Can We Price Carbon?
Barry G. Rabe
Abstract
Economists have argued for decades that the best way to address climate change is by placing a price on the carbon content of fossil fuels. But governments in North America and beyond have struggled mightily in trying to surmount political hurdles and translate this compelling idea into policy that can be adopted and operated efficiently. This book examines the past two decades of political experience in trying to launch carbon taxes or cap-and-trade systems, placing primary focus on the United States and Canada but also considering efforts from Europe and Asia. It considers the many political ... More
Economists have argued for decades that the best way to address climate change is by placing a price on the carbon content of fossil fuels. But governments in North America and beyond have struggled mightily in trying to surmount political hurdles and translate this compelling idea into policy that can be adopted and operated efficiently. This book examines the past two decades of political experience in trying to launch carbon taxes or cap-and-trade systems, placing primary focus on the United States and Canada but also considering efforts from Europe and Asia. It considers the many political and management obstacles that have undermined carbon pricing adoption and implementation to date but also examines exceptional cases that demonstrate political feasibility and durability. The book also examines other forms of carbon pricing that place some price on carbon but do so with broader and more enduring bases of political support.
Keywords:
carbon,
pricing,
tax,
excise,
cap-and-trade,
climate,
energy,
environment,
policy,
regulation
Bibliographic Information
Print publication date: 2018 |
Print ISBN-13: 9780262037952 |
Published to MIT Press Scholarship Online: September 2019 |
DOI:10.7551/mitpress/9780262037952.001.0001 |