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Asia and Pacific > India

You are looking at 1 - 10 of 57 items for :

  • Type: Journal Issue x
  • Taxation and Subsidies: Externalities; Redistributive Effects; Environmental Taxes and Subsidies x
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Cover Staff Climate Notes
Sleepwalking to the Cliff Edge? A Wake-up Call for Global Climate Action
Simon Black
,
Ian W.H. Parry
, and
Karlygash Zhunussova
Urgent action to cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is needed now. Early next year, all countries will set new emissions targets for 2035 while revising their 2030 targets. Global GHGs must be cut by 25 and 50 percent below 2019 levels by 2030 to limit global warming to 2°C and 1.5°C respectively. But current targets would only cut emissions by 12 percent, meaning global ambition needs to be doubled to quadrupled. Further delay will lead to an ‘emissions cliff edge’, implying implausible cuts in GHGs and putting put 1.5°C beyond reach. This Note provides IMF staff’s annual assessment of global climate mitigation policy. It illustrates options for equitably aligning country targets with the Paris Agreement’s temperature goals. It also provides guidance on modelling needed to set emissions targets and quantify climate mitigation policy impacts.
Keywords:
Paris Agreement; climate mitigation; carbon pricing; climate finance; climate investment; IMF staff Climate note; part of the International Monetary Fund; IMF staff Climate; IMF analysis; IMF staff Climate Note 2024/006; cliff edge; Greenhouse gas emissions; Climate change; Global
Cover IMF Working Papers
Climate Policies and External Adjustment
Rudolfs Bems
,
Luciana Juvenal
,
Weifeng Liu
, and
Warwick J. McKibbin
This paper assesses the economic effects of climate policies on different regions and countries with a focus on external adjustment. The paper finds that various climate policies could have substantially different impacts on external balances over the next decade. A credible and globally coordinated carbon tax would decrease current account balances in greener advanced economies and increase current accounts in more fossil-fuel-dependent regions, reflecting a disproportionate decline in investment for the latter group. Green supply-side policies—green subsidy and infrastructure investment—would increase investment and saving but would have a more muted external sector impact because of the constrained pace of expansion for renewables or the symmetry of the infrastructure boost. Country characteristics, such as initial carbon intensity and net fossil fuel exports, ultimately determine the current account responses. For the global economy, a coordinated climate change mitigation policy package would shift capital towards advanced economies. Following an initial rise, the global interest rates would fall over time with increases in the carbon tax. These external sector effects, however, depend crucially on the degree of international policy coordination and credibility.
Keywords:
Global climate policies; carbon tax; net-zero emissions; current account balances; international capital flows; dynamic general equilibrium modelling; G-Cubed; climate change mitigation policy package; current account response; IMF working paper 24/162; infrastructure investment; investment response; Current account; Greenhouse gas emissions; Productivity; Global; Europe
Cover IMF Working Papers
Policy Options for Climate Mitigation: Emissions Trading Schemes in Asia-Pacific
Margaux MacDonald
and
Ian W.H. Parry
Large reductions in global emissions are needed for the world to be on track to meet global temperature goals. Asia-Pacific countries have a critical role in emissions reduction given their large and rising share in global emissions. This paper discusses the main opportunities and behavioral responses for reducing emissions, and commonly used mitigation instruments. It then considers key design issues for carbon pricing, with a focus on emissions trading schemes (ETS), describes measures to overcome the obstacles to carbon pricing, and discusses experiences with carbon pricing relevant for Asia-Pacific economies. Lastly, the paper covers complementary policy reforms, including reinforcing mitigation instruments, public investment, fuel tax reform, green industrial policies, and supporting reforms to the energy sector. Carbon pricing, including ETSs can be the centerpiece of climate mitigation strategies for most countries, particularly if ETSs are designed to mimic some of the administrative and economic attractions of carbon taxes and implemented appropriately.
