scholarly journals The contribution of carbon pricing to sustainable mining

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.

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (01) ◽  
pp. 1950002 ◽  
Author(s):  
YUNGUANG CHEN ◽  
MARC A. C. HAFSTEAD

The United States is currently on pace to fall well short of its promises to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 26–28%, relative to 2005, by 2025, under the UN Framework and Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Paris Agreement, even if President Trump did not eliminate most Obama-era climate regulations. However, there still exists interest in reducing emissions, especially from some members of Congress, and there are a number of federal policy options to reduce greenhouse gas emissions if Congress (or a new administration in 2021) so chooses. In this paper, we show that a federal economy-wide carbon tax on US carbon dioxide emissions could significantly contribute to the reductions necessary to fulfill the US international climate commitments. Using a detailed multi-sector computable general equilibrium (CGE) model, we predict the carbon price paths that would be necessary to meet the 28% emissions target and show the economic costs of such carbon-pricing policies. We then demonstrate how both the price paths and associated costs change if action is delayed.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (16) ◽  
pp. 4395
Author(s):  
Andualem Telaye Mengistu ◽  
Pablo Benitez ◽  
Seneshaw Tamru ◽  
Haileselassie Medhin ◽  
Michael Toman

This study uses a Computable General Equilibrium model to analyze policy scenarios for a carbon tax on greenhouse gas emissions from petroleum fuels and kerosene in Ethiopia. The carbon tax starts at $5 per ton of carbon dioxide in 2018 and rises to $30 per ton in 2030; these rates are translated into taxes on the different energy types covered, depending on their carbon contents. Different scenarios examine the impacts with revenue recycling through a uniform sales tax reduction, reduction of labor income tax, reduction of business income tax, direct transfer back to households, and use by the government to reduce debt. Because petroleum fuels and kerosene are a relatively small part of the Ethiopian economy, the carbon tax has small impacts on overall economic activity and greenhouse gas emissions. In proportional terms, however, the impact on greenhouse gas emissions from these energy sources is notable, depending on the recycling scenario. The assumed carbon tax trajectory also can raise significant revenue—up to $800 million per year by 2030. The impacts on the poor through increased cost of living are not that large, since the share of the poor in total use of the taxed energy types is small. In terms of induced income effects through employment changes, urban households tend to experience more impacts than rural households, but the results also depend on the household skill level and the revenue recycling scenario.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (18) ◽  
pp. 5027 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shen ◽  
Shen ◽  
Yang

The increase in carbon emissions is considered one of the major causes of global warming and climate change. To reduce the potential environmental and economic threat from such greenhouse gas emissions, governments must formulate policies related to carbon emissions. Most economists favor the carbon tax as an approach to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This market-based approach is expected to inevitably affect enterprises’ operating activities such as production, inventory, and equipment investment. Therefore, in this study, we investigate a production inventory model for deteriorating items under a carbon tax policy and collaborative preservation technology investment from the perspective of supply chain integration. Our main purpose is to determine the optimal production, delivery, ordering, and investment policies for the buyer and vendor that maximize the joint total profit per unit time in consideration of the carbon tax policy. We present several numerical examples to demonstrate the solution procedures, and we conduct sensitivity analyses of the optimal solutions with respect to major parameters for identifying several managerial implications that provide a useful decision tool for the relevant managers. We hope that the study results assist government organizations in selecting a more appropriate carbon emissions policy for the carbon reduction trend.


2010 ◽  
Vol 54 (3) ◽  
pp. 463-516 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shi-Ling Hsu ◽  
Robin Elliot

Abstract Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions have risen dramatically since the 1997 negotiation of the Kyoto Protocol, and that rise has continued through Canada’s 2002 ratification of the Protocol. Along with economic dislocation, constitutional barriers to regulation have sometimes been cited as the reason for caution in regulating greenhouse gases. This article critically evaluates the constitutional arguments and examines the policy considerations surrounding various regulatory instruments that might be used to reduce greenhouse gases. We conclude that the Canadian constitution does not present any significant barriers to federal or provincial regulation and that policy considerations strongly favour the use of two instruments: a federal carbon tax to impose a marginal cost on emissions and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act to review federal projects that may increase greenhouse gases.


Subject Prospects for the introduction of a global carbon tax. Significance The decline in oil prices offers an opportunity to countries to introduce a carbon tax to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change. The UN Climate Change Conference (COP 21), to be held in Paris in November and December, will seek a global agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and set a specific goal to achieve net zero emissions by a certain date. Yet there is little clarity on how this goal could be achieved and whether there will be agreement on setting a price for carbon. Impacts The oil price plunge will continue to divert attention away from the need to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and increase energy efficiency. Without a credible agreement at COP 21, containing climate change disruption will be difficult. For any climate agreement to be credible, its implementation process must be addressed in detail.


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