@article{SinghalPahleKalkuhletal.2021, author = {Singhal, Puja and Pahle, Michael and Kalkuhl, Matthias and Sommer, Stephan and Levesque, Antoine and Berneiser, Jessica}, title = {Beyond good faith}, series = {SSRN eLibrary / Social Science Research Network}, journal = {SSRN eLibrary / Social Science Research Network}, publisher = {SSRN - Elsevier}, address = {Rochester, NY}, issn = {1556-5068}, doi = {10.2139/ssrn.3947800}, pages = {29}, year = {2021}, abstract = {The ambitious climate targets set by industrialized nations worldwide cannot be met without decarbonizing the building stock. Using Germany as a case study, this paper takes stock of the extensive set of energy efficiency policies that are already in place and clarifies that they have been designed "in good faith" but lack in overall effectiveness as well as cost-efficiency in achieving these climate targets. We map out the market failures and behavioural considerations that are potential reasons for why realized energy savings fall below expectations and why the household adoption of energy-efficient and low-carbon technologies has remained low. We highlight the pressing need for data and modern empirical research to develop targeted and cost-effective policies seeking to correct these market failures. To this end, we identify some key research questions and identify gaps in the data required for evidence-based policy.}, language = {en} } @article{EdenhoferKalkuhlRoolfs2021, author = {Edenhofer, Ottmar and Kalkuhl, Matthias and Roolfs, Christina}, title = {Carbon pricing and revenue recycling}, series = {CESifo forum}, volume = {22}, journal = {CESifo forum}, number = {5}, publisher = {Ifo}, address = {Munich}, issn = {2190-717X}, pages = {10 -- 14}, year = {2021}, language = {en} } @article{DiluisoAnnicchiaricoKalkuhletal.2021, author = {Diluiso, Francesca and Annicchiarico, Barbara and Kalkuhl, Matthias and Minx, Jan Christoph}, title = {Climate actions and macro-financial stability}, series = {Journal of environmental economics and management}, volume = {110}, journal = {Journal of environmental economics and management}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam}, issn = {0095-0696}, doi = {10.1016/j.jeem.2021.102548}, pages = {22}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Limiting global warming to well below 2 degrees C may pose threats to macroeconomic and financial stability. In an estimated Euro Area New Keynesian model with financial frictions and climate policy, we study the possible perils of a low-carbon transition and evaluate the role of monetary policy and financial regulation. We show that, even for very ambitious climate targets, transition costs are moderate along a timely and gradual mitigation pathway. Inflation volatility strongly increases for disorderly climate policy, demanding a strong monetary response by central banks. In reaction to an adverse financial shock originating in the fossil sector, a green quantitative easing policy can provide an effective stimulus to the economy, but its stabilizing properties do not significantly differ from those of market neutral asset purchase programs. A financial regulation, encouraging the decarbonization of the banks' balance sheets via ad hoc capital requirements, can significantly reduce the severity of a financial crisis, but prolongs the recovery phase. Our results suggest that the involvement of central banks in climate actions must be carefully designed to be in compliance with their mandate and to avoid unintended trade-offs.}, language = {en} } @article{DiluisoWalkManychetal.2021, author = {Diluiso, Francesca and Walk, Paula and Manych, Niccolo and Cerutti, Nicola and Chipiga, Vladislav and Workman, Annabelle and Ayas, Ceren and Cui, Ryna Yiyun and Cui, Diyang and Song, Kaihui and Banisch, Lucy A. and Moretti, Nikolaj and Callaghan, Max W. and Clarke, Leon and Creutzig, Felix and Hilaire, Jerome and Jotzo, Frank and Kalkuhl, Matthias and Lamb, William F. and L{\"o}schel, Andreas and M{\"u}ller-Hansen, Finn and Nemet, Gregory F. and Oei, Pao-Yu and Sovacool, Benjamin K. and Steckel, Jan Christoph and Thomas, Sebastian and Wiseman, John and Minx, Jan C.}, title = {Coal transitions - part 1}, series = {Environmental research letters}, volume = {16}, journal = {Environmental research letters}, number = {11}, publisher = {Institute of Physics Publishing (IOP)}, address = {Bristol}, issn = {1748-9326}, doi = {10.1088/1748-9326/ac1b58}, pages = {40}, year = {2021}, abstract = {A rapid coal phase-out is needed to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement, but is hindered by serious challenges ranging from vested interests to the risks of social disruption. To understand how to organize a global coal phase-out, it is crucial to go beyond cost-effective climate mitigation scenarios and learn from the experience of previous coal transitions. Despite the relevance of the topic, evidence remains fragmented throughout different research fields, and not easily accessible. To address this gap, this paper provides a systematic map and comprehensive review of the literature on historical coal transitions. We use computer-assisted systematic mapping and review methods to chart and evaluate the available evidence on historical declines in coal production and consumption. We extracted a dataset of 278 case studies from 194 publications, covering coal transitions in 44 countries and ranging from the end of the 19th century until 2021. We find a relatively recent and rapidly expanding body of literature reflecting the growing importance of an early coal phase-out in scientific and political debates. Previous evidence has primarily focused on the United Kingdom, the United States, and Germany, while other countries that experienced large coal declines, like those in Eastern Europe, are strongly underrepresented. An increasing number of studies, mostly published in the last 5 years, has been focusing on China. Most of the countries successfully reducing coal dependency have undergone both demand-side and supply-side transitions. This supports the use of policy approaches targeting both demand and supply to achieve a complete coal phase-out. From a political economy perspective, our dataset highlights that most transitions are driven by rising production costs for coal, falling prices for alternative energies, or local environmental concerns, especially regarding air pollution. The main challenges for coal-dependent regions are structural change transformations, in particular for industry and labor. Rising unemployment is the most largely documented outcome in the sample. Policymakers at multiple levels are instrumental in facilitating coal transitions. They rely mainly on regulatory instruments to foster the transitions and compensation schemes or investment plans to deal with their transformative processes. Even though many models suggest that coal phase-outs are among the low-hanging fruits on the way to climate neutrality and meeting the international climate goals, our case studies analysis highlights the intricate political economy at work that needs to be addressed through well-designed and just policies.