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Taxing consumption to mitigate carbon leakage

Author

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  • Kaushal, Kevin R.

    (School of Economics and Business, Norwegian University of Life Sciences)

  • Rosendahl, Knut Einar

    (School of Economics and Business, Norwegian University of Life Sciences)

Abstract

Unilateral actions to reduce CO2 emissions could lead to carbon leakage such as relocation of emission-intensive and trade-exposed industries (EITE). To mitigate such leakage, countries often supplement an emissions trading system (ETS) with free allocation of allowances to exposed industries, e.g. in the form of output-based allocation (OBA). This paper examines the welfare effects of supplementing OBA with a consumption tax on EITE goods. In particular, we investigate the case when only a subset of countries involved in a joint ETS introduces such a tax. The analytical results suggest that the consumption tax would have unambiguously global welfare improving effects, and under certain conditions have welfare improving effects for the tax introducing country as well. Numerical simulations in the context of the EU ETS support the analytical findings, including that the consumption tax is welfare improving for the single country that implements the tax.

Suggested Citation

  • Kaushal, Kevin R. & Rosendahl, Knut Einar, 2017. "Taxing consumption to mitigate carbon leakage," Working Paper Series 05-2017, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, School of Economics and Business.
    • Handle: RePEc:hhs:nlsseb:2017_005
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Philippe Quirion, 2022. "Output-based allocation and output-based rebates: a survey," Chapters, in: Handbook on Trade Policy and Climate Change, chapter 7, pages 94-107, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    2. Jakob, Michael, 2021. "Climate policy and international trade – A critical appraisal of the literature," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).
    3. Fabio Antoniou & Panos Hatzipanayotou & Nikos Tsakiris, 2023. "Regulatory Stringency and Emission Leakage Mitigation," DEOS Working Papers 2302, Athens University of Economics and Business.
    4. Thomas Eichner & Rüdiger Pethig, 2021. "Unilateral Phase-Out of Coal to Power in an Emissions Trading Scheme," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 80(2), pages 379-407, October.
    5. Michael S. Michael & Panos Hatzipanayotou & Nikos Tsakiris, 2023. "Can small economies act strategically? The case of consumption pollution and non-tradable goods," University of Cyprus Working Papers in Economics 02-2023, University of Cyprus Department of Economics.
    6. Peter Kjær Kruse-Andersen & Peter Birch Sørensen, 2021. "Opimal Unilateral Climate Policy with Carbon Leakage at the Extensive and the Intensive Margin," CESifo Working Paper Series 9185, CESifo.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Carbon leakage; Output-based allocation; Consumption tax;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D61 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Allocative Efficiency; Cost-Benefit Analysis
    • F18 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade and Environment
    • H23 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Externalities; Redistributive Effects; Environmental Taxes and Subsidies
    • Q54 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Climate; Natural Disasters and their Management; Global Warming

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