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Fiscal consolidation and climate policy: An overlapping generations perspective

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  • Rausch, Sebastian

Abstract

This paper examines the distributional and efficiency impacts of public debt consolidation financed through a carbon tax employing a dynamic general-equilibrium model with overlapping generations of the U.S. economy. The numerical model features government taxes and spending and a multi-sectoral production structure including intermediate production, specific detail on the energy sector both in terms of primary energy carriers and energy-intensive industries, and sector- and fuel-specific carbon inputs. In contrast to revenue-neutral carbon tax swaps, using the carbon revenue for deficit reduction implies a relaxation of future public budgets as debt repayment results in lower future interest obligations. While intergenerational welfare impacts depend importantly on what tax recycling instrument is used, we find that combining public debt consolidation with a carbon policy entails the possibility of sustained welfare gains for future generations. If social discount rates are sufficiently low or if social preferences exhibit a large aversion with respect to intergenerational inequality, combining fiscal consolidation and climate policy may offer the chance for societal gains even without considering potential benefits from averted climate change.

Suggested Citation

  • Rausch, Sebastian, 2013. "Fiscal consolidation and climate policy: An overlapping generations perspective," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 40(S1), pages 134-148.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:eneeco:v:40:y:2013:i:s1:p:s134-s148
    DOI: 10.1016/j.eneco.2013.09.009
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Climate policy; Fiscal policy; Deficit reduction; Carbon tax; Overlapping generations;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H6 - Public Economics - - National Budget, Deficit, and Debt
    • H23 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Externalities; Redistributive Effects; Environmental Taxes and Subsidies
    • C68 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Mathematical Methods; Programming Models; Mathematical and Simulation Modeling - - - Computable General Equilibrium Models
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • Q43 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - Energy and the Macroeconomy
    • Q54 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Climate; Natural Disasters and their Management; Global Warming

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