1. |
- Ewald, Jens, et al.
(author)
-
Understanding the Resistance to Carbon Taxes: A Case Study of Sweden
- 2021
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Other publication (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Although carbon taxes are generally well accepted in the countries where they have been implemented to lower carbon emissions, there is still public resistance to raising them. We study attitudes toward carbon taxation and other environmental policy instruments in Sweden. We survey a national sample of the population as well as members of a large organization that protests against fuel taxes. Our results show that educational level, rural versus urban domicile, political orientation, and especially trust in government affect opinions on carbon taxes; household income does not appear to matter. Lack of trust in government and lack of belief in the Pigouvian mechanism are especially important motivations for protesters’ opposition. When asked about the use of carbon tax revenue, some respondents support revenue refunding (uniform or progressive), but more people support using it for climate mitigation investments.
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2. |
- Ewald, Jens, et al.
(author)
-
Understanding the resistance to carbon taxes: Drivers and barriers among the general public and fuel-tax protesters
- 2022
-
In: Resources and Energy Economics. - : Elsevier BV. - 0928-7655 .- 1873-0221. ; 70
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Carbon taxes are generally well accepted in countries with significant experience thereof but there is still public resistance to raising them. We study attitudes toward carbon taxation and other environmental policy instruments in Sweden. We survey a national sample of the population as well as members of a large political movement that protests fuel taxes. Our results show that the motivations in both groups are alike: educational level, rural versus urban domicile, political orientation, and especially trust in government correlate with opinions on carbon taxes; household income does not appear to matter. Lack of trust in government and lack of belief in the Pigouvian mechanism appear as especially important motivations for protesters' opposition. We find support for revenue refunding, but greater support, in both groups, for earmarking for climate use. (c) 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
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3. |
- Sterner, Thomas, 1952, et al.
(author)
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Economists and the Climate
- 2024
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In: Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics. - 2214-8043 .- 2214-8051. ; 109
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- To date, environmental economists have been very engaged with questions surrounding climate change while interest from mainstream economics has been moderate. Economists have been quite unanimous in their recommendation to focus climate policy on pricing carbon. This is an important point, often under-appreciated by other disciplines. Still, the message may have been oversimplified and exaggerated. In global policy, carbon pricing has not reached its full potential. The climate problem is complex and interrelated with several other problems. The existence of multiple market failures and serious problems of policy acceptance complicate policy design. Many other, more sophisticated economic messages have also been drowned out. We discuss the role of economists as researchers as well as teachers and communicators to policy makers, ultimately encouraging economists to deepen their engagement in solutions to climate change.
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4. |
- Azar, Christian, 1969, et al.
(author)
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The social cost of methane
- 2023
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In: Climatic Change. - 1573-1480 .- 0165-0009. ; 176:6
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A rapid and sustained reduction of methane emissions has been proposed recently as a key strategy to meet the climate targets of the Paris Agreement. The social cost of methane (SCM), which expresses the climate damage cost associated with an additional metric ton of methane emitted, is a metric that can be used to design policies to reduce the emissions of this gas. Here, we extend the DICE-2016R2 model so that it includes an improved carbon cycle and energy balance model as well as methane emissions, methane abatement cost, and an atmospheric methane cycle explicitly to be able to provide consistent estimations of the SCM. We estimate the SCM to lie in the range 880–8100 USD/tCH4 in 2020, with a base case estimate of 4000 USD/tCH4. We find our base case estimate to be larger than the average SCM presented in other studies mainly due to the revised damage function we use. We also estimate the social cost of carbon (SCC) and find that SCM estimates are less sensitive to variations in the social discount rate than the SCC due to the relatively short lifetime of methane. Changes in the parameterization of the damage function have similar relative impacts on both SCM and SCC. Furthermore, we evaluate the ratio of SCM to SCC as an alternative metric to GWP-100 of CH4 to facilitate tradeoffs between these two gases. We find this ratio to lie in the range 7–33 in 2020, with a base case estimate of 21, based on an extensive sensitivity analysis with respect to the discount rate, damage cost, and underlying emission scenarios. We also show that the global warming potential (GWP) and the SCM to SCC ratio are almost the same if the inverse of the effective discounting (in the social cost calculations) is equal to the time horizon used to evaluate the GWP. For comparison, the most widely used GWP, i.e., with a time horizon of 100 years, equals 27, hence in the upper range of the ratio we find using the SCM to SCC ratio.
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5. |
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6. |
- Cardell, Lars-Olaf, et al.
(author)
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Modelling the Costs of Sublingual Immunotherapy versus Subcutaneous Immunotherapy Based on Clinical Appointments and Impacts of Patient Travel in Sweden
- 2024
-
In: CLINICOECONOMICS AND OUTCOMES RESEARCH. - 1178-6981. ; 16, s. 493-506
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Aim: In Sweden, allergy immunotherapy (AIT) is available as either subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) injections or sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) tablets and is used to treat moderate -severe allergic rhinitis (AR). This study sought to determine direct and indirect annual costs stemming from treatment -related travel, appointments, waiting times and medication costs, before exploring likely CO 2 emission -related cost -savings for 20,330 patients receiving SCIT or SLIT -tablets in Sweden. Methods: A model was developed in Python to capture each category of costs in the target patient population. Absenteeism costs arising from treatment -related travel were determined by obtaining average hourly pay data from Swedish Government sources. Absenteeism costs were also calculated for 30 -minute post -dose observation times, which occurred during one clinical appointment for SLIT patients, and all clinical appointments for SCIT patients. Clinical appointment costs were obtained from healthcare price lists for Sweden. Medication costs were retrieved from the Pharmaceutical Specialities in Sweden (Fass) website, and treatment doses required for SCIT and SLIT -tablets were determined based on product labels and previously -calculated dosage regimes. High -cost protection and reimbursement scheme payment caps were applied when determining patient appointment and medication costs, respectively, and when identifying financial burdens for individual payers. Results: Mean total annual costs for SCIT were Swedish Krona (SEK) 604.1 million (m), with clinical appointments contributing the largest share of these costs (52.7%), followed by medication (34.4%), travel -related absenteeism (8.9%), waiting time -related absenteeism (2.7%) and private transportation (1.3%). Mean total annual costs for SLIT -tablets were SEK 336.2m. Medication contributed the most to these costs (72.3%), followed by clinical appointments (22.7%), travel -related absenteeism (3.8%), waiting time -related absenteeism (0.6%) and private transportation (0.6%). Conclusion: For patients with moderate -severe AR receiving AIT in Sweden, SLIT -tablets displayed large potential cost savings to patients, the healthcare system, and the government, whilst possessing reduced societal costs of carbon emissions relative to SCIT.
