Carbon pricing
Time to Unleash the Carbon Market? Meredith Fowlie; Berkeley HAAS; 20 Jun 2016
- preference for using prescriptive policies rather than market mechanisms to coordinate abatement helps explain why carbon prices are so low
A Key Moment for California Climate Policy Robert Stavins; blog; 20 Sep 2016
- With China now the largest emitter in the world, and India and other large developing countries not very far behind, California policies that achieve emission reductions through excessively costly means will fail to encourage other countries to follow, or even recognize, California’s leadership. On the other hand, by increasing reliance on its progressive market-based system, California can succeed at home and be influential around the world.
Why Climate Skeptics Should Support a Carbon Tax Greg Ip; Wall St Journal; 3 Oct 2016 (Part paywalled)
- four reasons a carbon tax is a good idea even if you're unconvinced by the scientific consensus on climate change
Canada
McKenna touts "amazing" progress on climate after three ministers leave meeting Elizabeth McSheffrey, Mike De Souza; National Observer; 3 Oct 2016
- Canadian Environment and Climate Change Minister Catherine McKenna praised her provincial colleagues for making "amazing" progress on discussions to tackle global warming on Monday, after her government's proposal to make polluters pay drove a few of them out of the room. According to the new federal policy, all Canadian jurisdictions must adopt a carbon pricing scheme by 2018 with a minimum price of $10 per tonne. The price must rise to reach $50 per tonne by 2022.
Justin Trudeau gives provinces until 2018 to adopt carbon price plan Kathleen Harris; CBC News; 3 Oct 2016
- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took provinces by surprise Monday by announcing they have until 2018 to adopt a carbon pricing scheme, or the federal government will step in and impose a price for them.
Canada set to introduce carbon tax Anmar Frangoul; CNBC.com; 4 Oct 2016
- Trudeau said that the proposed price on carbon pollution would start at 10 Canadian dollars ($7.60) per tonne in 2018, rising by 10 Canadian dollars each year, and hitting 50 Canadian dollars per tonne by 2022.
Carbon price vs. regulations: The better choice is clear DON DRUMMOND, NANCY OLEWILER, CHRISTOPHER RAGAN; Globe and Mail; 5 Oct 2016
- To begin, we agree that climate change is a serious issue and that reducing greenhouse gas emissions is a sensible objective of public policy.
- Second, we agree that the lowest-cost approach for reducing emissions is with carbon pricing. Either economy-wide carbon taxes or cap-and-trade systems reduce GHG emissions at a lower overall economic cost than “command-and-control” government regulations.
- Third, we agree that carbon prices cannot do it all; there is a case for “complementary” regulations. The emissions from some economic sectors are difficult to incorporate into a carbon price, and some existing market features weaken the effect of carbon pricing.
- On a related point, we also agree that some regulations are bad and should not be used: In particular, inflexible regulations that dictate specific technologies or methods for reducing emissions constrain private choice and increase costs.
- Finally, we agree that in order to drive the kinds of emissions cuts deemed necessary over the next half-century, carbon prices will need to rise significantly, likely to $100 a tonne and even higher.
Five myths about Canada’s carbon pricing plan Simon Donner; Maribo blog; 6 Oct 2016
- Here are some of the common myths – and the reality:
US
Washington State
Open Letter on I-732 from Climate Scientists Scientists for I732; 9 Oct 2016
Environmentalists’ Disdain for Washington’s Carbon Tax Shi-Ling Hsu; Slate; 20 Oct 2016
- The first such law in the nation is being hampered by idealists. Instead, they should band together and make history.