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The Carbon Bubble: Climate Policy in a Fire-sale Model of Deleveraging

Author

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  • Alessandro Spiganti

    (University of Edinburgh)

  • David Comerford

    (University of Strathclyde)

Abstract

Committed and credible implementation of climate change policy, consistent with the usual 2C limit, is thought to require large fossil fuel asset write-offs. This issue, termed the Carbon Bubble, is usually presented as having implications for investors but, for the first time, this paper discusses its implications for macroeconomic policy and for climate policy itself. We embed the Carbon Bubble in a macroeconomic model exhibiting a financial accelerator: if investors are leveraged, the Carbon Bubble may precipitate a fire-sale as investors rush for the exits, and generate a large and persistent fall in output and investment. We investigate policy responses which can accompany the writing-off of fossil fuel assets, like debt transfers, investment subsidies, government guarantees, or even deception about the true scale of the required write-off of fossil fuel assets. We find a role for policy in mitigating the Carbon Bubble.

Suggested Citation

  • Alessandro Spiganti & David Comerford, 2017. "The Carbon Bubble: Climate Policy in a Fire-sale Model of Deleveraging," 2017 Meeting Papers 734, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    • Handle: RePEc:red:sed017:734
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Diluiso, Francesca & Annicchiarico, Barbara & Kalkuhl, Matthias & Minx, Jan C., 2021. "Climate actions and macro-financial stability: The role of central banks," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    3. Huang, Bihong & Punzi, Maria Teresa & Wu, Yu, 2021. "Do banks price environmental transition risks? Evidence from a quasi-natural experiment in China," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    4. Huang, Bihong & Punzi, Maria Teresa & Wu, Yu, 2022. "Environmental regulation and financial stability: Evidence from Chinese manufacturing firms," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 136(C).
    5. Francesca Diluiso & Barbara Annicchiarico & Matthias Kalkuhl & Jan C. Minx, 2020. "Climate Actions and Stranded Assets: The Role of Financial Regulation and Monetary Policy," CESifo Working Paper Series 8486, CESifo.
    6. Etienne Espagne, 2018. "Money, Finance and Climate: The Elusive Quest for a Truly Integrated Assessment Model," Comparative Economic Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Association for Comparative Economic Studies, vol. 60(1), pages 131-143, March.
    7. Huang, Bihong & Punzi, Maria Teresa & Wu, Yu, 2019. "Do Banks Price Environmental Risk? Evidence from a Quasi Natural Experiment in the People’s Republic of China," ADBI Working Papers 974, Asian Development Bank Institute.

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