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Carbon Taxes and Stranded Assets: Evidence from Washington State

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  • Stefano Carattini

    (Department of Economics, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University, USA)

  • Suphi Sen

    (ifo Institute at the University of Munich, Germany)

Abstract

The climate challenge requires ambitious climate policy. A sudden increase in carbon prices can lead to major shocks to the stock market. Some assets will lose part of their value, others all of it, and hence become “stranded”. If the markets are not ready to absorb the shock, a financial crisis could follow. How well investors anticipate, and thus how large these shocks may be, is an empirical question. We analyze stock market reactions to the rejection of two carbon tax initiatives by voters in Washington state. We build proper counterfactuals for Washington state firms and find that these modest policy proposals with limited jurisdiction caused substantial readjustments on the stock market, especially for carbon-intensive stocks. Our results reinforce concerns about “stranded assets” and the risk of financial contagion. Our policy implications support the inclusion of transition risks in macroprudential policymaking and carbon disclosure and climate stress tests as the main policy responses.

Suggested Citation

  • Stefano Carattini & Suphi Sen, 2019. "Carbon Taxes and Stranded Assets: Evidence from Washington State," International Center for Public Policy Working Paper Series, at AYSPS, GSU paper1910, International Center for Public Policy, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University.
    • Handle: RePEc:ays:ispwps:paper1910
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    File URL: https://icepp.gsu.edu/files/2019/08/paper1910.pdf
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    Cited by:

    1. David Comerford & Alessandro Spiganti, 2023. "The Carbon Bubble: climate policy in a fire‐sale model of deleveraging," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 125(3), pages 655-687, July.
    2. van den Bijgaart, Inge & Rodriguez, Mauricio, 2023. "Closing wells: Fossil development and abandonment in the energy transition," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    3. Frederick van der Ploeg & Armon Rezai, 2020. "Stranded Assets in the Transition to a Carbon-Free Economy," Annual Review of Resource Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 12(1), pages 281-298, October.
    4. Stefano Carattini & Garth Heutel & Givi Melkadze, 2023. "Climate Policy, Financial Frictions, and Transition Risk," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 51, pages 778-794, December.
    5. Barbara Annicchiarico & Stefano Carattini & Carolyn Fischer & Garth Heutel, 2022. "Business Cycles and Environmental Policy: A Primer," Environmental and Energy Policy and the Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 3(1), pages 221-253.
    6. Kasper Vrolijk & Misato Sato, 2023. "Quasi-Experimental Evidence on Carbon Pricing," The World Bank Research Observer, World Bank, vol. 38(2), pages 213-248.
    7. Piero Basaglia & Clara Berestycki & Stefano Carattini & Antoine Dechezleprêtre & Tobias Kruse, 2025. "Climate Policy Uncertainty and Firms' and Investors' Behavior," CESifo Working Paper Series 11782, CESifo.
    8. Vrolijk, Kasper & Sato, Misato, 2023. "Quasi-experimental evidence on carbon pricing," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 118404, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    9. Michael D. Bauer & Eric Offner & Glenn D. Rudebusch, 2023. "The Effect of U.S. Climate Policy on Financial Markets: An Event Study of the Inflation Reduction Act," Working Paper Series 2023-30, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco.
    10. Carattini, Stefano & Kim, Giseong & Melkadze, Givi & Pommeret, Aude, 2024. "Carbon taxes and tariffs, financial frictions, and international spillovers," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 170(C).
    11. Ferentinos, Konstantinos & Gibberd, Alex & Guin, Benjamin, 2023. "Stranded houses? The price effect of a minimum energy efficiency standard," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).
    12. Stefano Carattini & Anomitro Chatterjee & Todd Cherry, 2024. "Voting and Information: Evidence from a Field Experiment," CESifo Working Paper Series 11599, CESifo.
    13. Dulak, Thomas & Gnabo, Jean-Yves, 2024. "Climate litigation and financial markets: A disciplinary effect?," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 95(PB).
    14. Marcinkowska, Monika & Brzeszczyński, Janusz & Charteris, Ailie & Gajdka, Jerzy & Obojska, Lidia & Szczygielski, Jan Jakub, 2025. "Sustainability, energy finance and the role of central banks: A review of current insights and future research directions," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • G12 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Asset Pricing; Trading Volume; Bond Interest Rates
    • H23 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Externalities; Redistributive Effects; Environmental Taxes and Subsidies
    • H71 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - State and Local Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue
    • L50 - Industrial Organization - - Regulation and Industrial Policy - - - General
    • Q58 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environmental Economics: Government Policy

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