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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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.
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.
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?
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.
Explainer — Nov 10, 2021
Border Carbon Adjustments 101
An introduction to border carbon adjustments, their components, benefits and costs, and the role of the World Trade Organization in their implementation.
Working Paper — Oct 21, 2021
Export Rebates and Import Charges for Border Tax Adjustments Under an Upstream US GHG Tax: Estimates and Methods
In this working paper, RFF researchers examine how representative estimates of export rebates and import charges can be determined using available information.
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
Workshops — Oct 27, 2015
Addressing Competitiveness Concerns in a Carbon Tax: What Are the Options?
Addressing Competitiveness Concerns in a Carbon Tax: What Are the Options?
Workshops — Nov 14, 2012
Market-based Emissions Regulation and Industry Dynamics
An RFF academic seminar on Market-based Emissions Regulation and Industry Dynamics.
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
Press Release — Oct 21, 2021
Accounting for Greenhouse Gas Emissions in International Trade
Accounting for Greenhouse Gas Emissions in International Trade
Media Highlight — Sep 8, 2021
The U.S. Makes Carbon Pricing More Complicated Than It Needs to Be
The U.S. Makes Carbon Pricing More Complicated Than It Needs to Be
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.