Economic Growth, Income Distribution, and Climate Change

Armon Rezai, Lance Taylor, Duncan Foley

Publication: Scientific journalJournal articlepeer-review

Abstract

We present a model based on Keynesian aggregate demand and labor productivity growth to study how climate damage affects the long-run evolution of the economy. Climate change induced by greenhouse gas lowers profitability, reducing investment and cutting output in the short and long runs. Short-run employment falls due to deficient demand. In the long run productivity growth is slower, lowering potential income levels. Climate policy can increase incomes and employment in the short and long runs while a continuation of business-as-usual leads to a dystopian income distribution with affluence for few and high levels of unemployment for the rest.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)164 - 172
JournalEcological Economics
Volume146
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2018

Austrian Classification of Fields of Science and Technology (ÖFOS)

  • 502042 Environmental economics
  • 502027 Political economy
  • 502046 Economic policy
  • 502047 Economic theory

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