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7. |
- Cardell, Lars Olaf, et al.
(author)
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Modelling the impact of sublingual immunotherapy versus subcutaneous immunotherapy on patient travel time and CO2 emissions in Sweden
- 2024
-
In: Scientific Reports. - 2045-2322. ; 14:1
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In Sweden, allergy immunotherapy (AIT) is available as either subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) injections or sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) tablets and is used to treat moderate-severe allergic rhinitis (AR). This study sought to determine treatment-related CO2 emissions and travel times in Swedish patients receiving either SCIT or SLIT-tablets. A list of specialized Swedish AR clinics that administer AIT was determined, and respective co-ordinates retrieved. Swedish municipality population data were obtained from a national database. The mean distance from each Swedish municipality to the nearest AR clinic was calculated, adjusted using a detour index, and weighted by estimated patient population size. Transport modality data were obtained from a Swedish urban transport study and CO2 emissions were obtained from Government sources. The mean number of annual SLIT-tablets and SCIT doses required were calculated based on product labels and clinical expert input. The annual number of healthcare professional interactions were layered into the model to estimate changes in mean patient travel time, distance, and travel-related CO2 emissions associated with using SCIT versus SLIT-tablets. Mean annual travel-related CO2 emissions were 410 tonnes (to two significant figures [s.f.]; standard deviation [SD] 90) with SLIT-tablets, versus 1700 tonnes (SD 380) for SCIT, resulting in mean annual savings of approximately 1300 tonnes (SD 290) of CO2 if all AIT patients were to receive SLIT-tablets instead of SCIT, over 380 times greater than 2021 average Swedish CO2 emissions per capita. Approximate mean annual travel times for patients taking SLIT-tablets were 66,500 h (three s.f.; SD 14,400), and 278,000 h (SD 60,200) for SCIT, resulting in mean annual savings of 211,000 h (SD 45,800) if all AIT patients were to receive SLIT-tablets instead of SCIT. Compared with SCIT injections, SLIT-tablets led to substantial reductions in treatment-related CO2 emissions and travel times for Swedish patients.
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8. |
- Carlsson, Fredrik, 1968, et al.
(author)
-
Food labels: how consumers value moral, environmental, and health aspects of meat consumption
- 2020
-
Other publication (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Policy changes could improve health and environmental outcomes by addressing the many externalities and internalities related to food consumption. Using a stated preference approach, we investigate to what extent consumers are willing to make costlier food consumption choices if doing so contributes to decrease environmental externalities, health damages, and animal suffering. We find a considerable willingness to pay for some aspects of the food bought. People are willing to pay an additional 50% for a product if it carries a label declaring that the product meets the highest available standards in terms of healthiness, animal welfare, and antibiotics use, respectively. The willingness to pay for a climate impact label is also sizeable but smaller. We compare a traffic-light label with a plain-text label and a grey-scale label in order to disentangle the effects of introducing labels Our results are mixed, suggesting that a traffic-light label has both normative and cognitive effects on behavior.
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9. |
- Carlsson, Fredrik, 1968, et al.
(author)
-
Leading by example? EU citizens’ preferences for climate leadership
- 2022
-
Other publication (other academic/artistic)abstract
- For global problems like climate change, strong international agreements are difficult to achieve. Alternative solutions might therefore be necessary. In this paper, we study the support for climate leadership in seven European countries. Climate leadership means that an individual country takes the lead by decreasing its carbon emissions above its level of commitment in the current EU agreement and with the intention of inspiring other countries to do likewise. Overall, we find that at realistic cost levels, a majority of people oppose their country taking the lead, and most do not expect that taking the lead will result in other countries following suit. The lack of support is caused by expectations that such leadership will result in other countries behaving as free riders. We do, however, find evidence of preferences for conditional leadership: People are more positive about their country taking the lead if assured that other countries will follow. These preferences are stronger among those who identify as leftwing. Moreover, citizens in smaller countries are more pessimistic that other countries would follow their country’s lead and more sensitive to the response of other EU countries.
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10. |
- Carlsson, Fredrik, 1968, et al.
(author)
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Red, yellow, or green? Do consumers’ choices of food products depend on the label design?
- 2022
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In: European Review of Agricultural Economics. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0165-1587 .- 1464-3618. ; 49:5
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Using a stated preference survey, we investigate to what extent consumers are willing to make costlier food consumption choices to decrease damages to health, the environment, and animal well-being. In particular, we investigate how the graphic design of the labels affects choice behaviour by comparing traffic–light and greyscale labels and plain-text description with each other. We found that the red colour in traffic lights seems to strengthen respondents’ preferences for avoiding the worst level of a collective attribute such as climate impact or antibiotics use, while the green colour strengthened preferences for the more private attribute, namely healthiness. On average, the price premiums for a green label compared with a red label is 52per cent for healthiness, 64per cent for both animal welfare and antibiotics, and 20per cent for climate impact.
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11. |
- Carlsson, Fredrik, 1968, et al.
(author)
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The Climate Decade: Changing Attitudes on Three Continents
- 2020
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Other publication (other academic/artistic)abstract
- We examine how attitudes and willingness to pay (WTP) for climate policies have changed over the past decade in the United States, China, and Sweden. All three countries exhibit an increased willingness to pay for climate mitigation. Ten years ago, Sweden had a larger fraction of believers in anthropogenic climate change and a higher WTP for mitigation, but today the national averages are more similar. Although we find convergence in public support for climate policy across countries, there is considerable divergence in climate attitudes and preferences within countries, particularly the United States. Political polarization explains part of this divergence.
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12. |
- Carlsson, Fredrik, 1968, et al.
(author)
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The climate decade: Changing attitudes on three continents
- 2021
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In: Journal of Environmental Economics and Management. - : Elsevier BV. - 0095-0696 .- 1096-0449. ; 107
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Using identical surveys a decade apart, we examine how attitudes and willingness to pay (WTP) for climate policies have changed in the United States, China, and Sweden. All three countries exhibit an increased willingness to pay for climate mitigation. Ten years ago, Sweden had a larger fraction of believers in anthropogenic climate change and a higher WTP for mitigation, but today the national averages are more similar. Although we find convergence in public support for climate policy across countries, there is considerable divergence in both WTP and climate attitudes within countries. Political polarization explains part of this divergence.
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13. |
- Carson, Richard T., et al.
