Energy Demand and Trade in General Equilibrium

This paper sheds light on the impact of alternative environmental policies on energy demand, global $${ CO}_2$$ C O 2 emissions, trade, and welfare. For this, we develop an Eaton-Kortum type general equilibrium model of international trade which includes an energy sector. We structurally estimate the key parameters of the model and calibrate it to the data on 31 OECD countries and the rest of the world in the year 2000. The model helps assessing the relative welfare effects under alternative environmental policies. We find that, when carbon spillover effects are absent, taxing energy resources as an input in energy production is preferable to taxing domestic energy production in terms of minimizing $${ CO}_2$$ C O 2 emissions. However, with negative externalities on foreign customers domestic energy output should be taxed to minimize world carbon emissions given a certain level of welfare change for all countries

Energy Reform in Switzerland: A Quantification of Carbon Taxation and Nuclear Energy Substitution Effects

We develop a general equilibrium model of trade with multiple countries and industries in the spirit of Eaton and Kortum (2002) and Bernard, Eaton, Jensen, and Kortum (2003). We structurally estimate the parameters of the model and calibrate it to data on 33 OECD countries and one country that covers the rest of the world. Industries differ by their relative energy intensity and the level of pollution. Accordingly, the implementation of policy instruments to reduce pollution at the country level induces heterogeneous effects across industries within and across countries. We utilize the model to compare alternative environmental tax instruments and to evaluate their consequences for the level of carbon emissions, welfare costs, industry-specific prices and demand in various policy scenarios. Among the latter, we particularly distinguish between policies that are implemented in isolation (by single countries) or en bloc (in groups of countries or even world wide). This study pays specific attention to the implementation of various energy policies, in particular, in Switzerland. Beyond implementation of the Copenhagen Accord pledges, the study quantifies an implementation of extra taxes on carbon emissions at the amount of 1,140 Swiss Francs per ton of carbon and the substitution of nuclear energy production

Energy Demand and Trade in General Equilibrium

This paper sheds light on the impact of alternative environmental policies on energy demand, global 2 emissions, trade, and welfare. For this, we develop an Eaton–Kortum type general equilibrium model of international trade which includes an energy sector. We structurally estimate the key parameters of the model and calibrate it to the data on 31 OECD countries and the rest of the world in the year 2000. The model helps assessing the relative welfare effects under alternative environmental policies. We find that, when carbon spillover effects are absent, taxing energy resources as an input in energy production is preferable to taxing domestic energy production in terms of minimizing 2 emissions. However, with negative externalities on foreign customers domestic energy output should be taxed to minimize world carbon emissions given a certain level of welfare change for all countries.ISSN:0924-6460ISSN:1573-150

Energy Demand and Trade in General Equilibrium: An Eaton-Kortum-type Structural Model and Counterfactual Analysis

This paper sheds light on the role of the impact of taxes on energy production versus tariffs on imported goods for trade, energy demand, and welfare. For this, we develop a structural Eaton-Kortum type general equilibrium model of international trade which includes an energy sector. We estimate the key parameters of that model and calibrate it to domestic prices and production using data for 34 OECD countries and the rest of the world in the average year between 2000 and 2005. The model helps understanding the interplay between country-specific energy productivity, energy demand, and trade. The energy sector turns out to be an important determinant of the size of welfare gains from trade liberalization. We find that general import tariffs can be an effective instrument to reduce energy demand. For small open economies, taxing imports as an indirect instrument may be even preferable to taxing energy as a direct instrument from a welfare perspective, if countries pursue the goal of reducing energy demand to a specific extent. This is not the case for large countries such as the United States.Calibrated general equilibrium analysis; Energy demand; International trade; Structural model estimation

The Taxing Deed of Globalization

ISSN:0002-828