Taxing crude oil: A financing alternative to mitigate climate change?

To date, global cooperation has not provided enough funds to counter climate change, as evidenced by the Green Climate Fund experience. Based on this fact, this document evaluates the revenue potential of an international tax on crude oil to finance programs to mitigate climate change. For this purpose, a dynamic, general equilibrium model for the world economy with two regions is proposed. One region is a net importer of oil, while the other is an exporter. In the model, oil exports are subject to a permanent per-barrel tax. Short- and long-run revenue projections are offered under alternative assumptions. Some exercises suggest that the resources generated from a $5 per-barrel tax on 25% of world oil exports would amount to $18.4 billion dollars in the initial year. To implement such policy at the international level, an “Oil and Climate Club” is proposed, where revenues from oil taxation would be allocated to funding environment-friendly programs. The paper includes a discussion on how to make the club's rules consistent with international trade laws.