(author)
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Perceptions of the seriousness of major public health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic in seven middle-income countries
- 2023
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In: Communications Medicine. - : Springer Nature. - 2730-664X. ; 3
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- IntroductionPublic perception of the seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic compared to six other major public health problems (alcoholism and drug use, HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, lung cancer and respiratory diseases caused by air pollution and smoking, and water-borne diseases like diarrhea) is unclear. We designed a survey to examine this issue using YouGov’s internet panels in seven middle-income countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America in early 2022.MethodsRespondents rank ordered the seriousness of the seven health problems using a repeated best-worst question format. Rank-ordered logit models allow comparisons within and across countries and assessment of covariates.ResultsIn six of the seven countries, respondents perceived other respiratory illnesses to be a more serious problem than COVID-19. Only in Vietnam was COVID-19 ranked above other respiratory illnesses. Alcoholism and drug use was ranked the second most serious problem in the African countries. HIV/AIDS ranked relatively high in all countries. Covariates, particularly a COVID-19 knowledge scale, explained differences within countries; statistics about the pandemic were highly correlated with differences in COVID-19’s perceived seriousness.ConclusionsPeople in the seven middle-income countries perceived COVID-19 to be serious (on par with HIV/AIDS) but not as serious as other respiratory illnesses. In the African countries, respondents perceived alcoholism and drug use as more serious than COVID-19. Our survey-based approach can be used to quickly understand how the threat of a newly emergent disease, like COVID-19, fits into the larger context of public perceptions of the seriousness of health problems.
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14. |
- Coria, Jessica, 1979, et al.
(author)
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Interjurisdictional externalities, overlapping policies and NOx pollution control in Sweden
- 2021
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In: Journal of Environmental Economics and Management. - : Elsevier BV. - 0095-0696 .- 1096-0449. ; 107
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In this paper, we analyze the effects of the interaction between national and local policies designed to reduce an environmental externality that causes environmental damages both nationally and locally.We formulate a theoretical model to develop hypotheses regarding the combined effects of such policies on the stringency of the local policies and on firms’ emissions reductions. To test our hypotheses, we use actual data for Sweden, where emissions of nitrogen oxides from combustion boilers are subject to a heavy national tax and most are also subject to individual emissions standards set by county authorities. Our analytical findings suggest that the national tax has brought along stricter emission standards. This is confirmed in our data, where emission standards are significantly more stringent when combined with the national tax.
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15. |
- Damania, Richard, et al.
(author)
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Environmental policy instruments and corruption
- 2020
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In: China Economic Journal. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1753-8963 .- 1753-8971. ; 13:2, s. 123-138
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In this paper we discuss the choice of taxation or regulation of environmental externalities. The subject might appear to be a well-trodden path, but we believe we have a new angle on this well-established question. We think we are being quite realistic when we assume that corrupt practices lurk behind every corner, threatening to derail the good intents of any regulator. With this starting point we compare the result of trying to impose taxation contra regulation in environments where the implementation in both cases will be marred by corrupt practices of under-reporting emissions and bribing inspectors. In a simple and stylized model of these circumstances we show that taxes tend to perform the same or better in the sense that a pollution tax induces greater compliance and lower pollution than does a regulatory standard. We also show that the advantages of a tax are particularly great in countries where the enforcement ability of authorities is weak, which is commonly thought to be the case in developing countries.
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16. |
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17. |
- Duan, Hongbo, et al.
(author)
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China’s adaptive response to climate change through air-conditioning
- 2023
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In: iScience. - : Elsevier BV. - 2589-0042. ; 26:3, s. 1-19
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Studies have shown that the soaring demand for air conditioners in recent years is closely related to the worsening global warming; however, little evidence has been provided for China. This study uses weekly data of 343 Chinese cities to investigate how air conditioner sales respond to climate variability. We detected a U-shaped relationship between air-conditioning and temperature. An additional day with average temperature above 30°C increases weekly sales by 16.2%. Heterogeneity analysis shows that the adoption of air-conditioning is different for south and north China. By combining our estimates with shared socioeconomic pathway scenarios, we project China’s mid-century air conditioner sales and the resulting electricity demand. Under the fossil-fueled development scenario, air conditioner sales in the Pearl River Delta would rise by 71% (65.7%–87.6%) in summer. On average, the per capita electricity demand for air-conditioning will surge by 28% (23.2%–35.4%) in China by mid-century.
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18. |
- Ewald, Jens, et al.
(author)
-
Saving energy in residential buildings: the role of energy pricing
- 2021
-
In: Climatic Change. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0165-0009 .- 1573-1480. ; 167
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A zero-carbon society requires dramatic change everywhere including in buildings, a large and politically sensitive sector. Technical possibilities exist but implementation is slow. Policies include many hard-to-evaluate regulations and may suffer from rebound mechanisms. We use dynamic econometric analysis of European macro data for the period 1990–2018 to systematically examine the importance of changes in energy prices and income on residential energy demand. We find a long-run price elasticity of −0.5. The total long-run income elasticity is around 0.9, but if we control for the increase in income that goes towards larger homes and other factors, the income elasticity is 0.2. These findings have practical implications for climate policy and the EU buildings and energy policy framework.
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19. |
- Feindt, S., et al.
(author)
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Understanding regressivity: Challenges and opportunities of European carbon pricing
- 2021
-
In: Energy Economics. - : Elsevier BV. - 0140-9883. ; 103
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We examine how a European carbon price will affect citizens by studying its incidence on households in 23 countries of the EU. At the national level, the distributional impact before revenue recycling is mainly neutral, sometimes progressive. At an aggregate EU level, however, the impact is regressive because some low-income countries would be strongly affected by the carbon price. While national redistribution can yield a progressive EU incidence, we show that European-wide redistribution is more effective for the most affected households. We offer two indicators to offset regressive distributional effects of EU climate policy, such as the recently proposed Green Deal. The first renders the tax burden proportional; the second focuses on compensating the households most severely affected. Including both indicators in European redistribution makes for a better representation of the initial burden of carbon pricing and could increase public acceptability.
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20. |
- García, Jorge H., 1972, et al.
(author)
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Carbon Taxes
- 2021
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In: Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Environmental Science. - : Oxford University Press.
