The social cost of carbon and inequality: when local redistribution shapes global carbon prices

"The social cost of carbon is the central economic measure for aggregate climate change damages and functions as a metric for optimal carbon prices. Previous literature shows that inequality significantly influences the level of the social cost of carbon, but mostly neglects a major source of i...

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Main Authors: Kornek, Ulrike, Klenert, David, Edenhofer, Ottmar, Fleurbaey, Marc
Institution:ETUI-European Trade Union Institute
Format: TEXT
Language:English
Published: Munich 2019
CESifo
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.labourline.org/KENTIKA-19308484124911266669-The-social-cost-of-carbon-and-.htm
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author Kornek, Ulrike
Klenert, David
Edenhofer, Ottmar
Fleurbaey, Marc
author_facet Kornek, Ulrike
Klenert, David
Edenhofer, Ottmar
Fleurbaey, Marc
collection Library items
description "The social cost of carbon is the central economic measure for aggregate climate change damages and functions as a metric for optimal carbon prices. Previous literature shows that inequality significantly influences the level of the social cost of carbon, but mostly neglects a major source of inequality - heterogeneity in income below the national level. We characterize the relationship between climate and redistributional policy in an optimal taxation model that explicitly accounts for inequality between and within countries. In particular, we demonstrate that climate and distributional policy cannot be separated when national governments fail to compensate low-income households for climate change damages: Even if only one country does not compensate especially affected households, the social cost of carbon increases globally. Further, we use numerical methods to estimate the scope of these effects. Our results suggest that it is crucial to correct previous estimates of the social cost of carbon for national distributional policies."
format TEXT
geographic international
id 19308484124911266669_115e9a7dac1847d0ae5a9f01024b6937
institution ETUI-European Trade Union Institute
is_hierarchy_id 19308484124911266669_115e9a7dac1847d0ae5a9f01024b6937
is_hierarchy_title The social cost of carbon and inequality: when local redistribution shapes global carbon prices
language English
physical 47 p.
Digital
publishDate 2019
publisher Munich
CESifo
spellingShingle Kornek, Ulrike
Klenert, David
Edenhofer, Ottmar
Fleurbaey, Marc
climate change
social inequality
taxation
social cost
gas emission
environmental policy
income redistribution
The social cost of carbon and inequality: when local redistribution shapes global carbon prices
thumbnail https://www.labourline.org/Image_prev.jpg?Archive=138642495682
title The social cost of carbon and inequality: when local redistribution shapes global carbon prices
topic climate change
social inequality
taxation
social cost
gas emission
environmental policy
income redistribution
url https://www.labourline.org/KENTIKA-19308484124911266669-The-social-cost-of-carbon-and-.htm