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Robust policies to mitigate carbon leakage

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  • Böhringer, Christoph
  • Rosendahl, Knut Einar
  • Storrøsten, Halvor Briseid

Abstract

Unilateral climate policy induces carbon leakage through the relocation of emission-intensive and trade-exposed industries to regions without emission regulation. Previous studies suggest that emission pricing combined with border carbon adjustment is a second-best instrument, and more cost-effective than output-based rebating. We show that the combination of output-based rebating and a consumption tax for emission-intensive and trade-exposed goods can be equivalent with border carbon adjustment. Moreover, it is welfare improving for a region that implements emission pricing along with output-based rebating to introduce such a consumption tax. The welfare gain is particularly large if output-based rebating is already implemented for a sector that is not much exposed to leakage, e.g., due to uncertainty about exposure or due to lobbying activities. Thus, supplementing output-based rebating with a consumption tax constitutes robust policies to mitigate carbon leakage.

Suggested Citation

  • Böhringer, Christoph & Rosendahl, Knut Einar & Storrøsten, Halvor Briseid, 2017. "Robust policies to mitigate carbon leakage," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 149(C), pages 35-46.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:pubeco:v:149:y:2017:i:c:p:35-46
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jpubeco.2017.03.006
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Carbon leakage; Output-based rebating; Border carbon adjustment; Consumption tax;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D61 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Allocative Efficiency; Cost-Benefit Analysis
    • F18 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade and Environment
    • H23 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Externalities; Redistributive Effects; Environmental Taxes and Subsidies
    • Q54 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Climate; Natural Disasters and their Management; Global Warming

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