-
Journal article (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Economists argue that carbon taxation (and more generally carbon pricing) is the single most powerful way to combat climate change. Since this is so controversial, we need to explain it better, and to be precise, the efficiency gains are largest when the costs of abatement are strongly heterogeneous. This is often—but not always—the case. When it is not, standards can fill much the same role. To internalize the climate externality, economic efficiency calls for a global carbon tax (or price) that is equal to the global damage or the so-called social cost of carbon. However, equity considerations as well as existing geographical and sectoral differences in the effectiveness of carbon taxation at reducing emissions, suggest earlier implementation of relatively high taxation levels in some sectors or countries—for instance, among richer economies followed by a more gradual phase-in among low-income countries. The number of national and subnational carbon pricing policies that have been implemented around the world during the first years following the Paris Agreement of 2015 is significant. By 2020, these programs covered 22% of global emissions with an average carbon price (weighted by the share of emissions covered) of USD15/tCO and a maximum price of USD120/tCO The share of emissions covered by carbon pricing as well as carbon prices themselves are expected to consistently rise throughout the decade 2021–2030 and beyond. Many experts agree that the social cost of carbon is in the range USD40–100/tCO . Anti-climate lobbying, public opposition, and lack of understanding of the instrument are among the key challenges faced by carbon taxation. Opportunities for further expansion of carbon taxation lie in increased climate awareness, the communicative resources governments have to help citizens understand the logic behind carbon taxation, and earmarking of carbon tax revenues to address issues that are important to the public such as fairness.
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21. |
- Hagem, Cathrine, et al.
(author)
-
Refunding Emission Payments: Output-Based Versus Expenditure-Based Refunding.
- 2020
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In: Environmental and Resource Economics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0924-6460 .- 1573-1502. ; 77, s. 641-667
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We analyse two mechanism designs for refunding emission payments to polluting firms: output-based refunding (OBR) and expenditure-based refunding (EBR). In both instruments, emission fees are returned to the polluting industry, typically making the policy more politically acceptable than a standard tax. The crucial difference between OBR and EBR is that the fees are refunded in proportion to output in the former but in proportion to the firms’ expenditure on abatement technology equipment in the latter. To achieve the same abatement target as a standard tax, the fee level in the OBR design is higher, whereas the fee level in the EBR design is lower. The use of OBR and EBR may lead to large differences in the distribution of output and costs across firms. Both designs imply a cost-ineffective provision of abatement, as firms put relatively too much effort into reducing emissions through abatement technology compared with reducing output. However, a standard tax may be politically infeasible and maintaining output may be seen as a political advantage by policymakers if they seek to avoid activity reduction in the regulated sector.
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22. |
- Hänsel, Martin C., et al.
(author)
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Climate economics support for the UN climate targets
- 2020
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In: Nature Climate Change. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1758-678X .- 1758-6798. ; 10:August 2020, s. 781-789
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Under the UN Paris Agreement, countries committed to limiting global warming to well below 2 °C and to actively pursue a 1.5 °C limit. Yet, according to the 2018 Economics Nobel laureate William Nordhaus, these targets are economically suboptimal or unattainable and the world community should aim for 3.5 °C in 2100 instead. Here, we show that the UN climate targets may be optimal even in the Dynamic Integrated Climate–Economy (DICE) integrated assessment model, when appropriately updated. Changes to DICE include more accurate calibration of the carbon cycle and energy balance model, and updated climate damage estimates. To determine economically ‘optimal’ climate policy paths, we use the range of expert views on the ethics of intergenerational welfare. When updates from climate science and economics are considered jointly, we find that around three-quarters (or one-third) of expert views on intergenerational welfare translate into economically optimal climate policy paths that are consistent with the 2 °C (or 1.5 °C) target.
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23. |
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24. |
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25. |
- Labanderia, Xavier, et al.
(author)
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Distributional impacts of carbon taxation in Mexico : Impactos distributivos de la fiscalidad sobre el carbono en México
- 2022
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In: Cuadernos Económicos de ICE. - : MINCOTUR. - 0210-2633 .- 2340-9037. ; 2022/2:104, s. 111-141
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The main aim of this paper is to analyze the different impacts of carbon taxation in Mexican households at different income levels. First, we estimate a household demand system for nondurable goods with special emphasis on energy-related goods. Then, we use the results to simulate the introduction of a carbon tax. We look at the potential to raise revenue with the aim of implementing different redistributive policies in order to address issues of inequality and poverty. Moreover, we evaluate the effects of carbon taxes on demand and emissions reduction.
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26. |
- Martin, Maria A., et al.
(author)
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Ten new insights in climate science 2021 : a horizon scan
- 2021
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In: Global Sustainability. - : Cambridge University Press (CUP). - 2059-4798. ; 4, s. 1-20
-
Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Non-technical summary: We summarize some of the past year's most important findings within climate change-related research. New research has improved our understanding about the remaining options to achieve the Paris Agreement goals, through overcoming political barriers to carbon pricing, taking into account non-CO2 factors, a well-designed implementation of demand-side and nature-based solutions, resilience building of ecosystems and the recognition that climate change mitigation costs can be justified by benefits to the health of humans and nature alone. We consider new insights about what to expect if we fail to include a new dimension of fire extremes and the prospect of cascading climate tipping elements.Technical summary: A synthesis is made of 10 topics within climate research, where there have been significant advances since January 2020. The insights are based on input from an international open call with broad disciplinary scope. Findings include: (1) the options to still keep global warming below 1.5 °C; (2) the impact of non-CO2 factors in global warming; (3) a new dimension of fire extremes forced by climate change; (4) the increasing pressure on interconnected climate tipping elements; (5) the dimensions of climate justice; (6) political challenges impeding the effectiveness of carbon pricing; (7) demand-side solutions as vehicles of climate mitigation; (8) the potentials and caveats of nature-based solutions; (9) how building resilience of marine ecosystems is possible; and (10) that the costs of climate change mitigation policies can be more than justified by the benefits to the health of humans and nature.Social media summary: How do we limit global warming to 1.5 °C and why is it crucial? See highlights of latest climate science.
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27. |
- Mukanjari, Samson, 1982, et al.
(author)
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Charting a “Green Path” for Recovery from COVID-19
- 2020
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In: Environmental and Resource Economics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0924-6460 .- 1573-1502. ; 76:4, s. 825-853
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Should the economic recovery from the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) be green? The current crisis is so severe that we should not take the answer for granted. It requires serious thought and we start by reviewing some arguments for and against a green approach. A crucial element is of course to see how different industries fare in the current crisis. Our empirical contribution is to examine daily stock returns for firms from the STOXX Europe 600 index. We find that firms with higher carbon intensities experienced significantly large decreases in stock values particularly those within the crude petroleum extraction, air transport and coke and refined petroleum industries. Our tentative conclusion is that efforts to revitalize the economy should avoid subsidizing stranded assets and instead target the industries of the future. However, identifying these will not necessarily be easy. We find, for example, that having an official ESG “climate change policy” has no effect on firm performance during the pandemic. We suggest possible ways of designing a new form of more informative index.
