The European Carbon Tax: An Economic Assessment

The possible introduction of a carbon tax in Europe is an issue which has attracted the attention of numerous economists and policymakers. The problems under debate concern the effects of the tax at different levels: what costs, in terms of GDP growth, will be paid by each European country? Will the effects on income distribution be larger than those on income level? Should the carbon tax be coordinated among the European countries or would it be better to impose a uniform tax rate on carbon emissions? Can Europe introduce the tax unilaterally or should this be done jointly, with the other industrialised countries? This book provides answers to such questions. It analyses the effects of the European carbon tax on both a domestic and at an international level.

Inhalt

1: Introduction; C. Carraro, D. Siniscalco. 2: General Issues and Evidence. 2.1. Global Effects of the European Carbon Tax; G. Nicoletti, J. Oliveira-Martins. 2.2. Distributional Effects of a European Carbon Tax; S. Smith. 2.3. Carbon Taxes and Energy Markets; A. Ingham, A. Ulph, D. Ulph. 3: Country Studies. 3.1. Carbon Taxation in Germany: Approaches and Prospective Effects; H. Welsch. 3.2. The Use of Economic Models for Analysing Environmental Problems: the Case of the Greenhouse Effect for France; E. Beaumais, P. Zagamé. 3.3. The EC Carbon Tax and Energy Demand in the United Kingdom; D. Hodgson. 3.4. The Welfare Effect of a Carbon Tax for China; R. Clarke. 3.5. Environmental and Economic Effects of the European Tax: the Italian Case; A. Lanza, G. Sammarco. 3.6. Airborne Toxic (`Big 5') and GHG (CO2) Emissions: Italy 1991--1995; P.L. Fano. 4: The Policy Debate. 4.1. Stabilizing CO2 Emissions in Europe: Individual Stabilization versus Harmonization of Carbon Taxes; M. Hoel. 4.2. The Carbon Tax: Economic and Policy Issues; T. Barker. 4.3. Is the European Carbon Tax Really Effective? M. Botteon, C. Carraro.