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Taxation of Carbon Emissions with Social and Private Discount Rates

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  • Mathias Mier
  • Jacqueline Adelowo

Abstract

Energy system and power market models refrain from distinguishing between private and social discount rates. We devise a strategy to account for diverging private and social discount rates in intertemporal optimization frameworks, resulting in an optimal carbon tax above the marginal damage when private discount rates exceed the social one. We quantify results for the European power market until 2050. Not distinguishing between private and social discount rates yields carbon emissions of 0.83 Gt in 2050 with rising trend from 2020 onwards. Distinguishing between private and social discount rates achieves full decarbonization (–0.15 Gt in 2050) and avoids damages of 1,386 billion € until 2050. Results explain missing investments of firms and suggest that policymakers should announce high future carbon prices to incentivize sufficient investments into clean technologies.

Suggested Citation

  • Mathias Mier & Jacqueline Adelowo, 2022. "Taxation of Carbon Emissions with Social and Private Discount Rates," ifo Working Paper Series 374, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ifowps:_374
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Belfiori, Maria Elisa, 2017. "Carbon pricing, carbon sequestration and social discounting," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 1-17.
    2. Mier, Mathias & Siala, Kais & Govorukha, Kristina & Mayer, Philip, 2023. "Collaboration, decarbonization, and distributional effects," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 341(C).
    3. Azarova, Valeriya & Mier, Mathias, 2021. "Market Stability Reserve under exogenous shock: The case of COVID-19 pandemic," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 283(C).
    4. Moritz A. Drupp & Mark C. Freeman & Ben Groom & Frikk Nesje, 2018. "Discounting Disentangled," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 10(4), pages 109-134, November.
    5. Belfiori, Maria Elisa, 2018. "Climate change and intergenerational equity: Revisiting the uniform taxation principle on carbon energy inputs," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 121(C), pages 292-299.
    6. Simon Dietz & Frederick van der Ploeg & Armon Rezai & Frank Venmans, 2021. "Are Economists Getting Climate Dynamics Right and Does It Matter?," Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, University of Chicago Press, vol. 8(5), pages 895-921.
    7. Weitzman, Martin L., 1998. "Why the Far-Distant Future Should Be Discounted at Its Lowest Possible Rate," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 36(3), pages 201-208, November.
    8. Siala, Kais & Mier, Mathias & Schmidt, Lukas & Torralba-Díaz, Laura & Sheykhha, Siamak & Savvidis, Georgios, 2022. "Which model features matter? An experimental approach to evaluate power market modeling choices," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 245(C).
    9. Weissbart, Christoph, 2020. "Decarbonization of power markets under stability and fairness: Do they influence efficiency?," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    10. Jacqueline Adelowo & Mathias Mier & Christoph Weissbart, 2021. "Taxation of Carbon Emissions and Air Pollution in Intertemporal Optimization Frameworks with Social and Private Discount Rates," ifo Working Paper Series 360, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich.
    11. Mathias Mier & Kais Siala & Kristina Govorukha & Philip Mayer, 2020. "Costs and Benefits of Political and Physical Collaboration in the European Power Market," ifo Working Paper Series 343, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich.
    12. Barrage, Lint, 2018. "Be careful what you calibrate for: Social discounting in general equilibrium," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 160(C), pages 33-49.
    13. Geoffrey J. Blanford & Christoph Weissbart, 2019. "A Framework for Modeling the Dynamics of Power Markets – The EU-REGEN Model," ifo Working Paper Series 307, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich.
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    Cited by:

    1. Mathias Mier & Valeriya Azarova, 2022. "Investment Cost Specifications Revisited," ifo Working Paper Series 376, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich.
    2. Mier, Mathias & Siala, Kais & Govorukha, Kristina & Mayer, Philip, 2023. "Collaboration, decarbonization, and distributional effects," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 341(C).
    3. Mathias Mier, 2023. "European Electricity Prices in Times of Multiple Crises," ifo Working Paper Series 394, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Carbon taxation; discounting; social cost; carbon emission; externality; intertemporal optimization; power market model; decarbonization;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C61 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Mathematical Methods; Programming Models; Mathematical and Simulation Modeling - - - Optimization Techniques; Programming Models; Dynamic Analysis
    • H21 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Efficiency; Optimal Taxation
    • H23 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Externalities; Redistributive Effects; Environmental Taxes and Subsidies
    • H43 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - Project Evaluation; Social Discount Rate
    • L94 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities - - - Electric Utilities

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