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Transfer payments in global climate policy

Author

Listed:
  • Florian Landis

    (ETH Zürich, Centre for Energy Policy and Economics (CEPE))

  • Thomas Bernauer

    (ETH Zürich, Center for Comparative and International Studies (CIS) and Institute for Environmental Decisions (IED))

Abstract

Many scientists and policymakers agree that large financial flows from richer to poorer countries will be necessary to reach an agreement on reducing greenhouse-gas emissions enough to keep global warming below 2 °C. But the required amounts of transfer payments and justifications for them remain contested. We contribute to this debate by developing an argument for transfer payments that derives from the differences between carbon prices that different countries may set in light of two distinct criteria for appropriate levels of emission reductions. If, for reasons of cost efficiency, a globally uniform carbon price was installed, transfer payments would be required to offset these differences. We combine global climate modelling with regional welfare analysis to estimate regional carbon prices under various climate change, emissions and economic scenarios. The estimated ratios between regional carbon prices are surprisingly robust to different modelling assumptions. To the extent that burden-sharing choices in global climate policy are motivated by regional carbon prices, our analysis allows for a quantification of required transfer payments. Assuming a global carbon price of US$35 per t CO2, for example, our estimates would justify transfer payments of the order of US$15–48 billion per year.

Suggested Citation

  • Florian Landis & Thomas Bernauer, 2012. "Transfer payments in global climate policy," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 2(8), pages 628-633, August.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcli:v:2:y:2012:i:8:d:10.1038_nclimate1548
    DOI: 10.1038/nclimate1548
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    Cited by:

    1. Xu, Xin & Huang, Shupei & Lucey, Brian M. & An, Haizhong, 2023. "The impacts of climate policy uncertainty on stock markets: Comparison between China and the US," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    2. Idiano D’Adamo, 2018. "The Profitability of Residential Photovoltaic Systems. A New Scheme of Subsidies Based on the Price of CO 2 in a Developed PV Market," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 7(9), pages 1-21, August.
    3. Chepeliev, Maksym & Osorio-Rodarte, Israel & van der Mensbrugghe, Dominique, 2021. "Distributional impacts of carbon pricing policies under the Paris Agreement: Inter and intra-regional perspectives," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    4. Bakhtyar, B. & Ibrahim, Y. & Alghoul, M.A. & Aziz, N. & Fudholi, A. & Sopian, K., 2014. "Estimating the CO2 abatement cost: Substitute Price of Avoiding CO2 Emission (SPAE) by Renewable Energy׳s Feed in Tariff in selected countries," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 205-210.
    5. Robert Kopp & Bryan Mignone, 2013. "Circumspection, reciprocity, and optimal carbon prices," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 120(4), pages 831-843, October.
    6. Thomas Bernauer & Robert Gampfer & Aya Kachi, 2014. "European unilateralism and involuntary burden-sharing in global climate politics: A public opinion perspective from the other side," European Union Politics, , vol. 15(1), pages 132-151, March.
    7. Bakhtyar, B. & Fudholi, A. & Hassan, Kabir & Azam, M. & Lim, C.H. & Chan, N.W. & Sopian, K., 2017. "Review of CO2 price in Europe using feed-in tariff rates," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 685-691.

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