Public acceptance of carbon taxes in Australia

Mara Hammerle, Rohan Best and Paul Crosby

Energy Economics, 2021, vol. 101, issue C

Abstract: Carbon taxes can be a low-cost approach to reducing carbon dioxide emissions but are often constrained by public acceptability. Our study investigates public support for carbon taxes in Australia in two ways. First, we use a discrete choice experiment to quantify willingness to pay for carbon tax design features through higher electricity bills. Our results show higher utility for schemes that provide financial support to low-income households and that recycle revenues for low-carbon technologies. Survey respondents exhibit a preference against too much information and against revenues being recycled for policies to change individual behaviour. An appropriate manager of the carbon tax could be a federal government department. Second, we also examine whether there are differences in preferences for the terms ‘carbon tax’ and ‘carbon price’: in this context, the term ‘carbon tax’ does not majorly affect public acceptability. Our detailed carbon pricing scheme design and methodology can be tailored for studies of public acceptability of carbon taxes in other countries, potentially contributing to global emissions reductions.

Keywords: Carbon tax; Discrete choice experiment; Distributional effects; Emission reduction; Information provision; Management authority; Revenue recycling (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C25 Q52 Q58 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:eneeco:v:101:y:2021:i:c:s0140988321003145

DOI: 10.1016/j.eneco.2021.105420

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