Emissions taxes versus intensity standards: Second-best environmental policies with incomplete regulation

A-Tier
Journal: Journal of Environmental Economics and Management
Year: 2012
Volume: 63
Issue: 3
Pages: 375-387

Score contribution per author:

4.022 = (α=2.01 / 1 authors) × 2.0x A-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

The best emissions tax or emissions cap may be an inferior instrument under incomplete regulation (leakage). Without leakage, an intensity standard (regulating emissions per unit of output) is inferior due to an implicit output subsidy. This inefficiency can be eliminated by an additional consumption tax. With leakage, an intensity standard can dominate the optimal emissions tax, since the implicit output subsidy prevents leakage. The addition of a consumption tax improves an intensity standard's efficiency, may prevent leakage, and may be efficient. Comparing intensity standards to output-based updating shows that the latter dominates if updating is sufficiently flexible.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:eee:jeeman:v:63:y:2012:i:3:p:375-387
Journal Field
Environment
Author Count
1
Added to Database
2026-02-02