Eric Boehm on Reason explains how adding more tariffs won’t solve climate change or end pollution.
- A tariff on goods from high carbon-emitting countries would drive up costs on consumers, while providing very few environmental benefits.
- Free trade benefits consumers and the environment by accelerating the deployment of clean technologies amongst different nations.
- Rather than increasing regulations, policymakers should look to free markets to lower greenhouse gas emissions.
“The carbon border tax or polluter import fee can therefore be understood as an attempt to solve that problem—and to universalize whatever carbon policies developed nations might impose in coming decades. But it runs up against a serious practical problem. Taxing one’s own citizens is a poor way of getting other nations to change their behavior.”
Read the full article here.
The views and opinions expressed are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of C3.
