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Second-Best Renewable Subsidies to De-Carbonize the Economy: Commitment and the Green Paradox

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  • Armon Rezai
  • Frederick Van der Ploeg

Abstract

Climate change must deal with two market failures: global warming and learning by doing in renewable use. The first-best policy consists of an aggressive renewables subsidy in the near term and a gradually rising and falling carbon tax. Given that global carbon taxes remain elusive, policy makers have to use a second-best subsidy. In case of credible commitment, the second-best subsidy is set higher than the social benefit of learning. It allows the transition time and peak warming close to first-best levels at the cost of higher fossil fuel use (weak Green Paradox). If policy makers cannot commit, the second-best subsidy is set to the social benefit of learning. It generates smaller weak Green Paradox effects, but the transition to the carbon-free takes longer and cumulative carbon emissions are higher. Under first-best and second best with pre-commitment peak warming is 2.1 - 2.3 °C, under second best without commitment 3.5°C, and without any policy temperature 5.1°C above pre-industrial levels. Not being able to commit yields a welfare loss of 95% of initial GDP compared to first best. Being able to commit brings this figure down to 7%.

Suggested Citation

  • Armon Rezai & Frederick Van der Ploeg, 2016. "Second-Best Renewable Subsidies to De-Carbonize the Economy: Commitment and the Green Paradox," CESifo Working Paper Series 5721, CESifo.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_5721
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    first-best and second-best policy; commitment; Markov-perfect; Ramsey growth; carbon tax; renewables subsidy; learning by doing; directed technical change;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H21 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Efficiency; Optimal Taxation
    • Q51 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Valuation of Environmental Effects
    • Q54 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Climate; Natural Disasters and their Management; Global Warming

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