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A comparison between emission intensity and emission cap regulations

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  • Hirose, Kosuke
  • Matsumura, Toshihiro

Abstract

We revisit command-and-control regulations and compare their efficiency, particularly an emission cap regulation that restricts total emissions and an emission intensity regulation that restricts emissions per unit of output under emission equivalence. We find that in both the most stringent target case, in which the target emissions level is close to zero, and the weakest target case, in which the target emissions level is close to business as usual, the emission intensity regulation yields greater welfare than does the emission cap regulation. However, in the moderate target cases, an emission cap regulation may be better in terms of welfare than an emission cap regulation because the emission intensity regulation causes over-production. Our results suggest that the efficiency of a policy measure depends on the target level of emissions.

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  • Hirose, Kosuke & Matsumura, Toshihiro, 2020. "A comparison between emission intensity and emission cap regulations," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:137:y:2020:i:c:s0301421519307025
    DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2019.111115
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    Cited by:

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    3. Ino, Hiroaki & Matsumura, Toshihiro, 2021. "Optimality of emission pricing policies based on emission intensity targets under imperfect competition," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
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    6. Tianyu Luo & Hongmin Chen, 2023. "A Comparative Analysis of Separate and Joint Environmental Rights Trading Markets in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-17, March.
    7. Tang, Chang & Qi, Yu & Khan, Naqib Ullah & Tang, Ruwei & Xue, Yan, 2023. "Ultra-low emission standards and corporate production performance: Evidence from Chinese thermal power companies," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    8. Zhang, Yanfang & Wei, Jinpeng & Gao, Qi & Shi, Xunpeng & Zhou, Dequn, 2022. "Coordination between the energy-consumption permit trading scheme and carbon emissions trading: Evidence from China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    9. Hirose, Kosuke & Matsumura, Toshihiro, 2022. "Common ownership and environmental Corporate Social Responsibility," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 114(C).
    10. Xin Li & Fengrong Bi & Lipeng Zhang & Xiao Yang & Guichang Zhang, 2022. "An Engine Fault Detection Method Based on the Deep Echo State Network and Improved Multi-Verse Optimizer," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-17, February.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Near-zero emission industry; Emission cap; Emission intensity; Emission equivalence;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q52 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Pollution Control Adoption and Costs; Distributional Effects; Employment Effects
    • L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets
    • L51 - Industrial Organization - - Regulation and Industrial Policy - - - Economics of Regulation

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