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Technology Shocks, Directed Technical Progress and Climate Change

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  • Grimaud, André
  • Rougé, Luc

Abstract

Technical progress is considered a key element in the ght against climate change. It may take the form of technological breakthroughs, that is, shocks that induce signicant leaps in the stock of knowledge. We use an endogenous growth framework with directed technical change to analyze the climate impact of such shocks. Two production subsectors coexist: one subsector is fossil-based, using a non-renewable resource, and yields carbon emissions; the other subsector uses a clean, renewable resource. At a given date, the economy benets from an exogenous technology shock. We fully characterize the general equilibrium and analyze how the shock modies the economys trajectory. The overall e¤ect on carbon emissions basically depends on the substitutability between the production subsectors, the initial state of the economy, and the nature and size of the shock. We notably show that green technology shocks induce higher short-term carbon emissions when the two subsectors are gross complements, but also in numerous cases when they are gross substitutes.

Suggested Citation

  • Grimaud, André & Rougé, Luc, 2025. "Technology Shocks, Directed Technical Progress and Climate Change," TSE Working Papers 25-1633, Toulouse School of Economics (TSE).
  • Handle: RePEc:tse:wpaper:130495
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    directed technical change; endogenous growth; technology shocks; climate; change;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes
    • O44 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - Environment and Growth
    • Q32 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Nonrenewable Resources and Conservation - - - Exhaustible Resources and Economic Development
    • Q54 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Climate; Natural Disasters and their Management; Global Warming
    • Q55 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environmental Economics: Technological Innovation

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