IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/cec/wpaper/1412.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

The Social Aversion to Intergenerational Inequality and the Recycling of a Carbon Tax

Author

Listed:
  • Frederic Gonand

Abstract

Redistributing the income of a carbon tax impacts the economic activity and the intergenerational inequality, which both influence the intertemporal social welfare. Thus the way a social planner recycles a carbon tax is influenced by its degree of aversion to intergenerational inequality. This article analyses the effect of social aversion to intergenerational inequality on the social choice as concerns implementing and redistributing a carbon tax. It relies on a detailed computable general equilibrium model with overlapping generations and an energy module, with a parameterisation on empirical data. We use two types of social welfare functionals which both incorporate a variable parameter measuring the degree of aversion of the social planner to intergenerational inequality. Results suggest that the social planner recycles a carbon tax through higher public expenditures if its aversion to intergenerational inequity is relatively high. This holds even if recycling through lower income taxes increases activity.

Suggested Citation

  • Frederic Gonand, 2014. "The Social Aversion to Intergenerational Inequality and the Recycling of a Carbon Tax," Working Papers 1412, Chaire Economie du climat.
  • Handle: RePEc:cec:wpaper:1412
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.chaireeconomieduclimat.org/RePEc/cec/wpaper/14-07-Cahier-R-2014-12-Gonand.pdf
    File Function: First version, 2014
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Axel Börsch‐Supan & Florian Heiss & Alexander Ludwig & Joachim Winter, 2003. "Pension Reform, Capital Markets and the Rate of Return," German Economic Review, Verein für Socialpolitik, vol. 4(2), pages 151-181, May.
    2. Miles, David, 1999. "Modelling the Impact of Demographic Change upon the Economy," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 109(452), pages 1-36, January.
    3. de Bovenberg, A Lans & Mooij, Ruud A, 1994. "Environmental Levies and Distortionary Taxation," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 84(4), pages 1085-1089, September.
    4. Robert M. Solow, 1956. "A Contribution to the Theory of Economic Growth," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, Oxford University Press, vol. 70(1), pages 65-94.
    5. Don Fullerton & Garth Heutel, 2010. "The General Equilibrium Incidence of Environmental Mandates," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 2(3), pages 64-89, August.
    6. Paul A. Samuelson, 1958. "An Exact Consumption-Loan Model of Interest with or without the Social Contrivance of Money," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 66, pages 467-467.
    7. Axel Börsch‐Supan & Florian Heiss & Alexander Ludwig & Joachim Winter, 2003. "Pension Reform, Capital Markets and the Rate of Return," German Economic Review, Verein für Socialpolitik, vol. 4(2), pages 151-181, May.
    8. Rudiger Dornbusch & James M. Poterba (ed.), 1991. "Global Warming: Economic Policy Responses," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 026204126x, December.
    9. Broer, D.P. & Westerhout, E.W.M.T. & Bovenberg, A.L., 1994. "Taxation, pension and saving in a small open economy," Other publications TiSEM 667e0603-e83e-4340-aad4-5, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    10. Brigitte Knopf, Ottmar Edenhofer, Christian Flachsland, Marcel T. J. Kok, Hermann Lotze-Campen, Gunnar Luderer, Alexander Popp, Detlef P. van Vuuren, 2010. "Managing the Low-Carbon Transition - From Model Results to Policies," The Energy Journal, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Special I).
    11. Michel Normandin & Pascal St-Amour, 1998. "Substitution, risk aversion, taste shocks and equity premia," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 13(3), pages 265-281.
    12. Robert M. Solow, 2016. "Resources and Economic Growth," The American Economist, Sage Publications, vol. 61(1), pages 52-60, March.
    13. James M. Poterba, 1991. "Tax Policy to Combat Global Warming: On Designing a Carbon Tax," NBER Working Papers 3649, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    14. Bovenberg, A. Lans & Heijdra, Ben J., 1998. "Environmental tax policy and intergenerational distribution," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 67(1), pages 1-24, January.
    15. K. Sato, 1967. "A Two-Level Constant-Elasticity-of-Substitution Production Function," Review of Economic Studies, Oxford University Press, vol. 34(2), pages 201-218.
    16. Bretschger, Lucas & Ramer, Roger & Schwark, Florentine, 2011. "Growth effects of carbon policies: Applying a fully dynamic CGE model with heterogeneous capital," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 33(4), pages 963-980.
    17. Epstein, Larry G & Zin, Stanley E, 1991. "Substitution, Risk Aversion, and the Temporal Behavior of Consumption and Asset Returns: An Empirical Analysis," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 99(2), pages 263-286, April.
    18. Daron Acemoglu, 2002. "Directed Technical Change," Review of Economic Studies, Oxford University Press, vol. 69(4), pages 781-809.
    19. Pearce, David W, 1991. "The Role of Carbon Taxes in Adjusting to Global Warming," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 101(407), pages 938-948, July.
    20. Brounen, Dirk & Kok, Nils & Quigley, John M., 2012. "Residential energy use and conservation: Economics and demographics," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 56(5), pages 931-945.
    21. Parry, Ian W. H. & Williams III, Roberton C., 1999. "A second-best evaluation of eight policy instruments to reduce carbon emissions," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 21(3-4), pages 347-373, August.
    22. Broer, D Peter & Westerhout, Ed W M T & Bovenberg, A Lans, 1994. " Taxation, Pensions and Saving in a Small Open Economy," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 96(3), pages 403-424.
