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Carbon Tax at the Pump in British Columbia and Quebec

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  • Can Erutku
  • Vincent Hildebrand

Abstract

British Columbia and Quebec introduced a carbon tax on the sale of retail gasoline in July 2008 and October 2007, respectively. Our findings suggest that the BC carbon tax had a short-term negative effect on gasoline consumption per capita and led to an amplified behavioural response, but only initially. This amplified response might have been the consequence of a constant carbon tax after July 2012. In comparison, we find weak evidence that the QC carbon tax had a negative effect on gasoline consumption per capita and created an amplified behavioural response. Moreover, these impacts appeared only years after the introduction of the QC carbon tax. This delay might be explained by the increase in carbon cost incurred by QC fossil fuel distributors after their participation in the Western Climate Initiative Regional Carbon Market, which started in January 2015. We believe, however, that more research is necessary to reach more definitive conclusions about the effect of carbon taxes on gasoline consumption.

Suggested Citation

  • Can Erutku & Vincent Hildebrand, 2018. "Carbon Tax at the Pump in British Columbia and Quebec," Canadian Public Policy, University of Toronto Press, vol. 44(2), pages 126-133, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpp:issued:v:44:y:2018:i:2:p:126-133
    DOI: 10.3138/cpp.2017-027
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    RePEc Biblio mentions

    As found on the RePEc Biblio, the curated bibliography for Economics:
    1. > Environmental and Natural Resource Economics > Climate economics > Ex-post evaluation of climate policy > Carbon taxes

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    Cited by:

    1. Ryan Rafaty & Geoffroy Dolphin & Felix Pretis, 2020. "Carbon pricing and the elasticity of CO2 emissions," Working Papers EPRG2035, Energy Policy Research Group, Cambridge Judge Business School, University of Cambridge.
    2. Arcila, Andres & Baker, John D., 2022. "Evaluating carbon tax policy: A methodological reassessment of a natural experiment," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 111(C).
    3. Bernard, Jean-Thomas & Kichian, Maral, 2019. "The long and short run effects of British Columbia's carbon tax on diesel demand," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 131(C), pages 380-389.
    4. Rafaty, Ryan & Dolphin, Geoffroy & Pretis, Felix, 2021. "Carbon Pricing and the Elasticity of CO2 Emissions," RFF Working Paper Series 21-33, Resources for the Future.
    5. Joel Wood, 2018. "The Pros and Cons of Carbon Taxes and Cap-and-Trade Systems," SPP Briefing Papers, The School of Public Policy, University of Calgary, vol. 11(30), November.
    6. Erutku, Can, 2019. "Carbon pricing pass-through: Evidence from Ontario and Quebec's wholesale gasoline markets," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 106-112.

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