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28. |
- Mukanjari, Samson, 1982, et al.
(author)
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Coordinated Carbon Taxes or Tightened NDCs: Distributional Implications of Two Options for Climate Negotiations
- 2023
-
In: Q Open. - 2633-9048. ; 3:1
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Concerns about fairness among countries remain significant obstacles to a stronger global climate treaty. This paper addresses the distributional implications of two mechanisms to strengthen the Paris Agreement, the incorporation of national carbon pricing, and the tightening of nationally determined contributions (NDCs). Both are found to be viable mechanisms. They are also less extreme, and therefore more acceptable, than both grandfathering, which favors the most fossil-intensive economies, and equal per capita allocation, which favors low-income countries that use less fossil fuel. However, compensatory funding for developing countries will also be needed at scale. An analysis of the ambitiousness of current climate policies shows a broad range of outcomes: the more ambitious NDCs have emission levels below either the per capita or grandfathering levels, and sometimes both. However, some NDCs, especially those tabled by the largest emitters, are severely lacking in ambition.
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29. |
- Mukanjari, Samson, et al.
(author)
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Do markets Trump politics? Fossil and renewable market reactions to major political events
- 2024
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In: Economic Inquiry. - 0095-2583 .- 1465-7295. ; 62:2, s. 805-836
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We investigate the effects of three events with major importance for climate policy on energy sector stocks: the Paris Agreement, the Trump election and presidency, and the Biden election. By combining event studies with impulse-indicator saturation methods, we show that the Paris Agreement and the election of Mr. Biden benefited renewable industries, while the election of Mr. Trump had negative effects. For fossil fuel industries, the effects were largely the opposite. Despite Trump's efforts to eliminate environmental regulations, his presidency did however witness a decrease in both US coal production and consumption, while natural gas and oil consumption increased.
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30. |
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31. |
- Rasmussen, Joel, 1978-, et al.
(author)
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Gender and life-stage dependent reactions to the risk of radioactive contamination: A survey experiment in Sweden
- 2020
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In: PLoS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 15:4
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This article proposes and examines gender and life-stage factors as determinants of public worry and risk avoidance in a nuclear fallout scenario. Drawing on a survey (N 2,291) conducted in Sweden, the article demonstrates statistically significant results that women as well as parents with children at home are more likely to express high levels of worry for radiation exposure and have a preference to move away from a fallout area despite assurance of successful remediation. Moreover, a negative relationship is shown between age and both worry for radiation exposure and preference to move. These novel results from Northern Europe thus support a life-stage framing of public risk attitudes. As radiation physicists develop new methods showing that women and children are at higher risk of cancer than other groups at the same radiation exposure, we may actually see the precaution among women and parents as a regulating mechanism for the higher objective risk they face. The results are moreover in agreement with studies of public risk reactions in Japan, creating a strong knowledge base that human-induced radiation pollution is largely an intolerable risk to the public. Considering the public opinion, managing an intolerable risk through risk mitigation by remediation alone is likely insufficient in many cases. A viable strategy would offer a range of social support options that enable individual decision-making and the protection of risk groups.
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32. |
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33. |
- Rääf, Christopher, et al.
(author)
-
Restoring areas after a radioactive fallout : A multidisciplinary study on decontamination
- 2023
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In: Journal of Environmental Radioactivity. - : Elsevier. - 0265-931X .- 1879-1700. ; 270
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Land remediation is an important part of restoration measures after a radioactive fallout containing long-lived fission products such as 137Cs. In this multidisciplinary study, we focused on three main issues related to remediation of contaminated urban areas. First, we assessed how much decontamination contributes to reducing resident radiation exposure and how much this reduction depends on the timing of implemented measures. Second, we calculated direct and indirect costs of decontamination in an industrialized country such as Sweden. Finally, in a survey study, we considered reactions of Swedish citizens to being given the hypothetical option of moving to a site decontaminated after radioactive fallout and how this predicted response might influence the design of contingency plans. The main findings are that clean-up operations must be done within the first few years after a fallout to contribute significantly to reducing residual dose. If conducted within 1-2 years, large-scale decontamination can, on average, avert 20-200 manSv per km2 residential area and unit ground deposition of 137Cs (1 MBq). The estimated direct costs (in 2020 purchasing power) would amount to 100 million Euro per km2 decontaminated residential area (comparable to Japanese estimates after the Fukushima accident), generating 39,000 m3 of radioactive waste on average, mainly in the form of 137Cs-contaminated topsoil. In our survey study of 2291 Swedish respondents about their willingness to return to decontaminated homes, women, families with resident children, and high-income earners exhibited more skepticism about returning, even if authorities were to deem it safe. The demographic pattern in attitudes was similar to that found among evacuees in the Fukushima prefecture after 2011. We conclude that predefined ranges of measured 137Cs ground deposition can be used as guidance for rescue leaders in the early post-accident phase in long-term planning for affected areas. This planning should include timing and intensity of decontamination measures, duration of evacuation, and risk communication to citizens. Because some citizens expressed both high risk perception and risk aversion, however, timely and dialogic communication is unlikely to limit a shift after the incident to an older and more male-dominated population composition. There is a risk that those who can afford to do so will move away, whereas people whose wealth is locked in property (houses or businesses) will feel stuck. Perceptions of unfairness may fray the social fabric and complicate resettlement, which in some cases may mean inefficient outlay of decontamination costs. We believe that the issue of monetary compensation to affected residents requires priority in future work.
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34. |
- Silvestro, Daniele, et al.
(author)
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Improving biodiversity protection through artificial intelligence
- 2022
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In: Nature Sustainibility. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2398-9629.
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Over a million species face extinction, highlighting the urgent need for conservation policies that maximize the protection of biodiversity to sustain its manifold contributions to people’s lives. Here we present a novel framework for spatial conservation prioritization based on reinforcement learning that consistently outperforms available state-of-the-art software using simulated and empirical data. Our methodology, conservation area prioritization through artificial intelligence (CAPTAIN), quantifies the trade-off between the costs and benefits of area and biodiversity protection, allowing the exploration of multiple biodiversity metrics. Under a limited budget, our model protects significantly more species from extinction than areas selected randomly or naively (such as based on species richness). CAPTAIN achieves substantially better solutions with empirical data than alternative software, meeting conservation targets more reliably and generating more interpretable prioritization maps. Regular biodiversity monitoring, even with a degree of inaccuracy characteristic of citizen science surveys, further improves biodiversity outcomes. Artificial intelligence holds great promise for improving the conservation and sustainable use of biological and ecosystem values in a rapidly changing and resource-limited world.
