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Impact of Carbon Pricing on Low-Carbon Innovation and Deep Decarbonisation: Controversies and Path Forward

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  • Jeroen den Bergh

    (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
    ICREA
    VU University Amsterdam
    ICTA, Edifici Z, UAB Campus)

  • Ivan Savin

    (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
    Ural Federal University)

Abstract

There is an ongoing discussion about the effectiveness of carbon pricing, with a strong division between optimists and pessimists. A recent review study by Lilliestam, Patt and Bersalli (2021) of the impact of carbon pricing on low-carbon innovation and deep carbonization concludes that there is no evidence for such an impact. We evaluate this study and identify various shortcomings of it, which together cast strong doubts on its main conclusion. Instead, we conclude, based on the studies reviewed by the authors and additional, overlooked literature, that carbon pricing has had a small but positive and significant effect on low-carbon innovation. Our evaluation provides lessons for undertaking a systematic and objective review of research on this topic. Since the main goal of carbon pricing is changing choices by firms and consumers that affect carbon emissions, we also point the reader towards recent evidence for the broader effectiveness of carbon pricing.

Suggested Citation

  • Jeroen den Bergh & Ivan Savin, 2021. "Impact of Carbon Pricing on Low-Carbon Innovation and Deep Decarbonisation: Controversies and Path Forward," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 80(4), pages 705-715, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:enreec:v:80:y:2021:i:4:d:10.1007_s10640-021-00594-6
    DOI: 10.1007/s10640-021-00594-6
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    Cited by:

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    2. Johan Lilliestam & Anthony Patt & Germán Bersalli, 2022. "On the quality of emission reductions: observed effects of carbon pricing on investments, innovation, and operational shifts. A response to van den Bergh and Savin (2021)," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 83(3), pages 733-758, November.
    3. Wu, Huihuang & Zhou, Yuhan & Wang, Xian & Hu, Xiurong & Zhang, Shihui & Ren, Yang & Liu, Junfeng & Liu, Ying & Tao, Shu, 2024. "The climate, health, and economic outcomes across different carbon pricing policies to achieve China's climate goals," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 368(C).
    4. Mayer, Jakob & Dugan, Anna & Bachner, Gabriel & Steininger, Karl W., 2021. "Is carbon pricing regressive? Insights from a recursive-dynamic CGE analysis with heterogeneous households for Austria," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 104(C).
    5. Jens J. Krüger & Moritz Tarach, 2022. "Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Potentials in Europe by Sector: A Bootstrap-Based Nonparametric Efficiency Analysis," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 81(4), pages 867-898, April.
    6. Foramitti, Joël & Savin, Ivan & van den Bergh, Jeroen C.J.M., 2024. "How carbon pricing affects multiple human needs: An agent-based model analysis," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 217(C).
    7. Nicola Campigotto & Marco Catola & Andrè Cieplinksi & Simone D'Alessandro & Tiziano Distefano & Pietro Guarnieri & Till Heydenreich, 2024. "Scenario discovery for a just low-carbon transition," Discussion Papers 2024/304, Dipartimento di Economia e Management (DEM), University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
    8. Zha, Donglan & Jiang, Pansong & Zhang, Chaoqun & Xia, Dan & Cao, Yang, 2023. "Positive synergy or negative synergy: An assessment of the carbon emission reduction effect of renewable energy policy mixes on China's power sector," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 183(C).
    9. Drews, Stefan & Savin, Ivan & van den Bergh, Jeroen, 2024. "A Global Survey of Scientific Consensus and Controversy on Instruments of Climate Policy," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 218(C).
    10. Tan, Xiujie & Wang, Banban & Wei, Jie & Taghizadeh-Hesary, Farhad, 2023. "The role of carbon pricing in achieving energy transition in the Post-COP26 era: Evidence from China's industrial energy conservation," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 182(C).
    11. Niklas Döbbeling-Hildebrandt & Klaas Miersch & Tarun M. Khanna & Marion Bachelet & Stephan B. Bruns & Max Callaghan & Ottmar Edenhofer & Christian Flachsland & Piers M. Forster & Matthias Kalkuhl & Ni, 2024. "Systematic review and meta-analysis of ex-post evaluations on the effectiveness of carbon pricing," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, December.
    12. Chen, Ming & Li, Zhongfei & Liu, Zhuang, 2024. "Substantive response or strategic response? The induced green innovation effects of carbon prices," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).

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