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Announcing climate policy: Can a green paradox arise without scarcity?

Sjak Smulders (), Yacov Tsur and Amos Zemel

Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, 2012, vol. 64, issue 3, 364-376

Abstract: Unintended consequences of a pre-announced climate policy are studied within a framework that allows for competition between polluting and clean energy sources. We show that early announcement of a carbon tax gives rise to a “green-paradox,” in that it increases emissions in the interim period (between announcement and actual implementation), irrespective of the scarcity of fossil fuels. The paradoxical outcome is driven by consumption-saving tradeoffs facing households who seek to smooth consumption over time and holds both when the announced implementation date is taken as a credible threat and when households are skeptical about the (political) will or capability of the government to implement the policy as announced.

Keywords: Climate policy; Carbon tax; Green paradox (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (70)

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Working Paper: Announcing Climate Policy: Can a Green Paradox Arise without Scarcity? (2010) Downloads
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jeeman:v:64:y:2012:i:3:p:364-376

DOI: 10.1016/j.jeem.2012.02.007

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Journal of Environmental Economics and Management is currently edited by M.A. Cole, A. Lange, D.J. Phaneuf, D. Popp, M.J. Roberts, M.D. Smith, C. Timmins, Q. Weninger and A.J. Yates

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