Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/325066 
Year of Publication: 
2025
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 18008
Publisher: 
Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), Bonn
Abstract: 
This paper documents the evolution of US carbon emissions and discusses the main factors that contributed to the historical carbon emissions rollercoaster. We divide the discussion into four periods – up to 1920, 1920-1960, 1960-2005 and after 2005. For each period, we discuss the main drivers of national carbon emissions. We then discuss trends in carbon emissions in the electricity sector. Electricity sector emissions were initially very small, but would become the largest source of US carbon emissions over the period 1980-2015, and the largest contributor to decarbonization since 2007. In the final section, we distill lessons from the U.S. experience that may inform decarbonization strategies in developing economies.
Subjects: 
environmental regulation
electricity sector
energy transition
decarbonization
carbon emissions
clean air act
climate policy
JEL: 
N72
Q31
Q48
Q54
Document Type: 
Working Paper

Files in This Item:
File
Size
585.89 kB





Items in EconStor are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.