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A new carbon tax in Portugal: A missed opportunity to achieve the triple dividend?

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  • Pereira, Alfredo M.
  • Pereira, Rui M.
  • Rodrigues, Pedro G.

Abstract

In 2014, the Portuguese government appointed a Commission for Environmental Tax Reform that formulated a carbon-tax proposal designed to achieve three dividends: to help Portugal meet the European Union's target for emissions reductions by 2030, to boost long-term employment and GDP above their pre-carbon-tax levels, and to strengthen public finances by lowering public indebtedness. A key feature of this proposal was a judicious set of mixed strategies to recycle all carbon-tax revenues back into the economy. In this note, we show how the carbon tax that the Portuguese Parliament eventually approved deviated from such guidelines, and ultimately failed to achieve the triple dividend. We argue that authorities need to quickly amend the existing legislation to avoid this misguided attempt turning into a missed opportunity to improve environmental, macroeconomic, and fiscal outcomes.

Suggested Citation

  • Pereira, Alfredo M. & Pereira, Rui M. & Rodrigues, Pedro G., 2016. "A new carbon tax in Portugal: A missed opportunity to achieve the triple dividend?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 110-118.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:93:y:2016:i:c:p:110-118
    DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2016.03.002
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    1. Alfredo Marvao Pereira & Rui Marvao Pereira, 2019. "Achieving the triple dividend in Portugal: a dynamic general-equilibrium evaluation of a carbon tax indexed to emissions trading," Journal of Economic Policy Reform, Taylor and Francis Journals, vol. 22(2), pages 148-163, April.
    2. Pereira, Alfredo M. & Pereira, Rui M., 2014. "On the environmental, economic and budgetary impacts of fossil fuel prices: A dynamic general equilibrium analysis of the Portuguese case," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 248-261.
    3. Stern,Nicholas, 2007. "The Economics of Climate Change," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521700801.
    4. Alfredo Pereira & Rui Pereira, 2013. "Fossil fuel prices and the economic and budgetary challenges of a small energy-importing economy: the case of Portugal," Portuguese Economic Journal, Springer;Instituto Superior de Economia e Gestao, vol. 12(3), pages 181-214, December.
    5. Alfredo M. Pereira & Pedro G. Rodrigues, 2004. "Strategies for Fiscal Reform in the Context of the EMU: the Case of Portugal," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 8(1), pages 141-163, February.
    6. Alfredo M. Pereira & Rui M. Pereira, 2017. "Reducing carbon emissions in Portugal: the relative roles of fossil fuel prices, energy efficiency, and carbon taxation," Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 60(10), pages 1825-1852, October.
    7. Alfredo M. Pereira & Rui M. Pereira, 2014. "Environmental Fiscal Reform and Fiscal Consolidation," Public Finance Review, , vol. 42(2), pages 222-253, March.
    8. Alfredo M. Pereira & Pedro G. Rodrigues, 2002. "On the impact of a tax shock in Portugal," Portuguese Economic Journal, Springer;Instituto Superior de Economia e Gestao, vol. 1(3), pages 205-236, December.
    9. Alfredo Marvão Pereira & Rui M. Pereira, 2012. "DGEP - A Dynamic General Equilibrium Model of the Portuguese Economy: Model Documentation," Working Papers 127, Department of Economics, College of William and Mary.
    10. Pedro G. Rodrigues & Alfredo M. Pereira, 2000. "On The Impact Of A Tax Reform Package In Portugal," Computing in Economics and Finance 2000 353, Society for Computational Economics.
    11. Nordhaus William D, 2010. "Carbon Taxes to Move Toward Fiscal Sustainability," The Economists' Voice, De Gruyter, vol. 7(3), pages 1-5, September.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Carbon tax; Triple dividend; Economic growth; Fiscal consolidation; Dynamic general equilibrium; Portugal;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D58 - Microeconomics - - General Equilibrium and Disequilibrium - - - Computable and Other Applied General Equilibrium Models
    • H63 - Public Economics - - National Budget, Deficit, and Debt - - - Debt; Debt Management; Sovereign Debt
    • O44 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - Environment and Growth

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