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Environmental Policy and Public Revenue with International Capital Mobility

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  • Ottar MÆstad

Abstract

In the presence of preexisting distortionary taxes, it is often argued that auctioned emission permits are preferable to non-auctioned permits, because the former generate revenues that may be used to reduce other taxes. This paper shows that when capital is internationally mobile, it may be optimal to use a combination of non-auctioned and auctioned emission permits, for both environmental and fiscal reasons. By letting the number of non-auctioned permits be a positive function of the amount of capital used domestically, they will attract capital to the home country. This may create environmental benefits in terms of reduced transboundary pollution and may lead to increased public revenue because the price of emission permits may increase and because the tax base may be enhanced. It is also shown that the optimal number of non-auctioned permits may increase as the marginal costs of public funds increase. Copyright Springer Science + Business Media, Inc. 2006

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  • Ottar MÆstad, 2006. "Environmental Policy and Public Revenue with International Capital Mobility," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 13(1), pages 43-58, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:itaxpf:v:13:y:2006:i:1:p:43-58
    DOI: 10.1007/s10797-006-1267-8
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    1. Maestad, Ottar, 2007. "Allocation of emission permits with leakage through capital markets," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 29(1), pages 40-57, January.
    2. Nikos Tsakiris & Panos Hatzipanayotou & Michael S. Michael, 2017. "Welfare Ranking of Environmental Policies in the Presence of Capital Mobility and Cross‐Border Pollution," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 84(1), pages 317-336, July.
    3. Haitao Cheng, 2023. "Consumption pollution and taxes with endogenous firm locations and different market sizes," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 30(6), pages 1601-1632, December.
    4. Cheng, Haitao, 2024. "Domestic versus international emissions trading with capital mobility," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
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