means to reduce carbon emissions. Despite all sectors being adversely affected, some low emission energy, textile, and other service sectors benefit from carbon pricing. The results also indicate macroeconomic costs of imposing a carbon tax at $7 per ton of carbon in terms of the decrease in GDP by 0.061% and associated with per capita utility of the representative household by 0.09% in scenario a. Imposition of successively higher carbon taxes in scenario b and scenario c results in 5.75, 12.02, and 16.95% reduction in carbon emissions at decreasing rate, respectively. However, these reductions are also accompanied by a decrease in real GDP and per capita utility from household expenditure, as macroeconomic costs, in scenarios a, b, and c at increasing rates.


Energies ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 2296 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weiguo Fan ◽  
Zhicheng Gao ◽  
Nan Chen ◽  
Hejie Wei ◽  
Zihan Xu ◽  
...  

Studying the characteristics, trends, and evolution of carbon emissions in agricultural related sectors is of great significance for rational formulation of carbon emission reduction policies. However, as an important carbon emission reduction policy, carbon tax has been controversial over whether or not it should be levied on China. Based on this consideration, this paper takes China’s agricultural related sectors as an example and analyzes the degree of carbon tax on macro-environment, macroeconomy, and agricultural sectors during the period 2020–2050 by constructing a 3EAD-CGE (economy-energy-environmental-agricultural-dynamics Computable General Equilibrium) model. The results show that: (1) carbon tax has a time effect, specifically, the short-term effect is better than the long-term. (2) If the incremental rate of carbon tax is carried out alone, it will exert a great influence on the macroeconomy as well as on most of the agricultural related sectors. (3) If a carbon tax is introduced at the same time as indirect taxes are cut (proportionally), the policy will exert a negative impact on agriculture-related sectors that are subsidized. However, the policy will have a positive impact on those nonsubsidized sectors. Finally, based on the results, we put forward some suggestions that are more suitable for the introduction of a carbon tax in China’s agricultural-related sectors.


2013 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 144-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Inkyo Cheong ◽  
Jose Tongzon

Several initiatives have emerged for regional economic integration in the Asia-Pacific region. The United States has led the negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement, and ASEAN countries have recently started to promote the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership. This paper estimates the net economic impact of these initiatives by eliminating the overlapping portions of free trade agreement–related economic gains through the use of a dynamic computable general equilibrium model. The paper analyzes the economic and political feasibility of these two initiatives and assesses their economic impacts. Finally, the paper provides implications for economic integration in East Asia based on a quantitative assessment.


1999 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 493-518 ◽  
Author(s):  
RICHARD F. GARBACCIO ◽  
MUN S. HO ◽  
DALE W. JORGENSON

We examine the use of carbon taxes to reduce emissions of CO2 in China. To do so, we develop a dynamic computable general equilibrium (CGE) model of the Chinese economy. In addition to accounting for the effects of population growth, capital accumulation, technological change, and changing patterns of demand, we also incorporate into our model elements of the dual nature of China's economy where both plan and market institutions exist side by side. We conduct simulations in which carbon emissions are reduced by 5, 10, and 15 per cent from our baseline. After initial declines, in all of our simulations GDP and consumption rapidly exceed baseline levels as the revenue neutral carbon tax serves to transfer income from consumers to producers and then into increased investment. Although subject to a number of caveats, we find potential for what is in some sense a 'double dividend', a decrease in emissions of CO2 and a long run increase in GDP and consumption.


2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keshab Bhattarai ◽  
Jonathan Haughton ◽  
Michael Head ◽  
David G Tuerck

Opinion leaders and policy makers in the United States have turned their focus to the corporate income tax, which now has the highest statutory rate in the developed world. Using a dynamic computable general equilibrium model (the “NCPA-DCGE Model”), we simulate alternative policies for reducing the U.S. corporate income tax.  We find that reductions in the corporate income tax rate result in significant positive impacts on output, investment, capital formation, employment, and household well-being (for almost all deciles). All of the hypothesized reforms also result in a more-streamlined public sector. These results are plausible insofar as the DCGE model from which they are obtained is parameterized by plausible elasticity assumptions, and incorporates the adjustments in prices, output, employment and investment that result from changes in tax policy.


1997 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-63
Author(s):  
Noel D. Uri ◽  
Roy Boyd

The analysis in this paper examines the impact of reducing the federal excise tax on gasoline and diesel fuel on the United States economy in general and the agricultural sectors in particular. The analytical approach used in the analysis consists of a computable general equilibrium model composed of fourteen producing sectors. fourteen consuming sectors, six household categories classified by income and a government. The effects of a 4.3 cents per gallon reduction in the excise tax on gasoline and diesel fuel in prices and quantities are examined. The results suggest. for example, a decrease in the tax would result in higher output by the producing sectors (by about $2.86 billion), a decline in output in the agricultural sectors of about 0.01 percent or $18.4 million. an expansion in the consumption of goods and services (by about $3.84 billion), and an increase in welfare (by about $3.59 billion). The government would realize a decrease in revenue of about $2.37 billion. When subjected to a sensitivity analysis. the results are reasonably robust with regard to the assumption of the values of the substitution elasticities.


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