IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/tefoso/v159y2020ics0040162520310131.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Rethinking the choice of carbon tax and carbon trading in China

Author

Listed:
  • Jia, Zhijie
  • Lin, Boqiang

Abstract

Carbon tax and carbon emission trading are used as emission reduction strategies. This paper re-analyzes the differences between the carbon tax and carbon trading by applying a recursive dynamic computable general equilibrium model, called the CEEEA (China Environmental-Energy-Economy Analysis) model. Unlike previous literature, we make the gross domestic product an exogenous variable and explore different effects between carbon tax mechanism and carbon trading mechanism on the environment, energy, and economy. Given a constant GDP effect, both carbon trading and carbon tax have strong emission reduction capacity, but the relative emission reduction efficiency of the carbon tax is higher than that of carbon trading. This advantage increases over time. Carbon trading has a certain negative effect on the output of the energy industry, and also on the output of other energy-intensive industries involving in carbon trading. After considering the various invisible costs of establishing a new carbon trading market, this paper recommends that China could directly levy a carbon tax on energy enterprises, or just increase the production tax on fossil fuels to reduce CO2 emissions effectively. In this way, the commodity market can be used for price incentives and thus, achieve the goal of emission reduction.

Suggested Citation

  • Jia, Zhijie & Lin, Boqiang, 2020. "Rethinking the choice of carbon tax and carbon trading in China," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:tefoso:v:159:y:2020:i:c:s0040162520310131
    DOI: 10.1016/j.techfore.2020.120187
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0040162520310131
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.techfore.2020.120187?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Chi Kong Chyong, Bowei Guo, and David Newbery, 2020. "The Impact of a Carbon Tax on the CO2 Emissions Reduction of Wind," The Energy Journal, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 1).
    2. Li, Aijun & Peng, Dan & Wang, Daoping & Yao, Xin, 2017. "Comparing regional effects of climate policies to promote non-fossil fuels in China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 1998-2012.
    3. Miriam Frey, 2017. "Assessing the impact of a carbon tax in Ukraine," Climate Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 17(3), pages 378-396, April.
    4. Wang, Qian & Hubacek, Klaus & Feng, Kuishuang & Guo, Lin & Zhang, Kun & Xue, Jinjun & Liang, Qiao-Mei, 2019. "Distributional impact of carbon pricing in Chinese provinces," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 327-340.
    5. Fremstad, Anders & Paul, Mark, 2019. "The Impact of a Carbon Tax on Inequality," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 163(C), pages 88-97.
    6. Chang, Kai & Zhang, Chao & Chang, Hao, 2016. "Emissions reduction allocation and economic welfare estimation through interregional emissions trading in China: Evidence from efficiency and equity," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 1125-1135.
    7. Lin, Boqiang & Jia, Zhijie, 2019. "What will China's carbon emission trading market affect with only electricity sector involvement? A CGE based study," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 301-311.
    8. Hájek, Miroslav & Zimmermannová, Jarmila & Helman, Karel & Rozenský, Ladislav, 2019. "Analysis of carbon tax efficiency in energy industries of selected EU countries," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    9. Zhang, Hongxia & Hewings, Geoffrey J.D. & Zheng, Xinye, 2019. "The effects of carbon taxation in China: An analysis based on energy input-output model in hybrid units," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 223-234.
    10. Jiang, Zhujun & Shao, Shuai, 2014. "Distributional effects of a carbon tax on Chinese households: A case of Shanghai," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 269-277.
    11. Vandyck, Toon & Van Regemorter, Denise, 2014. "Distributional and regional economic impact of energy taxes in Belgium," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 190-203.
    12. Xu, Bin & Lin, Boqiang, 2018. "Do we really understand the development of China's new energy industry?," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 733-745.
    13. Goulder, Lawrence H. & Hafstead, Marc A.C. & Kim, GyuRim & Long, Xianling, 2019. "Impacts of a carbon tax across US household income groups: What are the equity-efficiency trade-offs?," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 175(C), pages 44-64.
    14. 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.
    15. Nong, Duy & Nguyen, Trung H. & Wang, Can & Van Khuc, Quy, 2020. "The environmental and economic impact of the emissions trading scheme (ETS) in Vietnam," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 140(C).
