Impacts of an EC carbon/energy tax and deregulating thermal power supply on CO2, SO2 and NOx emissions

Emission of CO₂, SO₂ and NO_x are all closely linked to the burning of fossil fuels. Here we report on simulations done by linking a Sectoral European Energy Model (SEEM), covering energy demand in nine Western European countries, with the emission-transport-deposition model RAINS developed by IIASA. The study analyses emissions of CO₂, SO₂ and NO_x, deposition of sulphur and nitrogen and the extent of areas where the critical load for sulphur is exceeded in year 2000 under four different energy scenarios. Two different sets of future behavioural patterns for the thermal electric power production sector are considered. In one regime, called the plan-efficient regime, the sector is assumed to follow official plans with regard to investment in new capacity. In the other regime, called the cost-efficient regime, the thermal power sector is assumed to behave in a cost minimizing manner. The effects of the proposed EC carbon/energy tax are studied under both regimes, giving rise to altogether four scenarios.In both regimes the effect of the EC tax is to reduce emissions by between 6 and 10 per cent in year 2000 relative to the scenarios without the tax. A change of regime, from the regulated, plan-efficient regime to the market-based, cost-efficient regime, will, by itself, reduce emissions of CO₂ and NO_x by approximately 3 per cent, while SO₂ emissions are reduced by 13 per cent. The EC tax will reduce sulphur deposition by more than 5 per cent in the nine model countries under the plan-efficient regime. A change of regime further reduces the total deposition by 9 per cent. The area where depositions exceed the critical load is reduced by approximately 6 per cent in year 2000 by the tax in both regimes. Changing from the plan-efficient to the cost-efficient regime has a similar impact.Although the emission reductions due to the EC tax may seem modest, they are shown to have a sizeable effect on the technological abatement costs of reaching targets like those prescribed in the Sofia protocol on the stabilisation of NO_x emissions, and the Helsinki protocol on SO₂ emission reductions. This is part of what can be considered to be secondary benefits of the EC carbon/energy tax.     

The Case of the Missing Pollution Haven Hypothesis

One particularly vexing puzzle for economists and policymakers over the past several decades concerns the empirical significance of the theoretically predicted pollution haven hypothesis. While neoclassical theory and conventional wisdom both surmise that local economies will suffer deleterious effects from stricter environmental regulations, empirical studies have largely failed to validate such claims. This study utilizes the method of matching to show that the impact of stricter regulation is heterogeneous spatially, varying systematically based on location-specific attributes. Previous studies that assume a homogenous response may therefore inadvertently mask the overall impact of more stringent regulations by pooling unaffected and affected regions.JEL Classification: Q25, Q28, H00, L51, R1The authors wish to thank to Michael Crew, Anthony Heyes, an anonymous referee, Werner Antweiler, Randy Becker, Wayne Gray, Shelby Gerking, Michael Greenstone, Vern Henderson, and Arik Levinson. Participants at various university seminars and conferences also lent useful insights to this line of research.     

Corrective Taxes under Oligopoly with Inter-Firm Externalities

Pollution externalities between polluters should be taken into account in the design of corrective taxes. When the externalities are substantial and/or the number of polluters is large, the effluent levies on these firms do not necessarily result in a deadweight loss. Consequently, the second-best tax exceeds the marginal social cost of pollution. A more general rule is that the tax rate should be greater than the marginal social cost of pollution if and only if a marginal increase in the tax rate results in opposite effects on the changes of equilibrium emission level and output.     

Dynamic modelling of pollution abatement in a CGE framework

This paper deals with the specification of pollution abatement in dynamic computable general equilibrium (CGE) models and analyses the dynamic feedback mechanisms between economy and abatement in the context of environmental policy. A Ramsey-type economic model is presented, in which bottom-up technical and economic information on abatement techniques is integrated in a top-down dynamic CGE context. The practical suitability of the specification is illustrated by an empirical application for climate change and acidification in the Netherlands. The results show that a mixture of some slowdown of economic growth, a substantial restructuring of the economy and implementation of most technical abatement measures is optimal.     

论我国资产证券化的风险防范

资产证券化存在着许多风险，尤其在我国，由于缺乏相关的法律法规、市场环境及中介机构，资产证券化的运行会蕴涵着更大的风险。必须充分认识这些风险并采取相应的措施，才能降低我国资产证券化的运行风险，促使我国资产证券化顺利进行。     

银行最优资本结构问题分析

本文在一个两时期模型中分别分析了无资本监管和实行资本监管时银行最优资本结构的选择。在这两种情况下,银行都可以选择一个最优资本结构以实现其价值最大化。在无资本监管时,当边际收益等于边际成本时,银行的资本结构达到最优;在实行资本监管的情况下,银行的最优资本数量是无监管时的最优资本数量再加上一个缓冲资本。     

油气企业环境会计的研究与探讨

在国民经济中占有主导地位的油气企业同时也是造成环境污染的主体之一,建立油气企业环境会计制度有着极其重要的现实意义。本文针对油气企业环境会计应用现状,运用环境会计基本理论,对企业环境会计核算方法及其信息披露模式进行了探讨,以期为油气企业环境会计实践提供理论依据和具体方法,推动油气企业环境会计建设的进程。     

中部崛起与税收关系研究

中部崛起是我国现阶段经济发展的重点,为了实现其目标,必须对中部实行税收优惠政策。但是现行的税收政策对中部崛起具有诸多不利影响,表现在生产型增值税、所得税及资源税等。本文认为,为了全国经济的平衡发展,应对中部应实行消费型增值税,完善中部的资源税,对所得税实行优惠。     

基于交易或事项分类设计所得税会计债务法分析

本文从影响所得即净资产变动(基于经济收益观)的交易或事项出发,分析了时间性差异与暂时性差异的成因,探索利润表债务法与资产负债表债务法的设计思路。在此基础上,提出易于与税法衔接简化的资产负债表债务法——发生额资产负债表债务法。     

森林与环境保护

森林在环境保护中的不可替代的作用与国家对林业政策支持之间尚有一定距离，需要国家采取扶持保护政策。