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Costs and benefits of the green transition envisaged in the italian NRRP. An evaluation using the Social Cost of Carbon

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  • Matteo Alpino

    (Bank of Italy)

  • Luca Citino

    (Bank of ItalyEuropean Central Bank)

  • Federica Zeni

    (Bank of Italy)

Abstract

We perform a cost-benefit analysis of the green investments contained in the Italian National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP). We compute the future discounted benefits in terms of expected emission reductions using various estimates of the Social Cost of Carbon, and compare them with the investment cost. Our results suggest that several projects would not have a positive net present value, unless policymakers are willing to use relatively low discount rates and give higher weight to benefits accruing to developing countries. The fact that investments under the NRRP are financed via long-term debt helps in bridging the gap between costs and benefits. Investments in renewable energy are an exception, as their benefits outweigh the cost within a short time-frame.

Suggested Citation

  • Matteo Alpino & Luca Citino & Federica Zeni, 2022. "Costs and benefits of the green transition envisaged in the italian NRRP. An evaluation using the Social Cost of Carbon," Questioni di Economia e Finanza (Occasional Papers) 720, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
    • Handle: RePEc:bdi:opques:qef_720_22
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    Cited by:

    1. Gaetano Basso & Fabrizio Colonna & Domenico Depalo & Graziella Mendicino, 2023. "The Green Transition and the Italian labour market," Questioni di Economia e Finanza (Occasional Papers) 811, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
    2. Qian Zhou & Feng Gui & Benxuan Zhao & Jingyi Liu & Huiwen Cai & Kaida Xu & Sheng Zhao, 2024. "Examining the Social Costs of Carbon Emissions and the Ecosystem Service Value in Island Ecosystems: An Analysis of the Zhoushan Archipelago," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(2), pages 1-19, January.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    inflation density; inflation risk premium; objective probability;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C22 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Time-Series Models; Dynamic Quantile Regressions; Dynamic Treatment Effect Models; Diffusion Processes
    • C58 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric Modeling - - - Financial Econometrics
    • G12 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Asset Pricing; Trading Volume; Bond Interest Rates
    • E31 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Price Level; Inflation; Deflation
    • E44 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Financial Markets and the Macroeconomy

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