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Regional climate policy under deep uncertainty: robust control and distributional concerns

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  • Brock, William
  • Xepapadeas, Anastasios

Abstract

We study climate change policies using the novel pattern scaling approach of regional transient climate response in order to develop a regional economy–climate model under conditions of deep uncertainty. We associate welfare weights with regions and analyze cooperative outcomes derived by the social planner's solution at the regional scale. Recent literature indicates that damages are larger in low latitude (warmer) areas and are projected to become relatively even larger in low latitude areas than at temperate latitudes. Under deep uncertainty, robust control policies are more conservative regarding emissions and, when regional distributional weights are introduced, carbon taxes are lower in the relatively poorer region. Mild concerns for robustness are welfare improving for the poor region, while strong concerns have welfare cost for all regions. We show that increasing regional temperatures will increase resources devoted to learning, in order to reduce deep uncertainty.

Suggested Citation

  • Brock, William & Xepapadeas, Anastasios, 2021. "Regional climate policy under deep uncertainty: robust control and distributional concerns," Environment and Development Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 26(3), pages 211-238, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:cup:endeec:v:26:y:2021:i:3:p:211-238_2
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    Cited by:

    1. Simon Levin & Anastasios Xepapadeas, 2021. "On the Coevolution of Economic and Ecological Systems," Annual Review of Resource Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 13(1), pages 355-377, October.
    2. Anastasios Xepapadeas, 2023. "Uncertainty and Climate Change: The IPCC approach vs Decision Theory," DEOS Working Papers 2315, Athens University of Economics and Business.
    3. Borissov, Kirill & Bretschger, Lucas, 2022. "Optimal carbon policies in a dynamic heterogeneous world," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 148(C).
    4. William Brock & Anastasios Xepapadeas, 2024. "Land-use, climate change and the emergence of infectious diseases: A synthesis," DEOS Working Papers 2409, Athens University of Economics and Business.
    5. William Brock & Anastasios Xepapadeas, 2023. "Natural world preservation and infectious diseases: Land-use, climate change and innovation," DEOS Working Papers 2319, Athens University of Economics and Business.
    6. William Brock & Anastasios Xepapadeas, 2022. "Climate Change, Natural World Preservation and the Emergence and Containment of Infectious Diseases," DEOS Working Papers 2232, Athens University of Economics and Business.
    7. Xepapadeas, Anastasios, 2024. "Uncertainty and climate change: The IPCC approach vs decision theory," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 109(C).

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • Q54 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Climate; Natural Disasters and their Management; Global Warming
    • Q58 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environmental Economics: Government Policy
    • D81 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Criteria for Decision-Making under Risk and Uncertainty

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