Carbon Tax and Greenhouse Gas Control: Options and Considerations for Congress

Ramseur, Jonathan L. ; Parker, Larry

Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service.

关键词: Air pollution;    Carbon taxes;    Pollution taxes;   

RP-ID  :  R40242
RP-ID  :  R40242_2009Mar10

美国|英语

来源: UNT Digital Library

【 摘 要 】

This report begins with an overview of the fundamental choices involved between a cost (tax) and a quantity (cap) control instrument. This includes a discussion of policy tools that could be employed to bridge the gap between a carbon tax and a cap-and-trade program. Following this overview, the report analyzes the potential advantages and disadvantages of a carbon tax. In many cases, carbon tax attributes are compared with those of a cap-and-trade program. The next section discusses implementation issues for a carbon tax, including where to apply the tax, at what level to set the tax, and options for distributing the tax revenues. The final section provides conclusions.