Border Adjustments
Border adjustments, also known as border tax adjustments or border carbon adjustments, are taxes on imports and rebates on exports that account for variance in carbon pricing policies across different countries. RFF scholars are studying the design of border adjustments, their implementation costs, and their impacts on public policy questions, including their impact on possible leakage of economic activities away from countries with carbon pricing policies.
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Working Paper — Sep 27, 2022
The Greenhouse Gas Index for Products in 39 Industrial Sectors
The Greenhouse Gas Index for Products in 39 Industrial Sectors
RFF Live — Sep 22, 2022
The Global Climate Policy Partnership: Decarbonizing Global Manufacturing
At the launch event of the Global Climate Policy Partnership, experts from around the world delve into a crucial component of the climate challenge—the manufacturing sector
Issue Brief — Jul 6, 2022
Industrial Decarbonization and Competitiveness: Building a Performance Alliance
In this issue brief, RFF scholars explore the idea of a "performance alliance," in which countries align decarbonization efforts and trade policies with the aim of maintaining competitiveness while limiting leakage.
Media Highlight — Jun 16, 2022
E&E News: "Carbon Tariffs Are Coming. Here's How the US Is Preparing"
Senior Fellow Ray Kopp shares his insights about the differences and similarities between the United States and European Union's plans for a border carbon adjustment.
Working Paper — Sep 27, 2022
The Greenhouse Gas Index for Products in 39 Industrial Sectors
The Greenhouse Gas Index for Products in 39 Industrial Sectors
Issue Brief — Jul 6, 2022
Industrial Decarbonization and Competitiveness: Building a Performance Alliance
In this issue brief, RFF scholars explore the idea of a "performance alliance," in which countries align decarbonization efforts and trade policies with the aim of maintaining competitiveness while limiting leakage.
Issue Brief — May 12, 2022
Industrial Decarbonization and Competitiveness: A Domestic Benchmark Intensity Approach
This issue brief suggests an approach to decarbonizing the industrial sector that involves a performance metric, providing equal treatment for foreign and domestically produced industrial goods while addressing competitiveness concerns.
Journal Article — Jan 5, 2022
Potential Impacts and Challenges of Border Carbon Adjustments
This article for Nature Climate Change examines the potential impacts of border carbon adjustments on leakage, competitiveness, and cooperation.
RFF Live — Sep 22, 2022
The Global Climate Policy Partnership: Decarbonizing Global Manufacturing
At the launch event of the Global Climate Policy Partnership, experts from around the world delve into a crucial component of the climate challenge—the manufacturing sector
RFF Live — Jun 8, 2022
Decarbonization Policy and International Competitiveness
An event—featuring Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and a panel of experts—breaking down new proposals for border carbon adjustments and the future of decarbonization and trade
RFF Live — Nov 9, 2021
Carbon Border Measures: Policies to Combat Leakage and Encourage Climate Ambition
A panel discussion will explore recent border measure proposals in the European Union and United States
RFF Live — Nov 3, 2021
Carbon Border Measures: What Happens with Ambitious Climate Policies?
Examining whether net-zero policies cause emissions leakage—and how effectively border measures can mitigate it
Media Highlight — Jun 16, 2022
E&E News: "Carbon Tariffs Are Coming. Here's How the US Is Preparing"
Senior Fellow Ray Kopp shares his insights about the differences and similarities between the United States and European Union's plans for a border carbon adjustment.
Media Highlight — May 27, 2022
The Economist: "Carbon Markets Are Going Global"
Senior Fellow Dallas Burtraw is quoted in a piece about carbon pricing, carbon markets, and the effects that they could have on international relations.
Media Highlight — Nov 15, 2021
As Climate Change Policy Takes Shape, Will the US Ever Put a Price on Carbon?
As Climate Change Policy Takes Shape, Will the US Ever Put a Price on Carbon?
Media Highlight — Nov 5, 2021
The Trade Tool That Could Unlock Climate Ambitions
The Trade Tool That Could Unlock Climate Ambitions
Common Resources — Dec 20, 2021
RFF’s Top Stories of the Past Year
Catch up on coverage of the most important issues in economics, energy, and the environment as 2021 comes to a close. Here’s a selection of notable blog posts, magazine articles, and podcast episodes from the past year at Resources for the Future.
Common Resources — Oct 21, 2021
Accounting for Emissions in Global Trade with a Greenhouse Gas Index
RFF’s Brian Flannery explains how a greenhouse gas index can account for the emissions of internationally traded goods, and he discusses its potential applications in the design of border adjustments.
Common Resources — Oct 19, 2021
Designing Border Carbon Adjustments When Carbon Is Not Explicitly Priced
Implementing border carbon adjustments can be a challenge when the countries involved don’t have a carbon price. Recent RFF research considers how to design border carbon adjustments around local variations in carbon pricing policy.
Resources Radio — Sep 14, 2021
Border Tax Adjustments, with Brian Flannery
Brian Flannery describes the challenge of imposing border adjustments on goods from countries whose climate policies aren’t sufficiently ambitious.