资源环境科技发展态势分析平台

A reduction in tariff barriers facilitates the relocation of factories to countries with less stringent environmental regulations. There has been rapid growth in the transfer of emissions from developing to developed countries through international trade over the last 30 years. However, almost all countries still maintain their tariff barriers, and these tariffs limit the potential to increase carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions transfers. This paper aims to examine the impact of tariff reduction on the CO2 embodiment associatedwith the imports of the group of twenty (G20) countries. The econometric analysis uses disaggregated tariff data and CO2 embodied emissions data from1990 to 2013. Thefindings reveal that a 1% tariff cut by G20 countries for mining gas, manufacturedmachinery, metal, and other mining importswould result in 2779, 1747, 1453, and 1018 tons of CO2 emissions, respectively. Weshowthat a tariff cut would increase the embodied CO2 emissions significantly formost of the manufacturing and mining sectors. Here, we find there is a 3.5%-232.2% growth potential of CO2 emissions embodied in imports, depending on whether G20countries abolish tariff barriers. This scenario makes it difficult to achieve national emissions reduction targets and to implement national environmental policy.