Keywords:
Emissions trading scheme; climate; Asia; mitigation instrument; climate mitigation strategy; mitigation opportunity; Asia-Pacific country; policy reform; transmission company; Carbon tax; Greenhouse gas emissions; Non-wage benefits; Asia and Pacific; Global
Cover IMF Working Papers
Fiscal Implications of Global Decarbonization
Simon Black
,
Ruud de Mooij
,
Vitor Gaspar
,
Ian W.H. Parry
, and
Karlygash Zhunussova
Internationally coordinated climate mitigation policies can effectively put the world on a path toward achieving the agreed Paris temperature goals. Such coordination could be initiated by large players, such as China, the US, India, the African Union, and the European Union. We find that the implications for fiscal revenues over time will be shaped by a combination of rising carbon prices, the gradual erosion of existing fuel tax bases, and possible revenue sharing arrangements. Public spending rises during the transition to build green public infrastructure, promote innovation, and support clean technology deployment. Countries will also need financing for compensating vulnerable households and industries, and to transfer funds to poor countries. With well-designed climate-fiscal policy relying on carbon pricing, global decarbonization will have anything from moderately positive to moderately negative impacts on fiscal balances in high-income countries. For middle and low-income countries, net fiscal impacts are generally positive and can be significant. Revenue sharing at the global level would make an historical contribution to breaching the financial divide between rich and poor countries.
Keywords:
Climate mitigation policy; Fiscal impact; Global coordination; Carbon pricing; climate policy assessment tool; decarbonization scenario; sectoral mitigation option; climate-fiscal policy; Greenhouse gas emissions; Climate policy; Carbon tax; Global; Europe
Cover IMF Working Papers
Mitigating Climate Change at the Firm Level: Mind the Laggards
Damien Capelle
,
Divya Kirti
,
Nicola Pierri
, and
German Villegas Bauer
Using self-reported data on emissions for a global sample of 4,000 large, listed firms, we document large heterogeneity in environmental performance within the same industry and country. Laggards—firms with high emissions relative to the scale of their operations—are larger, operate older physical capital stocks, are less knowledge intensive and productive, and adopt worse management practices. To rationalize these findings, we build a novel general equilibrium heterogeneous-firm model in which firms choose capital vintages and R&D expenditure and hence emissions. The model matches the full empirical distribution of firm-level heterogeneity among other moments. Our counter-factual analysis shows that this heterogeneity matters for assessing the macroeconomic costs of mitigation policies, the channels through which policies act, and their distributional effects. We also quantify the gains from technology transfers to EMDEs.
Keywords:
Climate Change; Productivity; Technology Adoption; Capital Vintages; Emissions; R&D expenditure; capital vintage; management practice; emission intensity; emission Intensity; Carbon tax; Greenhouse gas emissions; Consumption; Stocks; Global
Cover Staff Climate Notes
Is the Paris Agreement Working? A Stocktake of Global Climate Mitigation
Mr. Simon Black
,
Ian W.H. Parry
, and
Karlygash Zhunussova
Urgent and aggressive action to cut greenhouse gas emissions this decade is needed. As countries take stock of the Paris Agreement, this Note provides IMF staff’s annual assessment of global climate mitigation policy. Global ambition needs to be more than quadrupled: emissions cuts of 50 percent below 2019 levels by 2030 are needed for 1.5 degrees Celsius, but current targets would only achieve 11 percent. We provide options for ratcheting-up ambition equitably. Implementation could be accelerated via agreements on minimum carbon prices. Drastic increases in mitigation investment are needed, requiring policies to shift private sector incentives. Climate finance should be scaled-up, with a new goal aligned with needs in developing countries. The development and diffusion of low-carbon technologies should be accelerated collaboratively. Overall, the Paris Agreement is making progress, but a response to the Global Stocktake that prioritizes decisive action this decade is critical.
