Second-Best Renewable Subsidies to De-Carbonize the Economy: Commitment and the Green Paradox

Armon Rezai and Frederick (Rick) van der Ploeg

No 5721, CESifo Working Paper Series from CESifo

Abstract: Climate change must deal with two market failures: global warming and learning by doing in renewable use. The first-best policy consists of an aggressive renewables subsidy in the near term and a gradually rising and falling carbon tax. Given that global carbon taxes remain elusive, policy makers have to use a second-best subsidy. In case of credible commitment, the second-best subsidy is set higher than the social benefit of learning. It allows the transition time and peak warming close to first-best levels at the cost of higher fossil fuel use (weak Green Paradox). If policy makers cannot commit, the second-best subsidy is set to the social benefit of learning. It generates smaller weak Green Paradox effects, but the transition to the carbon-free takes longer and cumulative carbon emissions are higher. Under first-best and second best with pre-commitment peak warming is 2.1 - 2.3 °C, under second best without commitment 3.5°C, and without any policy temperature 5.1°C above pre-industrial levels. Not being able to commit yields a welfare loss of 95% of initial GDP compared to first best. Being able to commit brings this figure down to 7%.

Keywords: first-best and second-best policy; commitment; Markov-perfect; Ramsey growth; carbon tax; renewables subsidy; learning by doing; directed technical change (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: H21 Q51 Q54 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (10)

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Related works:
Journal Article: Second-Best Renewable Subsidies to De-carbonize the Economy: Commitment and the Green Paradox (2017)
Working Paper: Second-Best Renewable Subsidies to De-Carbonize the Economy: Commitment and the Green Paradox (2016)
Working Paper: SECOND-BEST RENEWABLE SUBSIDIES TO DE-CARBONIZE THE ECONOMY: COMMITMENT AND THE GREEN PARADOX (2016)
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