Carbon Tax under the Clean Development Mechanism : A Unique Approach for Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Developing Countries

This study examines the economic and environmental implications of a unique Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) scheme in which a non-Annex B country (Thailand) introduces a carbon tax and exports the resulting emission mitigation as certified emission reductions (CERs). A general equilibrium model for Thailand has been developed for analysing this carbon tax-cum-CDM (CT-CDM) policy. The study finds that, unlike a carbon tax policy, the CT-CDM policy could increase economic welfare in Thailand, depending on CER price and schemes of recycling carbon tax- and CER-revenue to the economy. The CT-CDM policy is found to increase economic welfare at a very low CER price (US$55/tCO2).