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Searching for Carbon Leaks in Multinational Companies

Author

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  • Antoine Dechezleprêtre
  • Caterina Gennaioli
  • Ralf Martin
  • Mirabelle Muûls
  • Thomas Stoerk

Abstract

Does unilateral climate change policy cause companies to shift the location of production, thereby creating carbon leakage? In this paper, we analyse the effect of the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) on the geographical distribution of carbon emissions of multinational companies. The empirical evidence is based on unique data for the period 2007-2014 from the Carbon Disclosure Project, which tracks emissions of multinational businesses by geographical region. Because they already operate from multiple locations, multinational firms should be the most prone to carbon leakage. Our data includes regional emissions of 1,122 companies, of which 261 are subject to EU ETS regulation. We find no evidence that the EU ETS has led to a displacement of carbon emissions from Europe towards the rest of the world, including in countries with no climate policy in place and within energy-intensive companies. A large number of robustness checks confirm this finding. Overall, the paper suggests that modest differences in carbon prices between countries do not induce carbon leakage.

Suggested Citation

  • Antoine Dechezleprêtre & Caterina Gennaioli & Ralf Martin & Mirabelle Muûls & Thomas Stoerk, 2019. "Searching for Carbon Leaks in Multinational Companies," Working Papers 97, Queen Mary, University of London, School of Business and Management, Centre for Globalisation Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:cgs:wpaper:97
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Damien Dussaux & Francesco Vona & Antoine Dechezleprêtre, 2023. "Imported carbon emissions: Evidence from French manufacturing companies," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 56(2), pages 593-621, May.
    2. Stefano F. Verde & Christoph Graf & Thijs Jong and Claudio Marcantonini, 2016. "Installation entries and exits in the EU ETS industrial sector," RSCAS Working Papers 2016/19, European University Institute.
    3. Damien Dussaux & Francesco Vona & Antoine Dechezleprêtre, 2020. "Carbon Offshoring: Evidence from French Manufacturing Companies," SciencePo Working papers Main hal-03403069, HAL.
    4. Aleksandar Zaklan, 2023. "Coase and Cap-and-Trade: Evidence on the Independence Property from the European Carbon Market," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 15(2), pages 526-558, May.
    5. Benedikt Downar & Jürgen Ernstberger & Stefan Reichelstein & Sebastian Schwenen & Aleksandar Zaklan, 2021. "The impact of carbon disclosure mandates on emissions and financial operating performance," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 26(3), pages 1137-1175, September.
    6. Koutchogna Kokou Edem Assogbavi & Stéphane Dées, 2023. "Environmental Policy and the CO2 Emissions Embodied in International Trade," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 84(2), pages 507-527, February.
    7. Naegele, Helene & Zaklan, Aleksandar, 2019. "Does the EU ETS cause carbon leakage in European manufacturing?," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 125-147.
    8. Francois Cohen and Giulia Valacchi, 2022. "The Heterogeneous Impact of Coal Prices on the Location of Cleaner and Dirtier Steel Plants," The Energy Journal, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 2).
    9. Woerdman Edwin & Nentjes Andries, 2019. "Emissions Trading Hybrids: The Case of the EU ETS," Review of Law & Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 15(1), pages 1-32, March.
    10. Böning, Justus & Di Nino, Virginia & Folger, Till, 2023. "Benefits and costs of the ETS in the EU, a lesson learned for the CBAM design," Working Paper Series 2764, European Central Bank.
    11. Svetlana V. Doroshenko & Anna D. Mingaleva, 2020. "Carbon Exchanges: European Experience in Developing the Mechanism of Emission Permit Trading," Finansovyj žhurnal — Financial Journal, Financial Research Institute, Moscow 125375, Russia, issue 4, pages 52-68, August.
    12. Sadayuki, Taisuke & Arimura, Toshi H., 2021. "Do regional emission trading schemes lead to carbon leakage within firms? Evidence from Japan," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 104(C).
    13. Saussay, Aurélien & Zugravu-Soilita, Natalia, 2023. "International production chains and the pollution offshoring hypothesis: An empirical investigation," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    14. Aliénor Cameron & Marc Baudry, 2022. "The case for a Carbon Border Adjustment: Where do economists stand?," Policy Papers 2022.01, FAERE - French Association of Environmental and Resource Economists.
    15. Lassi Ahlvik & Matti Liski, 2019. "Think global, act local! A mechanism for global commons and mobile firms," CESifo Working Paper Series 7597, CESifo.
    16. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/7j6trda2ip9uja53ghj5qo32rg is not listed on IDEAS
    17. Maria-Eugenia Sanin & Sylvain Sourisseau, 2019. "Pervasive EUAs free allocation: the case of the steel industry," Documents de recherche 19-06, Centre d'Études des Politiques Économiques (EPEE), Université d'Evry Val d'Essonne.
    18. Kuusi, Tero & Wang, Maria, 2022. "Trade Flows, Carbon Leakage, and the EU Emissions Trading System," ETLA Working Papers 94, The Research Institute of the Finnish Economy.
    19. Aleksandar Zaklan, 2020. "Coase and Cap-and-Trade: Evidence on the Independence Property from the European Electricity Sector," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 1850, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    20. Francois Cohen & Giulia Valacchi, 2017. "Do firms innovate if they can relocate? Evidence from te steel industry," CIES Research Paper series 55-2017, Centre for International Environmental Studies, The Graduate Institute.
    21. Francois Cohen & Giulia Valacchi, 2017. "The Heterogeneous Impact of Coal Prices on the Location of Dirty and Clean Steel Plants," CIES Research Paper series 55-2017, Centre for International Environmental Studies, The Graduate Institute.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Carbon leakage; EU-ETS; CO2 emissions; multinational companies.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H23 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Externalities; Redistributive Effects; Environmental Taxes and Subsidies
    • Q53 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Air Pollution; Water Pollution; Noise; Hazardous Waste; Solid Waste; Recycling
    • Q54 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Climate; Natural Disasters and their Management; Global Warming
    • Q58 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environmental Economics: Government Policy

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