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Avoiding Carbon Lock-In: Policy Options for Advancing Structural Change

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Author Info

  • Linus Mattauch

    (Department of Economics of Climate Change, TU Berlin)

  • Felix Creutzig
  • Ottmar Edenhofer

Abstract

A major obstacle for the transformation to a low-carbon economy is the risk of a carbon lock-in: fossil fuel-based ('dirty') technologies dominate the market although their carbon-free ('clean') alternatives are dynamically more efficient. We study the interaction of learning-by-doing spillovers and the substitution elasticity between the clean and the dirty sector in an intertemporal general equilibrium model. We find that the substitution possibilities between the two sectors have an ambivalent effect: although a high substitution elasticity requires less aggressive mitigation policies than a low one, it creates a greater lock-in in the absence of regulation. The optimal policy response consists of a permanent carbon tax as well as a learning subsidy for clean technologies. A single policy instrument can also avoid high welfare losses, but a more stringent mitigation target can only be achieved at painful costs. We demonstrate that the policy implication of [Acemoglu et al. 2012] is limited in scope. Our numerical results also highlight that infrastructure provision is crucial to facilitate the low-carbon transformation.

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File URL: http://ideas.climatecon.tu-berlin.de/documents/wpaper/CLIMATECON-2012-01.pdf
File Function: First version, 2012
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Bibliographic Info

Paper provided by Department of Climate Change Economics, TU Berlin in its series Working Papers with number 1.

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Length: 26 pages
Date of creation: Feb 2012
Date of revision: Feb 2012
Handle: RePEc:ecc:wpaper:3

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Web page: http://www.climatecon.tu-berlin.de/

Related research

Keywords: structural change; low-carbon economy; carbon lock-in; mitigation policies; learning-by-doing;

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References

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  1. Acemoglu, Daron & Aghion, Philippe & Bursztyn, Leonardo & Hemous, David, 2011. "The Environment and Directed Technical Change," CEPR Discussion Papers 8660, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
  2. Daron Acemoglu, 2002. "Directed Technical Change," Review of Economic Studies, Oxford University Press, vol. 69(4), pages 781-809.
  3. Mirrlees, J. A. & Stern, N. H., 1972. "Fairly good plans," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 4(2), pages 268-288, April.
  4. Edenhofer, Ottmar & Bauer, Nico & Kriegler, Elmar, 2005. "The impact of technological change on climate protection and welfare: Insights from the model MIND," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 54(2-3), pages 277-292, August.
  5. Gerlagh, R. & Kverndokk, S. & Rosendahl, K.E., 2009. "Optimal timing of climate change policy: Interaction between carbon taxes and innovation externalities," Open Access publications from Tilburg University urn:nbn:nl:ui:12-3777015, Tilburg University.
  6. David Anthoff & Richard S. J. Tol, 2008. "The Impact of Climate Change on the Balanced-Growth-Equivalent: An Application of FUND," Papers WP228, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).
  7. Armon Rezai & Duncan Foley & Lance Taylor, 2012. "Global warming and economic externalities," Economic Theory, Springer, vol. 49(2), pages 329-351, February.
  8. McDonald, Alan & Schrattenholzer, Leo, 2001. "Learning rates for energy technologies," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 29(4), pages 255-261, March.
  9. Andersen, Poul H. & Mathews, John A. & Rask, Morten, 2009. "Integrating private transport into renewable energy policy: The strategy of creating intelligent recharging grids for electric vehicles," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(7), pages 2481-2486, July.
  10. Kverndokk, Snorre & Rosendahl, Knut Einar, 2007. "Climate policies and learning by doing: Impacts and timing of technology subsidies," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 29(1), pages 58-82, January.
  11. Schmidt, Robert C. & Marschinski, Robert, 2009. "A model of technological breakthrough in the renewable energy sector," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(2), pages 435-444, December.
  12. Unruh, Gregory C., 2000. "Understanding carbon lock-in," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 28(12), pages 817-830, October.
  13. Fischer, Carolyn & Newell, Richard, 2004. "Environmental and Technology Policies for Climate Mitigation," Discussion Papers dp-04-05, Resources For the Future.
  14. David Popp, 2002. "Induced Innovation and Energy Prices," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 92(1), pages 160-180, March.
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Cited by:
  1. Armon Rezai & Frederick van der Ploeg & Cees Withagen, 2012. "The Optimal Carbon Tax and Economic Growth: Additive versus Multiplicative Damages," CEEES Paper Series CE3S-05/12, European University at St. Petersburg, Department of Economics.
  2. Garth Heutel & Carolyn Fischer, 2013. "Environmental Macroeconomics: Environmental Policy, Business Cycles, and Directed Technical Change," NBER Working Papers 18794, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

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