Zhang Kanghui, Lu Long
School of Information Management, Wuhan University, 16 Luojiashan Street, Wuchang District, Wuhan, 430064, China.
Center for Healthcare Big Data Research, The Big Data Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430064, China.
Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2023 May;30(21):60240-60253. doi: 10.1007/s11356-023-26732-9. Epub 2023 Apr 5.
The carbon tax is a policy tool that internalizes external costs through a tax mechanism, which helps to reduce the consumption of fossil energy and lower carbon dioxide emissions. China, as the largest carbon emitter, introducing a carbon tax can further enhance the effectiveness of emission reduction. However, the introduction of a carbon tax may exacerbate contradictions in other aspects of the social system. To this end, the paper establishes a dynamic model of the carbon tax system by combining grey system theory and the IPAT model and then explores the coupling effect of the carbon tax on the economy, energy, and environment under the premise of China's resource endowment. It is found that carbon tax will not only distort consumer behavior but also aggravate the degree of capital market distortion. In the time-series simulation, it is found that the emission reduction efficiency of the carbon tax will show an oscillation decline. The carbon tax undermines the carbon peak target by dampening demand for energy consumption. In addition, we also find that the change of energy structure is the root of driving the failure of the "Jevons Paradox" and the realization of the "environmental Kuznets curve," and the panel data of energy and economy are only the manifestation of these two phenomena. China needs to adjust its energy structure to achieve its carbon peaking target. These results are helpful for policymakers to rationally view the carbon peaking target and formulate reasonable emission reduction policies.
碳税是一种通过税收机制将外部成本内部化的政策工具,有助于减少化石能源消费并降低二氧化碳排放。中国作为最大的碳排放国,引入碳税可进一步提高减排成效。然而,引入碳税可能会加剧社会系统其他方面的矛盾。为此,本文结合灰色系统理论和IPAT模型建立了碳税系统动态模型,进而在中国资源禀赋前提下探究碳税对经济、能源和环境的耦合效应。研究发现,碳税不仅会扭曲消费者行为,还会加剧资本市场扭曲程度。在时间序列模拟中发现,碳税的减排效率将呈振荡下降。碳税通过抑制能源消费需求破坏了碳达峰目标。此外,我们还发现能源结构变化是推动“杰文斯悖论”失效和“环境库兹涅茨曲线”实现的根源,能源与经济的面板数据只是这两种现象的表现形式。中国需要调整其能源结构以实现碳达峰目标。这些结果有助于政策制定者理性看待碳达峰目标并制定合理的减排政策。