The heterogeneous effects of carbon pricing: macro and micro evidence

Staff working papers set out research in progress by our staff, with the aim of encouraging comments and debate.
Published on 12 July 2024

Staff Working Paper No. 1,076

By Brendan Berthold, Ambrogio Cesa-Bianchi, Federico Di Pace and Alex Haberis

This paper investigates the economic effects of carbon pricing policies using a panel of countries that are members of the EU Emissions Trading System. Carbon pricing shocks lead, on average across countries, to a decline in economic activity, higher inflation, and tighter financial conditions. These average responses mask a large degree of heterogeneity: the effects are larger for higher carbon-emitting countries. To sharpen identification, we exploit granular firm-level data and document that firms with higher carbon emissions are the most responsive to carbon pricing shocks. We develop a theoretical model with green and brown firms that accounts for these empirical patterns and sheds light on the transmission mechanisms at play.

The heterogeneous effects of carbon pricing: macro and micro evidence