Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/191474 
Year of Publication: 
2015
Series/Report no.: 
IRENE Working Paper No. 15-03
Publisher: 
University of Neuchâtel, Institute of Economic Research (IRENE), Neuchâtel
Abstract: 
This paper investigates how greenhouse gas (GHG) policy stringency affects anthropogenic CO2 emissions using a new GHG policy stringency indicator and a structural spatial VAR approach. We estimate an average country-specific elasticity of CO2 emissions to GHG policy stringency, and assess the role of channels over which policy stringency affects CO2 emissions. We then ascertain how GHG policy stringency affects sectoral CO2 efficiency and the sectoral composition of economies. Results indicate that a country with no GHG regulations can achieve a 15% reduction of its CO2 emissions by adopting the stringency level of the most regulated country. In addition, increasing GHG policy stringency improves sectoral CO2 efficiency, and decreases production in CO2 intensive sectors thereby altering the sectoral composition. At last, policy induced CO2 reduction costs in terms of GDP are relatively large, but 4 times lower for developing compared to developed countries.
Subjects: 
CO2
composition effect
environmental policy stringency
greenhouse gas emissions
impluse reponse functions
spatial VAR
technique effect
JEL: 
O13
Q53
Q54
Q58
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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