}, language = {en} } @article{KotzWenzStechemesseretal.2021, author = {Kotz, Maximilian and Wenz, Leonie and Stechemesser, Annika and Kalkuhl, Matthias and Levermann, Anders}, title = {Day-to-day temperature variability reduces economic growth}, series = {Nature climate change}, volume = {11}, journal = {Nature climate change}, number = {4}, publisher = {Nature Publishing Group}, address = {London}, issn = {1758-678X}, doi = {10.1038/s41558-020-00985-5}, pages = {319 -- 325}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Elevated annual average temperature has been found to impact macro-economic growth. However, various fundamental elements of the economy are affected by deviations of daily temperature from seasonal expectations which are not well reflected in annual averages. Here we show that increases in seasonally adjusted day-to-day temperature variability reduce macro-economic growth independent of and in addition to changes in annual average temperature. Combining observed day-to-day temperature variability with subnational economic data for 1,537 regions worldwide over 40 years in fixed-effects panel models, we find that an extra degree of variability results in a five percentage-point reduction in regional growth rates on average. The impact of day-to-day variability is modulated by seasonal temperature difference and income, resulting in highest vulnerability in low-latitude, low-income regions (12 percentage-point reduction). These findings illuminate a new, global-impact channel in the climate-economy relationship that demands a more comprehensive assessment in both climate and integrated assessment models.}, language = {en} } @techreport{HaenselFranksKalkuhletal.2021, type = {Working Paper}, author = {H{\"a}nsel, Martin C. and Franks, Max and Kalkuhl, Matthias and Edenhofer, Ottmar}, title = {Optimal carbon taxation and horizontal equity}, series = {CEPA Discussion Papers}, journal = {CEPA Discussion Papers}, number = {28}, issn = {2628-653X}, doi = {10.25932/publishup-49812}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-498128}, pages = {51}, year = {2021}, abstract = {We develop a model of optimal carbon taxation and redistribution taking into account horizontal equity concerns by considering heterogeneous energy efficiencies. By deriving first- and second-best rules for policy instruments including carbon taxes, transfers and energy subsidies, we then investigate analytically how horizontal equity is considered in the social welfare maximizing tax structure. We calibrate the model to German household data and a 30 percent emission reduction goal. Our results show that energy-intensive households should receive more redistributive resources than energy-efficient households if and only if social inequality aversion is sufficiently high. We further find that redistribution of carbon tax revenue via household-specific transfers is the first-best policy. Equal per-capita transfers do not suffer from informational problems, but increase mitigation costs by around 15 percent compared to the first- best for unity inequality aversion. Adding renewable energy subsidies or non-linear energy subsidies, reduces mitigation costs further without relying on observability of households' energy efficiency.}, language = {en} } @article{BaldeniusBernsteinKalkuhletal.2021, author = {Baldenius, Till and Bernstein, Tobias and Kalkuhl, Matthias and von Kleist-Retzow, Maximilian and Koch, Nicolas}, title = {Ordnungsrecht oder Preisinstrumente?}, series = {Ifo-Schnelldienst}, volume = {74}, journal = {Ifo-Schnelldienst}, number = {6}, publisher = {Institut f{\"u}r Wirtschaftsforschung}, address = {M{\"u}nchen}, issn = {0018-974X}, pages = {6 -- 10}, year = {2021}, language = {de} } @article{EdenhoferFranksKalkuhl2021, author = {Edenhofer, Ottmar and Franks, Max and Kalkuhl, Matthias}, title = {Pigou in the 21st century}, series = {International tax and public finance}, volume = {28}, journal = {International tax and public finance}, number = {5}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {Dordrecht}, issn = {0927-5940}, doi = {10.1007/s10797-020-09653-y}, pages = {1090 -- 1121}, year = {2021}, abstract = {The year 2020 marks the centennial of the publication of Arthur Cecil Pigou's magnum opus The Economics of Welfare. Pigou's pricing principles have had an enduring influence on the academic debate, with a widespread consensus having emerged among economists that Pigouvian taxes or subsidies are theoretically desirable, but politically infeasible. In this article, we revisit Pigou's contribution and argue that this consensus is somewhat spurious, particularly in two ways: (1) Economists are too quick to ignore the theoretical problems and subtleties that Pigouvian pricing still faces; (2) The wholesale skepticism concerning the political viability of Pigouvian pricing is at odds with its recent practical achievements. These two points are made by, first, outlining the theoretical and political challenges that include uncertainty about the social cost of carbon, the unclear relationship between the cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness approaches, distributional concerns, fragmented ministerial responsibilities, an unstable tax base, commitment problems, lack of acceptance and trust between government and citizens as well as incomplete international cooperation. Secondly, we discuss the recent political success of Pigouvian pricing, as evidenced by the German government's 2019 climate policy reform and the EU's Green Deal. We conclude by presenting a research agenda for addressing the remaining barriers that need to be overcome to make Pigouvian pricing a common political practice.}, language = {en} }