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35. |
- Slunge, Daniel, 1968, et al.
(author)
-
Circular Economy – a Conceptual Review and Analysis of Implications for Swedish Development Cooperation
- 2021
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Reports (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Circular economy is increasingly discussed in Swedish, European and international public policy making. This report provides a review of the circular economy concept and discusses its potential implications for Swedish development cooperation. There is no standard definition of a circular economy. While it was originally perceived as primarily a strategy for reducing waste, the use of the circular economy concept is considerably broader today. An indicative example is the European circular economy action plan from 2020, which is envisioned to make a “decisive contribution to achieving climate neutrality by 2050 and decoupling economic growth from resource use, while ensuring the long-term competitiveness of the EU and leaving no one behind”. The Swedish action plan on circular economy from 2021 also covers a broad agenda, including product design, sustainable consumption, non-toxic and circular flows, innovation and circular business models. Resource efficiency, recycling, changes in consumption patterns and other key circular economy issues have been discussed extensively for a long time. Rather than bringing attention to entirely new issues, the circular economy agenda connects the growing climate and environmental crisis with innovation, employment and economic growth. The booming literature on circular economy is largely technically and business oriented. Most of the surprisingly optimistic macro-economic prognoses on the growth and employment creation potential of the implementation of circular economy policies are based on consultancy studies. Larger studies on social, political and other contextual factors shaping the incentives and obstacles to a more circular economy are lacking. There are relatively few studies on the challenges and opportunities that a transition to a more circular economy may bring about for low and middle-income countries. But as most supply chains are highly international, the implementation of circularity policies in EU and other large economies will have global implications. Countries with low labour cost can have a competitive advantage in disassembly, repairs and remanufacturing on the growing international market for secondary goods and materials. In agriculture, housing and transports, recent studies indicate that there may be large potential benefits from more circular approaches in developing countries. However, there are no comprehensive studies of these potential benefits and estimates are often based on smaller case studies. These potential benefits risk being outweighed by the significant health and environmental impacts associated with recycling and waste management. Such activities are often performed by poor men and women in informal employment and networks without possibilities to protect themselves from hazardous substances in used electronics and other used products and waste categories. If not managed carefully, European circular economy policies can incentivize export of secondary materials and products, which can only be recycled at high environmental and social costs to countries with less stringent environmental standards and technological capacity. The large illegal shipping of e-waste and plastic waste containing hazardous substances are worrying examples. Another risk is that a proliferation of new product standards for durability, recyclability and traceability will become trade barriers for countries with a limited capacity to adapt. Consequently, the role of trade policy and the Basel Convention on transboundary movements of hazardous wastes in relation to circular economy policies is increasingly discussed. A key issue is the development of harmonised standards and procedures to verify the quality of secondary materials and what distinguishes such materials from being classified as waste. Without such standards and procedures, it will be difficult to scale up a legal international trade in secondary materials. Circular economy also plays an increasingly important role in development cooperation. Especially the focus on circular economy in the new EU development cooperation strategy for 2021-2027, and priorities in the new NDICI instrument, will be important for Sweden and other member states as a coordinated “Team Europe” approach is promoted. Policy dialogues on circular economy pursued by the Commission with the African Union, South Africa, China, India, Colombia and other countries can also be important for the development cooperation of EU member states. The increasing use of the circular economy concept by several UN organisations, OECD and the Multilateral Development Banks also indicate that circular economy will play an important role in development cooperation policy during the coming years. Circular economy and closely related concepts are included in several of the key policy documents for Swedish development cooperation. The policy framework concludes that Sweden should contribute to “…a transformation to a resource-efficient, non-toxic, circular and bio-based economy with low emissions of greenhouse gases”. A review of Sida’s guiding documents and contributions show that Swedish supported initiatives in this area have many names and forms. So far green economy, rather than circular or biobased economy, has been the broader term used by Sida in dialogues and contributions linking environment and economic issues. Through an analysis of the Swedish development cooperation portfolio, the study finds that few contributions have been explicitly labelled as circular economy initiatives, but that many existing Swedish contributions are highly relevant for addressing real “circular economy issues” and a broader green transition. Notably, Sweden is an important financier of several international organisations and networks influencing global policy discussion on green and circular economy. While the emerging circular economy agenda has the potential to engage a broad set of actors in a dialogue on sustainable economic development, introducing new concepts also involves costs for donors and partner countries for studies, trainings, the development of action plans etc. There is a risk that too much effort is devoted to discussing the visionary aspects of a circular economy at the expense of addressing the very real health and environmental problems caused by industrial pollution and improper waste management. A way to operationalise circular economy in Swedish development cooperation would be to identify a set of priority circular economy issues. Ideally, these should be issues where there is a solid experience and knowledge among the Swedish resource base and where there is a strong demand in partner countries for collaboration. Based on the review, the following issues are proposed: •Policy instruments for pollution prevention and resource efficiency. •Non-toxic material cycles through proactive chemical management. •Social inclusion and just transition to a circular economy. •Circular business models in specific value chains. •Policy coherence on circular economy, including environment, trade, and development cooperation policy. The proposed priority issues are not new to Swedish development cooperation as there are many interesting and relevant contributions in the existing portfolio. The idea is rather to outline potential priority issues where Swedish contributions can add value to, and benefit from, the circular economy agenda.
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36. |
- Slunge, Daniel, 1968, et al.
(author)
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REACH authorisation and the substitution of hazardous chemicals: The case of trichloroethylene
- 2022
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In: Journal of Cleaner Production. - : Elsevier BV. - 0959-6526. ; 364
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Through a survey with European companies and expert interviews we study how REACH authorisation affects the phase-out of hazardous chemicals focusing on trichloroethylene, a well-studied solvent used in metal parts cleaning. We find that most of the firms have substituted trichloroethylene by perchloroethylene, which has similar chemical characteristics. This allows them to continue to use the same machines and routines at low costs. Although perchloroethylene is only classified as a suspected rather than a proven carcinogenic substance in Europe, the “improvement” as the result of much regulatory effort must be considered fairly limited, particularly in the light of less hazardous alternatives being used on the market for a long time. Our survey shows that the REACH authorisation process has some effect. Many firms cited as their main reason for substitution that they wanted to avoid the renewed application process. Still, the fact that many firms report using old machines reinforces the impression that some firms are not feeling enough pressure to modify routines and engage in a more fundamental substitution process. The results illustrate the limited effectiveness of a substance by substance approach in chemical risk management. When companies can substitute chemicals of concern to substances with similar chemical characteristics, the health and environmental objectives of chemical regulation are not achieved. An important policy conclusion is that additional incentives need to be introduced in order to realize the ambition of a non-toxic environment in the European Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability. Increased use of measures targeting broader groups of structurally similar hazardous chemicals, in combination with fees that incentivize substitution, are promising avenues for a more sustainable European chemicals strategy.
