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The Social Cost of Carbon

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  • Richard S. J. Tol

Abstract

The social cost of carbon is the damage avoided by slightly reducing carbon dioxide emissions. It is a measure of the desired intensity of climate policy. The social cost of carbon is highly uncertain because of the long and complex cause-effect chain, and because it quantifies and aggregates impacts over a long period of time, affecting all people in a wide range of possible futures. Recent estimates are around $\$$80/tCO$_2$.

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  • Richard S. J. Tol, 2023. "The Social Cost of Carbon," Papers 2310.12760, arXiv.org.
  • Handle: RePEc:arx:papers:2310.12760
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Minh Ha-Duong & Nicolas Treich, 2004. "Risk Aversion, Intergenerational Equity and Climate Change," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 28(2), pages 195-207, June.
    2. Minh Ha-Duong & Nicolas Treich, 2004. "Risk Aversion, Intergenerational Equity and Climate Change," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 28(2), pages 195-207, June.
    3. van den Bergh, Jeroen C. J. M., 2004. "Optimal climate policy is a utopia: from quantitative to qualitative cost-benefit analysis," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 48(4), pages 385-393, April.
    4. G. C. van Kooten, 2004. "Climate Change Economics," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 3424.
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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

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