Keywords:
Paris Agreement; climate mitigation; carbon pricing; climate finance; low-carbon technology; climate investment; IMF staff climate note; IMF staff climate NOTE 2023/002; mitigation policy; Policy package; Greenhouse gas emissions; Climate change; Global
Cover IMF Working Papers
Inequality and Poverty in India: Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic and Policy Response
Ms. Elif C Arbatli Saxegaard
,
Mattia Coppo
,
Nasser Khalil
,
Shinya Kotera
, and
Ms. Filiz D Unsal
Using microdata from nationally representative household and labor force surveys, we study the impact and drivers of poverty and inequality in India during the pandemic. We have three main findings. First, India has made significant progress in reducing poverty in recent decades, but the economic downturn associated with the COVID-19 pandemic is estimated to have temporarily increased poverty and inequality. Second, education and employment status seem to be the main factors associated with poverty and income/consumption changes. Finally, the government’s expansion of food subsidies has likely played a significant role in mitigating the increase in poverty during the pandemic.
Keywords:
COVID-19; poverty; inequality; earnings; India; employment status; CPHS datum; poverty in India; consumption inequality; inequality in India; Annex II; Income; Income inequality; Consumption; Global; South Asia
Cover IMF Working Papers
Determinants and Social Dividends of Digital Adoption
Utkarsh Kumar
,
David Amaglobeli
, and
Mariano Moszoro
We identify key drivers of digital adoption, estimate fiscal costs to provide internet subsidies to households, and calculate social dividends from digital adoption. Using cross-country panel regressions and machine learning, we find that digital infrastructure coverage, internet price, and usability are the most statistically robust predictors of internet use in the short run. Based on estimates from a model of demand for internet, we find that demand is most price responsive in low-income developing countries and almost unresponsive in advanced economies. We estimate that moving low-income developing and emerging market economies to the levels of digital adoption in emerging and advanced economies, respectively, will require annual targeted subsidies of 1.8 and 0.05 percent of GDP, respectively. To aid with subsidy targeting, we use microdata from over 150 countries and document a digital divide by gender, socio-economic status, and demographics. Finally, we find substantial aggregate and distributional gains from digital adoption for education quality, time spent doing unpaid work, and labor force participation by gender.
Keywords:
Social Dividends; Digitalization; GovTech; Internet use; internet price; Internet adoption; Internet coverage; internet use; Labor force participation; Income; Women; Purchasing power parity; Sub-Saharan Africa
Cover IMF Working Papers
Climate Policy Options: A Comparison of Economic Performance
Jean Chateau
,
Ms. Florence Jaumotte
, and
Gregor Schwerhoff
We use a global computable general equilibrium model to compare the economic performance of alternative climate policies along multiple dimensions, including macroeconomic outcomes, energy prices, and trade competitiveness. Carbon pricing which keeps the aggregate cost lower and preserves better the overall competitiveness than across-the-board regulation is the first-best policy, especially in energy intensive and trade exposed industries. Regulations and feebates are good alternatives in the power sector, where technological substitution is possible. Feed-in subsidies, if used alone, are not cost effective.
Keywords:
Climate policy; policy coordination; carbon leakage; carbon tax; regulation.; climate policy option; Policy stringency; EITE sectors scenario; ambition level; Policy instrument; Greenhouse gas emissions; Non-renewable resources; Global
Cover IMF Working Papers
The Distributional Impact of a Carbon Tax in Asia and the Pacific
Cristian Alonso
and
Mr. Joey Kilpatrick
While a carbon tax is widely acknowledged as an efficient policy to mitigate climate change, adoption has lagged. Part of the challenge resides in the distributional implications of a carbon tax and a belief that it tends to be regressive. Even when not regressive, poor households could be hurt by a carbon tax, particularly in countries that rely heavily on carbon-intensive energy sources. Using household surveys, we study how a carbon tax may affect households in the Asia Pacific region, the main source of CO2 emissions. We document a wide range of country-specific policies that could be implemented to compensate households, reduce inequality, and build support for adoption.
Keywords:
Carbon pricing; Climate change; Compensation; Distributional effects; Inequality; means testing; Labor income; fiscal revenue; price of energy goods; carbon tax revenue; special administrative region; carbon pricing assessment tool; Carbon tax; Income; Household consumption; Consumption; Income inequality; Asia and Pacific; Global