Econ Papers Daily / 期刊论文
不同发展阶段排放与不平等的关系
The emission-inequality nexus across stages of development
摘要
Does a more unequal society emit more CO 2 ? The nexus between carbon emissions and income inequality has been at the core of a vast literature yielding conflicting results. Here, we provide robust evidence of a non-linear relationship that depends on the structural composition of the economy. Specifically, we document a positive association between income inequality—measured using five different indicators, for both pre-tax and post-tax income—and per capita carbon emissions in highly tertiarized countries. By contrast, this relationship turns negative in non-service-intensive economies. We provide evidence for plausible mechanisms mediating this non-linear association. In particular, the investment carbon footprint of the top 1% and the size of the manufacturing sector emerge as key dimensions underlying the observed patterns. Our results point to the structural composition of the economy as a crucial factor shaping the emission-inequality nexus. As such, economic structure helps identify phases of development in which reducing inequality comes with climate-related benefits.
中文摘要
一个更加不平等的社会会排放更多二氧化碳吗？碳排放与收入不平等之间的关系一直是大量文献研究的核心，但所得结果相互矛盾。在此，我们提供了稳健的证据，表明二者之间存在一种取决于经济结构构成的非线性关系。具体而言，我们记录了在高度服务化的国家中，收入不平等——使用五种不同指标衡量，涵盖税前和税后收入——与人均碳排放之间存在正相关关系。相比之下，在非服务密集型经济体中，这一关系转为负向。我们为中介这一非线性关系的可能机制提供了证据。特别是，前1%人群的投资碳足迹以及制造业部门的规模，成为支撑所观察模式的关键维度。我们的结果表明，经济结构构成是塑造排放—不平等关系的关键因素。因此，经济结构有助于识别在哪些发展阶段，减少不平等会同时带来与气候相关的收益。