    16. Chao, Hsun & Agusdinata, Datu Buyung & DeLaurentis, Daniel A., 2019. "The potential impacts of Emissions Trading Scheme and biofuel options to carbon emissions of U.S. airlines," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    17. Zhang, Kun & Xue, Mei-Mei & Feng, Kuishuang & Liang, Qiao-Mei, 2019. "The economic effects of carbon tax on China’s provinces," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 41(4), pages 784-802.
    18. Mu, Yaqian & Evans, Samuel & Wang, Can & Cai, Wenjia, 2018. "How will sectoral coverage affect the efficiency of an emissions trading system? A CGE-based case study of China," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 227(C), pages 403-414.
    19. Yan, Yaxue & Zhang, Xiaoling & Zhang, Jihong & Li, Kai, 2020. "Emissions trading system (ETS) implementation and its collaborative governance effects on air pollution: The China story," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 138(C).
    20. Sifiso M. Ntombela & Heinrich R. Bohlmann & Mmatlou W. Kalaba, 2019. "Greening the South Africa’s Economy Could Benefit the Food Sector: Evidence from a Carbon Tax Policy Assessment," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 74(2), pages 891-910, October.
    21. Berry, Audrey, 2019. "The distributional effects of a carbon tax and its impact on fuel poverty: A microsimulation study in the French context," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 124(C), pages 81-94.
    22. Strand, Jon, 2013. "Strategic climate policy with offsets and incomplete abatement: Carbon taxes versus cap-and-trade," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 66(2), pages 202-218.
    23. Zhang, Yue-Jun & Liang, Ting & Jin, Yan-Lin & Shen, Bo, 2020. "The impact of carbon trading on economic output and carbon emissions reduction in China’s industrial sectors," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 260(C).
    24. Rosas-Flores, Jorge Alberto & Bakhat, Mohcine & Rosas-Flores, Dionicio & Fernández Zayas, José Luis, 2017. "Distributional effects of subsidy removal and implementation of carbon taxes in Mexican households," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 21-28.
    25. Nong, Duy, 2020. "Development of the electricity-environmental policy CGE model (GTAP-E-PowerS): A case of the carbon tax in South Africa," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 140(C).
    26. Cenjie Liu & Chunbo Ma & Rui Xie, 2020. "Structural, Innovation and Efficiency Effects of Environmental Regulation: Evidence from China’s Carbon Emissions Trading Pilot," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 75(4), pages 741-768, April.
    27. Lin, Boqiang & Jia, Zhijie, 2018. "The energy, environmental and economic impacts of carbon tax rate and taxation industry: A CGE based study in China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 159(C), pages 558-568.
    28. Gonzalez, Fidel, 2012. "Distributional effects of carbon taxes: The case of Mexico," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 34(6), pages 2102-2115.
    29. Chan, Nathan W. & Morrow, John W., 2019. "Unintended consequences of cap-and-trade? Evidence from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 411-422.
    30. Lin, Weiming & Chen, Jianling & Zheng, Yi & Dai, Yongwu, 2019. "Effects of the EU Emission Trading Scheme on the international competitiveness of pulp-and-paper industry," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).
    31. Edward Olale & Emmanuel K. Yiridoe & Thomas O. Ochuodho & Van Lantz, 2019. "The Effect of Carbon Tax on Farm Income: Evidence from a Canadian Province," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 74(2), pages 605-623, October.
    32. Wang, Qian & Hubacek, Klaus & Feng, Kuishuang & Wei, Yi-Ming & Liang, Qiao-Mei, 2016. "Distributional effects of carbon taxation," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 184(C), pages 1123-1131.
    33. Toon Vandyck, 2013. "Efficiency and equity aspects of energy taxation," ERSA conference papers ersa13p945, European Regional Science Association.
    34. Julius J. Andersson, 2019. "Carbon Taxes and CO2 Emissions: Sweden as a Case Study," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 11(4), pages 1-30, November.
    35. Barragán-Beaud, Camila & Pizarro-Alonso, Amalia & Xylia, Maria & Syri, Sanna & Silveira, Semida, 2018. "Carbon tax or emissions trading? An analysis of economic and political feasibility of policy mechanisms for greenhouse gas emissions reduction in the Mexican power sector," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 287-299.
    36. Yamazaki, Akio, 2017. "Jobs and climate policy: Evidence from British Columbia's revenue-neutral carbon tax," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 197-216.
    37. Dorsey-Palmateer, Reid & Niu, Ben, 2020. "The effect of carbon taxation on cross-border competition and energy efficiency investments," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    38. Umit, Resul & Schaffer, Lena Maria, 2020. "Attitudes towards carbon taxes across Europe: The role of perceived uncertainty and self-interest," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 140(C).
