The Global Effects of Subglobal Climate Policies

Resources for the Future Discussion Paper No. 10-48

39 Pages Posted: 20 Oct 2010

See all articles by Christoph Böhringer

Christoph Böhringer

University of Oldenburg - Economic Policy; Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW)

Carolyn Fischer

University of Ottawa - Department of Economics; Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Knut Einar Rosendahl

Norwegian University of Life Sciences; Statistics Norway - Research Department

Date Written: October 18, 2010

Abstract

Individual countries are in the process of legislating responses to the challenges posed by climate change. The prospect of rising carbon prices raises concerns in these nations about the effects on the competitiveness of their own energy-intensive industries and the potential for carbon leakage, particularly leakage to emerging economies that lack comparable regulation. In response, certain developed countries are proposing controversial trade-related measures and allowance allocation designs to complement their climate policies. Missing from much of the debate on trade-related measures is a broader understanding of how climate policies implemented unilaterally (or subglobally) affect all countries in the global trading system. Arguably, the largest impacts are from the targeted carbon pricing itself, which generates macroeconomic effects, terms-of-trade changes, and shifts in global energy demand and prices; it also changes the relative prices of certain energy-intensive goods. This paper studies how climate policies implemented in certain major economies (the European Union and the United States) affect the global distribution of economic and environmental outcomes, and how these outcomes may be altered by complementary policies aimed at addressing carbon leakage.

Keywords: cap-and-trade, emissions leakage, border carbon adjustments, output-based allocation, general equilibrium model

JEL Classification: Q2, Q43, H2, D61

Suggested Citation

Bohringer, Christoph and Fischer, Carolyn and Fischer, Carolyn and Rosendahl, Knut Einar, The Global Effects of Subglobal Climate Policies (October 18, 2010). Resources for the Future Discussion Paper No. 10-48, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1694104 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1694104

Christoph Bohringer

University of Oldenburg - Economic Policy ( email )

Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) ( email )

D-68161 Mannheim
Germany
+49 6211235200 (Phone)
+49 6211235226 (Fax)

Carolyn Fischer (Contact Author)

University of Ottawa - Department of Economics ( email )

Social Sciences Building Room 9005
Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5
Canada

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam ( email )

De Boelelaan 1105
1081HV Amsterdam
Netherlands

HOME PAGE: http://https://research.vu.nl/en/persons/carolyn-fischer

Knut Einar Rosendahl

Norwegian University of Life Sciences ( email )

PO Box 5033
NO-1432 Aas
Norway
+47 64966117 (Phone)

Statistics Norway - Research Department ( email )

Kongens Gt. 6
PO Box 8131 Dep
N-0033 Oslo
Norway
+47 21094954 (Phone)
+47 21094963 (Fax)

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