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Article
Leakage, welfare and cost-effectiveness of carbon policy
American Economic Review; papers and proceedings (2013)
  • Kathy Baylis, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  • Don Fullerton, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  • Daniel Karney, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Abstract

We extend the model of Fullerton, Baylis, and Karney (2012 working paper) to explore cost-effectiveness of unilateral climate policy in the presence of leakage. We ignore the welfare gain from reducing greenhouse gas emissions and focus on the welfare cost of the emissions tax or permit scheme. Whereas that prior paper solves for changes in emissions quantities and finds that leakage maybe negative, we show here that all cases with negative leakage in that model are cases where a unilateral carbon tax results in a welfare loss. With positive leakage, however, a unilateral policy can improve welfare.

Publication Date
May, 2013
Citation Information
Kathy Baylis, Don Fullerton and Daniel Karney. "Leakage, welfare and cost-effectiveness of carbon policy" American Economic Review; papers and proceedings Iss. papers and proceedings (2013)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/kathy_baylis/47/