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Pollution Taxes and Clean Subsidies in an Open Economy

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  • Owen Kay

Abstract

In open economies, the effectiveness of carbon taxes is diminished by “pollution leakage,” where some polluting activity shifts abroad because of the tax. This paper shows that the same conditions that lead to pollution leakage enhance the efficacy of clean subsidies. As a result, the optimal policy in an open economy combines a pollution tax and a clean subsidy, the balance of which depends on the leakage rate. Furthermore, efficient policy sets the sum of the tax and subsidy rates, a measure of policy ambition, equal to the marginal damages from pollution, and does not depend on the leakage rate.

Suggested Citation

  • Owen Kay, 2025. "Pollution Taxes and Clean Subsidies in an Open Economy," Working Papers 2533, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.
    • Handle: RePEc:fip:feddwp:101526
    DOI: 10.24149/wp2533
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Daniel Jaqua & Daniel Schaffa, 2022. "The case for subsidizing harm: constrained and costly Pigouvian taxation with multiple externalities," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 29(2), pages 408-442, April.
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    3. Mark R Jacobsen & James M Sallee & Joseph S Shapiro & Arthur A van Benthem, 2023. "Regulating Untaxable Externalities: Are Vehicle Air Pollution Standards Effective and Efficient?," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 138(3), pages 1907-1976.
    4. Fischer, Carolyn & Fox, Alan K., 2012. "Comparing policies to combat emissions leakage: Border carbon adjustments versus rebates," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 64(2), pages 199-216.
    5. Carolyn Fischer & Alan K. Fox, 2018. "How Trade Sensitive Are Energy-Intensive Sectors?," AEA Papers and Proceedings, American Economic Association, vol. 108, pages 130-135, May.
    6. Meredith Fowlie & Claire Petersen & Mar Reguant, 2021. "Border Carbon Adjustments When Carbon Intensity Varies across Producers: Evidence from California," AEA Papers and Proceedings, American Economic Association, vol. 111, pages 401-405, May.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • H23 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Externalities; Redistributive Effects; Environmental Taxes and Subsidies
    • H21 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Efficiency; Optimal Taxation
    • Q41 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - Demand and Supply; Prices
    • Q42 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - Alternative Energy Sources
    • Q48 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - Government Policy
    • F18 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade and Environment

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