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37. |
- Sterner, Thomas, 1952, et al.
(author)
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Bör utsläpparna betala?
- 2020
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In: SOM-Institutet.
-
Book chapter (peer-reviewed)abstract
- I detta kapitel studerar vi den svenska opinionen rörande klimatpolitik. Mer specifikt tittar vi på svenska folkets uppfattningar om koldioxidskatter. Sådana styrmedel innebär att man sätter ett pris på utsläpp, vilket kanske är den mest verkningsfulla formen av styrmedel för att minska våra utsläpp av koldioxid, men också det minst populära. Majoriteten föredrar andra typer av politiska åtgärder som utbyggnad av kollektivtrafik och subventionering av förnybara bränslen – åtgärder som måste finansieras med andra skatter. Den stora frågan är om det finns några sätt att göra koldioxidskatter mer populära? Trots att den svenska koldioxidskatten har ökat flera gånger över åren, finner vi inte att stödet för koldioxidskatter har minskat, utan snarare har ökat över tid. De visar sig även vara mer populära att höja än andra skatter. Det senare gör att vi avslutar med att diskutera möjligheterna att intäkterna från koldioxidskatten skulle kunna användas för att finansiera de mer populära åtgärderna
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38. |
- Sterner, Thomas, 1952
(author)
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Environmental policy instruments
- 2023
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In: Dictionary of Ecological Economics: Terms for the New Millennium. - 9781788974912
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Book chapter (other academic/artistic)abstract
- This comprehensive Dictionary brings together an extensive range of definitive terms in ecological economics. Assembling contributions from distinguished scholars, it provides an intellectual map to this evolving subject ranging from the practical to the philosophical.
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39. |
- Sterner, Thomas, 1952, et al.
(author)
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Funding Inclusive Green Transition through Greenhouse Gas Pricing : Carbon Pricing
- 2020
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In: ifo DICE Report. - 2511-7815. ; 18:1, s. 3-8
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- 2015 was a special year. During a few months the political stars aligned and made it possible for the international community to agree on the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement to limit global warming. Now the signatories need to find ways to implement these agreements, which not only imply a deep decarbonization of the economy but must also meet the Sustainable Development Goals. In this article we discuss the importance of pricing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions2 to make this happen. Climate abatement is a truly global public good and so we actually have to have a functioning policy in all countries. Our interest is thus on pricing in all countries but in particular the developing countries that are bigger and most crucial to the struggle for a green transition.
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40. |
- Sterner, Thomas, 1952, et al.
(author)
-
INDIA IN THE COMING ‘CLIMATE G2’?
- 2020
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In: National Institute Economic Review. - : Cambridge University Press (CUP). - 0027-9501 .- 1741-3036. ; 251:February 2020
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- China and the United States are the two largest emitters of greenhouse gases, making them pivotal players in global climate negotiations. Within the coming decade, however, India is set to become the most important counterpart to the United States, as it overtakes China as the country with the most at stake depending on the type of global burden-sharing agreements reached, thus becoming a member of the ‘Climate G2’. We create a hypothetical global carbon market based on modelling emissions reduction commitments across countries and regions relative to their marginal abatement costs. We then analyse net financial flows across a wide range of burden-sharing agreements, from pure ‘grandfathering’ based on current emissions to equal-per-capita allocation. Among the four largest players – the United States, the EU-27, China, and India – it is China that would currently be the largest net seller of emissions allowances in all but the grandfathered scenario. The United States would be the largest net buyer. However, India is poised to take China’s position by around 2030. That leaves the United States and India as the two major countries with most to gain and lose, depending on the type of climate deal reached.
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41. |
- Sterner, Thomas, 1952, et al.
(author)
-
Refunding Emission Payments: Output-Based versus Expenditure-Based Refunding : CESifo Working Paper No. 8364
- 2020
-
Other publication (other academic/artistic)abstract
- We analyse two mechanism designs for refunding emission payments to polluting firms: output-based refunding (OBR) and expenditure-based refunding (EBR). In both instruments, emission fees are returned to the polluting industry, typically making the policy more politically acceptable than a standard tax. The crucial difference between OBR and EBR is that the fees are refunded in proportion to output in the former but in proportion to the firms’ expenditure on abatement technology equipment in the latter. To achieve the same abatement target as a standard tax, the fee level in the OBR design is higher, whereas the fee level in the EBR design is lower. The use of OBR and EBR may lead to large differences in the distribution of output and costs across firms. Both designs imply a cost-ineffective provision of abatement, as firms put relatively too much effort into reducing emissions through abatement technology compared with reducing output. However, a standard tax may be politically infeasible and maintaining output may be seen as a political advantage by policymakers if they seek to avoid activity reduction in the regulated sector.
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42. |
- Sterner, Thomas, 1952
(author)
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Skatteväxling - reflektioner och förslag på miljöområde
- 2020
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In: Växla upp! 12 inspirerande bidrag för bättre grön skatteväxling. - : Fores. - 9789187379703 ; , s. 1-29
-
Book chapter (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Det talas ofta om att Sverige ska vara ett föregångsland inom det globala klimatarbetet. Med en vetenskapligt baserad och effektiv grön skatteväxling kan Sverige visa vägen framåt. I den här antologin låter vi framstående forskare och tunga intressenter presentera förslag på hur en grön skatteväxling kan se ut i praktiken.
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43. |
- Sterner, Thomas, 1952, et al.
(author)
-
Spreading Environmental Economics Worldwide
- 2023
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In: Environmental and Resource Economics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0924-6460 .- 1573-1502. ; 84:3, s. 649-657
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)
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44. |
- Sterner, Thomas, 1952, et al.