    39. Du, Kerui & Li, Pengzhen & Yan, Zheming, 2019. "Do green technology innovations contribute to carbon dioxide emission reduction? Empirical evidence from patent data," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 146(C), pages 297-303.
    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. Wu, Libo & Zhang, Shuaishuai & Qian, Haoqi, 2022. "Distributional effects of China's National Emissions Trading Scheme with an emphasis on sectoral coverage and revenue recycling," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 105(C).
    2. Jia, Zhijie & Lin, Boqiang & Liu, Xiying, 2023. "Rethinking the equity and efficiency of carbon tax: A novel perspective," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 346(C).
    3. Nils Ohlendorf & Michael Jakob & Jan Christoph Minx & Carsten Schröder & Jan Christoph Steckel, 2021. "Distributional Impacts of Carbon Pricing: A Meta-Analysis," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 78(1), pages 1-42, January.
    4. Ravigné, Emilien & Ghersi, Frédéric & Nadaud, Franck, 2022. "Is a fair energy transition possible? Evidence from the French low-carbon strategy," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 196(C).
    5. Hu, Haisheng & Dong, Wanhao & Zhou, Qian, 2021. "A comparative study on the environmental and economic effects of a resource tax and carbon tax in China: Analysis based on the computable general equilibrium model," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).
    6. Nils Ohlendorf & Michael Jakob & Jan Christoph Minx & Carsten Schröder & Jan Christoph Steckel, 2018. "Distributional Impacts of Climate Mitigation Policies - a Meta-Analysis," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 1776, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    7. Kirchner, Mathias & Sommer, Mark & Kratena, Kurt & Kletzan-Slamanig, Daniela & Kettner-Marx, Claudia, 2019. "CO2 taxes, equity and the double dividend – Macroeconomic model simulations for Austria," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 295-314.
    8. Immervoll, Herwig & Linden, Jules & O'Donoghue, Cathal & Sologon, Denisa Maria, 2023. "Who Pays for Higher Carbon Prices? Illustration for Lithuania and a Research Agenda," IZA Discussion Papers 15868, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    9. Weijiang Liu & Min Liu & Tingting Liu & Yangyang Li & Yizhe Hao, 2022. "Does a Recycling Carbon Tax with Technological Progress in Clean Electricity Drive the Green Economy?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-18, February.
    10. You-Yi Guo & Jin-Xu Lin & Shih-Mo Lin, 2022. "The Distribution Effects of a Carbon Tax on Urban and Rural Households in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-15, June.
    11. Chepeliev, Maksym & Osorio-Rodarte, Israel & van der Mensbrugghe, Dominique, 2021. "Distributional impacts of carbon pricing policies under the Paris Agreement: Inter and intra-regional perspectives," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    12. Elbaum Jean-David, 2021. "The effect of a carbon tax on per capita carbon dioxide emissions: evidence from Finland," IRENE Working Papers 21-05, IRENE Institute of Economic Research.
    13. Mireille Chiroleu-Assouline, 2022. "Rendre acceptable la nécessaire taxation du carbone. Quelles pistes pour la France ?," Revue de l'OFCE, Presses de Sciences-Po, vol. 0(1), pages 15-53.
    14. Saelim, Supawan, 2019. "Carbon tax incidence on household consumption: Heterogeneity across socio-economic factors in Thailand," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 159-174.
    15. Zhang, Yue-Jun & Cheng, Hao-Sen, 2021. "The impact mechanism of the ETS on CO2 emissions from the service sector: Evidence from Beijing and Shanghai," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    16. Wang, Qian & Hubacek, Klaus & Feng, Kuishuang & Wei, Yi-Ming & Liang, Qiao-Mei, 2016. "Distributional effects of carbon taxation," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 184(C), pages 1123-1131.
    17. Lin, Boqiang & Jia, Zhijie, 2018. "The energy, environmental and economic impacts of carbon tax rate and taxation industry: A CGE based study in China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 159(C), pages 558-568.
    18. Moz-Christofoletti, Maria Alice & Pereda, Paula Carvalho, 2021. "Winners and losers: the distributional impacts of a carbon tax in Brazil," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 183(C).
    19. Johan Lilliestam & Anthony Patt & Germán Bersalli, 2021. "The effect of carbon pricing on technological change for full energy decarbonization: A review of empirical ex‐post evidence," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 12(1), January.
    20. Arcila, Andres & Baker, John D., 2022. "Evaluating carbon tax policy: A methodological reassessment of a natural experiment," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 111(C).

    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:eee:tefoso:v:159:y:2020:i:c:s0040162520310131. 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: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00401625 .

    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.