Climate policies, carbon pricing, and pollution tax: Do carbon taxes really lead to a reduction in emissions?

Abstract

This research investigates the relationship between climate policies, carbon pricing, and pollution tax. Building my argument by drawing on data collected from CLOSUP, The Economist, Institute of Public Opinion, IMF, IPCC, NYU Institute for Policy Integrity, Pew Research Center, Statista, World Bank etc., I performed analyses and made estimates regarding support for carbon taxes among U.S. adult respondents (%, 2009–2018), actions undertaken to reduce carbon pollution among U.S. adults (%), U.S. individuals’ preferences for how to spend carbon tax revenues (%), U. S. adults who say certain proposals would make the biggest difference/a difference (but not the biggest difference) in reducing the effects of global climate change (%), distribution of emissions of greenhouse gases by industry sector worldwide (%), time period during which U.S. individuals believe the net effects of climate change will first have a negative impact on the global economy (%), tax benefits: impact of carbon-pricing schemes (CO2 emissions reduction, 2030 estimate, %/revenue, 2030 estimate, % of GDP), and U.S. individuals who think the government should commit to reducing greenhouse gas emissions (%). The data for this research were collected via an online survey questionnaire and were inspected through structural equation modeling on a sample of 4,800 respondents.