    23. Bohringer, Christoph & Rutherford, Thomas F., 1997. "Carbon Taxes with Exemptions in an Open Economy: A General Equilibrium Analysis of the German Tax Initiative," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 32(2), pages 189-203, February.
    24. Fishelson, Gideon, 1983. "Hotelling rule, economic responses and oil prices," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 5(3), pages 153-156, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. repec:dau:papers:123456789/13361 is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Frédéric Gonand, 2014. "Fostering Renewables and Recycling a Carbon Tax: Joint Aggregate and Intergenerational Redistributive Effects," Working Papers 1408, Chaire Economie du climat.
    3. repec:dau:papers:123456789/13160 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. Gonand, Frédéric & Jouvet, Pierre-André, 2015. "The “second dividend” and the demographic structure," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 71-97.
    5. Frederic Gonand, 2014. "Dynamic Impacts on Growth and Intergenerational Effects of Energy Transition in a Time of Fiscal Consolidation," Working Papers 1401, Chaire Economie du climat.
    6. repec:dau:papers:123456789/12507 is not listed on IDEAS
    7. Frédéric Gonand, 2019. "Inégalité intergénérationnelle et recyclage d’une taxe carbone," Revue économique, Presses de Sciences-Po, vol. 70(3), pages 411-440.
    8. Frédéric Gonand, 2016. "The Carbon Tax, Ageing and Pension Deficits," Post-Print hal-01251698, HAL.
    9. Axel Börsch‐Supan & Alexander Ludwig & Joachim Winter, 2006. "Ageing, Pension Reform and Capital Flows: A Multi‐Country Simulation Model," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 73(292), pages 625-658, November.
    10. Börsch-Supan, Axel, 2004. "Global Aging: Issues, Answers, More Questions," MEA discussion paper series 04055, Munich Center for the Economics of Aging (MEA) at the Max Planck Institute for Social Law and Social Policy.
    11. Boyd, Roy & Ibarraran, Maria E., 2002. "Costs of compliance with the Kyoto Protocol: a developing country perspective," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 24(1), pages 21-39, January.
    12. Börsch-Supan, Axel & Ludwig, Alexander & Winter, Joachim, 2001. "Aging and International Capital Flows," Discussion Papers 605, Institut fuer Volkswirtschaftslehre und Statistik, Abteilung fuer Volkswirtschaftslehre.
    13. Pizer, William A. & Kopp, Raymond, 2005. "Calculating the Costs of Environmental Regulation," Handbook of Environmental Economics, in: K. G. Mäler & J. R. Vincent (ed.), Handbook of Environmental Economics, edition 1, volume 3, chapter 25, pages 1307-1351, Elsevier.
    14. Barbara Berkel & Axel Börsch‐Supan & Alexander Ludwig & Joachim Winter, 2004. "Sind die Probleme der Bevölkerungsalterung durch eine höhere Geburtenrate lösbar?," Perspektiven der Wirtschaftspolitik, Verein für Socialpolitik, vol. 5(1), pages 71-90, February.
    15. Jacques Le Cacheux & Vincent Touzé, 2002. "Les modèles d'équilibre général calculable à générations imbriquées. Enjeux, méthodes et résultats," Revue de l'OFCE, Presses de Sciences-Po, vol. 80(1), pages 87-113.
    16. Gaël Callonnec & Frédéric Reynès & Yasser Y. Tamsamani, 2012. "Une évaluation macroéconomique et sectorielle de la fiscalité carbone en France," Revue de l'OFCE, Presses de Sciences-Po, vol. 0(1), pages 121-154.
    17. Cremer, Helmuth & Gahvari, Firouz & Ladoux, Norbert, 2003. "Environmental taxes with heterogeneous consumers: an application to energy consumption in France," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 87(12), pages 2791-2815, December.
    18. Pottier, Antonin & Combet, Emmanuel & Cayla, Jean-Michel & de Lauretis, Simona & Nadaud, Franck, 2021. "Who emits CO2 ? Landscape of ecological inequalities in France from a critical perspective," FEEM Working Papers 311053, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM).
    19. Helmuth Cremer & Firouz Gahvari & Norbert Ladoux, 2001. "Second‐Best Pollution Taxes and the Structure of Preferences," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 68(2), pages 258-280, October.
    20. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/2091 is not listed on IDEAS
    21. Anthony B. Atkinson, 2004. "De nouvelles sources pour le financement du développement – Économie publique mondiale. Une approche en termes de frontière de production," Revue d’économie du développement, De Boeck Université, vol. 12(3), pages 5-27.
    22. A. Lans Bovenberg & Lawrence H. Goulder, 2001. "Neutralizing the Adverse Industry Impacts of CO2 Abatement Policies: What Does It Cost?," NBER Chapters, in: Behavioral and Distributional Effects of Environmental Policy, pages 45-90, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    23. Chiroleu-Assouline, Mireille & Fodha, Mouez, 2006. "Double dividend hypothesis, golden rule and welfare distribution," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 51(3), pages 323-335, May.
    24. Bouzahzah, Mohamed & De la Croix, David & Docquier, Frederic, 2002. "Policy reforms and growth in computable OLG economies," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 26(12), pages 2093-2113, October.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Energy transition; intergenerational redistribution; social choice; overlapping generations; carbon tax; general equilibrium.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D58 - Microeconomics - - General Equilibrium and Disequilibrium - - - Computable and Other Applied General Equilibrium Models
    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement
    • E62 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Fiscal Policy; Modern Monetary Theory
    • L7 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Primary Products and Construction
    • Q28 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Renewable Resources and Conservation - - - Government Policy
    • Q43 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - Energy and the Macroeconomy

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:cec:wpaper:1412. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Chaire Economie du Climat (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.chaireeconomieduclimat.org .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.