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Climate Policy without Commitment

Author

Listed:
  • Golombek, Rolf

    (The Frisch Center for Economic Research)

  • Greaker, Mads

    (Statistics Norway)

  • Hoel, Michael

    (Dept. of Economics, University of Oslo)

Abstract

Climate mitigation policy should be imposed over a long period, and spur development of new technologies in order to make stabilization of green house gas concentrations economically feasible. The government may announce current and future policy packages that stimulate current R&D in climate-friendly technologies. However, once climate-friendly technologies have been developed, the government may have no incentive to implement the pre-announced future policies, that is, there may be a time inconsistency problem. We show that if the government can optimally subsidize R&D today, there is no time inconsistency problem. Thus, lack of commitment is not an argument for higher current R&D subsidies. If the o¤ered R&D subsidy is lower than the optimal subsidy, the current (sub-game perfect) climate tax should exceed the …rst-best climate tax.

Suggested Citation

  • Golombek, Rolf & Greaker, Mads & Hoel, Michael, 2010. "Climate Policy without Commitment," Memorandum 02/2010, Oslo University, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:hhs:osloec:2010_002
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Lambertini, Luca & Poyago-Theotoky, Joanna & Tampieri, Alessandro, 2017. "Cournot competition and “green” innovation: An inverted-U relationship," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 116-123.
    2. Michielsen, Thomas O., 2014. "Brown backstops versus the green paradox," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 68(1), pages 87-110.
    3. Jorge Fernandez & Sebastian Miller, 2011. "When Should Developing Countries Announce Their Climate Policy?," Research Department Publications 4755, Inter-American Development Bank, Research Department.
    4. Lambertini, Luca & Pignataro, Giuseppe & Tampieri, Alessandro, 2020. "The effects of environmental quality misperception on investments and regulation," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 225(C).
    5. Alistair Ulph & David Ulph, 2013. "Optimal Climate Change Policies When Governments Cannot Commit," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 56(2), pages 161-176, October.
    6. Alistair Ulph & David Ulph, 2011. "Optimal Climate Change Policies When Governments Cannot Commit," Discussion Paper Series, School of Economics and Finance 201104, School of Economics and Finance, University of St Andrews.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Time consistency; carbon tax; climate policy; R&D; endogenous technological change;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H21 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Efficiency; Optimal Taxation
    • O30 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - General
    • Q28 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Renewable Resources and Conservation - - - Government Policy
    • Q42 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - Alternative Energy Sources

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