(author)
-
STATEMENT OF THE LANCET COVID-19 COMMISSION TASK FORCE ON GREEN RECOVERY Transforming Recovery into a Green Future
- 2021
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Reports (other academic/artistic)abstract
- SUMMARY OF KEY MESSAGES This statement, prepared by the Task Force on Green Recovery of the Lancet COVID-19 Commission provides some initial reflections on key priorities to support a green, fair and resilient recovery from COVID-19. At this stage, the Task Force on Green Recovery emphasizes six key messages: 1. Recovery packages across the world should finance the transformations needed for a green, digital and fair future. A “green” fiscal expansion is more growth-enhancing compared to investing in a “return-to-normal,” and it builds a sustainable and resilient future for the current and next generations. 2. Recent commitments to achieve net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by around mid-century in Europe, China and other major economies can provide the needed momentum for deep transformations of economies and societies. 3. Environmental, social and governance (ESG)-based and sustainability investing strategies now account for over one-third of global Assets Under Management (AUM) and are likely to be a majority of global assets in the coming years. This fundamentally changes the direction of global capital flows. The recovery should build on this momentum. 4. Yet, so far, financial resources devoted to and commitments made for post COVID-19 recovery are largely insufficient for a green recovery, including in most G20 countries. One exception is the European Union (EU) where the European Green Deal (EGD) provides strong ambition and where efforts have been made to align investments framework for a green recovery. Yet, the effective implementation of the plan remains to be seen. 5. Low-income countries (LICs) and some emerging markets (EMs) urgently need support to address the immediate consequences of the pandemic but also to build back more sustainable, inclusive and resilient. 6. Ensuring a successful biodiversity COP in Kunming, a climate COP in Glasgow and the World Food Summit in Copenhagen is essential for coordinated global governance actions on climate and biodiversity. Combined with other annual meetings (UNGA, G20, HLPF etc.) these can make 2021 the “super year for nature and climate” and can set the foundation for long-term international cooperation on the environment. The final report of the Lancet COVID-19 Commission is scheduled for the end of 2021.
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45. |
- Sterner, Thomas, 1952
(author)
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The Carbon Tax in Sweden
- 2020
-
In: Standing up for a sustainable world : voices of change / edited by Claude Henry, Johan Rockström, Nicholas Stern.. - : Edward Elgar. - 9781800371774 ; , s. 59-67
-
Book chapter (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The world has witnessed extraordinary economic growth, poverty reduction and increased life expectancy and population since the end of WWII, but it has occurred at the expense of undermining life support systems on Earth and subjecting future generations to the real risk of destabilising the planet. This timely book exposes and explores this colossal environmental cost and the dangerous position the world is now in. Standing up for a Sustainable World is written by and about key individuals who have not only understood the threats to our planet, but also become witness to them and confronted them.
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46. |
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47. |
- Sterner, Thomas, 1952, et al.
(author)
-
Tradable Performance Standards in the Transportation Sector
- 2020
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Other publication (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Several tradable performance standard (TPS) programs have recently been implemented in the US transportation sector: regulations for greenhouse gas emissions from passenger cars and trucks (national), zero-emission vehicle programs (10 states), the Renewable Fuel Standard (national), and low-carbon fuel standards (two states). The primary motivations are to promote innovation, to address consumers’ undervaluation of efficiency, and to reduce externalities, such as air pollution and the risks of dependence on foreign oil. A TPS sets a standard of technology performance but leaves technology choice to the producers; it increases the relative costs of technologies with undesirable performance characteristics and lowers the costs of technologies with desirable characteristics. We review the TPS programs and compare TPS with carbon pricing. Whereas carbon pricing creates incentives for both output reduction and technology change, TPS programs do not fully internalize the costs of emissions, resulting in lower price effects on products and raising the total cost of emissions reductions compared with carbon pricing. However, a TPS provides stronger incentives for upstream innovation and technology transformation. We show that TPS programs are generally additive to the effects of carbon pricing, so the policies can be combined without sacrificing the efficiency properties achieved by pricing. Given that the expected carbon price may be too low to substantially affect transportation demand or technology change, combining TPS with a carbon price may be necessary to drive innovation and achieve a sustained low-carbon transformation in the sector.
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48. |
- Sterner, Thomas, 1952, et al.
(author)
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Understanding Regressivity: Challenges and Opportunities of European Carbon Pricing
- 2020
-
In: SSRN Electronic Journal. - : Elsevier BV. - 1556-5068.
-
Other publication (other academic/artistic)abstract
- We examine how a European carbon price will affect citizens by studying the carbon tax incidence in 23 countries of the EU. At the national level, the distributional impact prior to revenue recycling is largely neutral, sometimes progressive. At an aggregate EU level, however, the impact is regressive because some low-income countries would be highly impacted if subjected to a common EU carbon price. While national redistribution can do much to make EU incidence progressive, we show that European-wide redistribution is more effective for especially affected households. We offer two indicators to offset regressive distributional effects of EU climate policy such as the recently proposed Green Deal. The first renders the tax burden proportional; the second focuses on compensating the households most seriously affected. Including both indicators in European redistribution makes for a better representation of the initial burden of carbon pricing and could make the policy more salient for citizens.
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49. |
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50. |
- Yeh, Sonia, 1973, et al.
(author)
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Tradable performance standards in the transportation sector
- 2021
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In: Energy Economics. - : Elsevier BV. - 0140-9883 .- 1873-6181. ; 102
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Performance standards have a long history in environmental policy. A performance standard sets a standard of technology performance but leaves technology choice to producers; it increases the relative costs of technologies with undesirable performance characteristics and lowers the costs of technologies with desirable characteristics. The primary motivations are to promote innovation, to address consumers' undervaluation of efficiency, and to reduce externalities, such as air pollution and the risks of dependence on foreign oil. In the past decade, trading has been incorporated (thus termed as tradable performance standard, TPS) into several U.S. transportation programs: regulations for greenhouse gas emissions from passenger cars and trucks (national), zero-emission vehicle programs (10 states), the Renewable Fuel Standard (national), and low-carbon fuel standards (two states). TPS allows for equalization of marginal costs across eligible technologies and is therefore more efficient than pure regulations. We show that sectoral TPS programs have high credit prices but low price effects on products and provide strong incentives for upstream innovation and technology transformation. Unlike emissions pricing, however, they do not have a strong output effect: consumers do not bear the full cost of the pollution and do not have incentive to reduce consumption of polluting products. Given that the expected carbon price may be too low to substantially affect transportation demand or technology change, combining TPS with a carbon price may be necessary to drive innovation and achieve a sustained low-carbon transformation in the sector.
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