• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.851-891
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• 2012

The objective of this study can be presented as follows: First, given the consumption-based carbon accounting method which has now been claimed, this study reviews the emissions within Korea and the resulting position change in international society. Second, when each nation makes efforts to reduce carbon emissions under the Copenhagen Accord, this study, using the Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model, reviews the resulting carbon leakage and analyzes the effect from the various border adjustment measures. However, reflecting uncertainties in the negotiation processes, this study attempts to apply scenarios with regards to the reduction-mandatory nation group. In addition, this study tries to observe the impact on Korea through testing the various border adjustment measures, including the free allocation and embodied carbon tariffs.

• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.419-449
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• 2022

This paper aims to quantify the potential economic burdens of EU's carbon border adjustment mechanisms faced by Korean domestic industries. In addition, this study tries to compare and analyzes changes in the burden of each industry resulted from the implementation of the domestic low-carbon policy. Based on the quantitative findings, we intend to suggest policy implications for establishing mid- to long-term strategies in response to climate change risks. Based on the environmentally extended input-output analysis, the total economic burdens of the domestic industries due to the EU's carbon border adjustment mechanisms are estimated to be approximately KRW 8,245.6 billion in 2030. Looking at the impacts by industry, it is found that major industries such as petrochemicals, petroleum refining, transportation equipment, steel, automobiles, and electric/electronic equipment industries are expected to account for 84.3% of the total potential burdens. In addition, in multiple policy scenarios assuming technological developments and energy transition following the implementation of domestic low-carbon policies, the total economic burden of carbon border adjustment is expected to decrease by about 11.7% to 15.0%. The main result of this study suggests that we should not view EU EU's carbon border adjustment mechanism as a trade regulation, but to use it as a momentum for more effective implementation of the low-carbon and energy transition strategies in the global carbon neural era.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.143-162
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• 2021

Although awareness of the need to respond to climate change is expanding, various controversies are being raised about the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). The EU has announced that they will implement CBAM as responding to climate change and preventing carbon leakage. However, the questions are raised as to whether it is actually effective in preventing carbon leakage. Above all, CBAM has its own contradictions, thus it could not be easy to implement. This is because the possibility of violation of the WTO principles is high and there are many issues in implementation. Emission Trading System (ETS) based on CBAM differs by country, and international linkage is not easy in that ETS is not a widely used system worldwide. The EU's CBAM is highly likely to be used as a trade restrictive tool, and is inevitably subject to trade disputes in that it imposes additional tariffs. The unilateral implementation of CBAM should be restrained unless support from the international community and consideration for developing countries are not taken into account.

• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.47-75
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• 2023

Compared to the EU, which legislates the Carbon Border Adjustment System (CBAM), the United States' carbon border adjustment policy movement is still relatively slow. Recently, however, a related bill has been proposed in the United States, and research institutes have been presenting research results on how to introduce an upstream carbon tax rather than an emission trading system and carry out carbon border adjustment based on it. Therefore, in this study, we looked at the economic and environmental effects of introducing this type of upstream carbon tax and carbon border adjustment in Korea. If an upstream carbon tax of KRW 30,000 per ton of CO₂ is applied to the net supply of domestic fossil energy, the expected carbon tax revenue is approximately KRW 22.9961 trillion, equivalent to about 5.7% of the total revenue of the Korean government of KRW 402 trillion in 2019. In addition, the carbon dioxide content of the steel sector, calculated based on the energy supply and demand status of the steel sector, which emits the most greenhouse gas emissions in Korea and has a considerable amount of overseas exports, was 106.22 million tons of CO₂. On the other hand, assuming that the upstream carbon tax of 30,000 won per ton of CO₂ embodied is directly passed on to the production cost of the steel sector, the carbon tax burden in the steel sector is estimated to reach approximately KRW 3.1865 trillion. Even after deducting KRW 1.1599 trillion in export refunds estimated by using the share of exports of steel products, the net carbon tax burden on steel products for domestic demand amounts to KRW 2.0266 trillion, which is analyzed to act as a factor in increasing the price of steel products.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.355-375
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• 2022

In this study, LCA based on EU PAS 2050 and Product Category Rules (PCR) was conducted for steel products with the highest proportion of Korea's exports to the EU among the carbon border adjustment items that were passed by the EU Parliament in June and applied to imports from 2025. Carbon emissions were calculated by (ISO 14040) analysis. As a result of the analysis, the total emission is 394,000 tons, and when converted to the EU ETS weekly price, it is 39,000.000 euros, which is about 5% of the export amount of 734 million dollars. This is the same effect as a 5% tariff increase. This study applies international standards in calculating the carbon footprint and provides information that is closest to the expected amount to be imposed in the future EU CBAM, providing the effect of enabling exporters to establish trade strategies and international competitiveness measures in advance.

• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.45-64
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• 2022

Purpose - This paper examines South Korea's potential status as a carbon leakage country, and the level of risk posed by the Korean emissions trading scheme (ETS) for Korean industries. The economic effects of border carbon adjustments (BCAs) to protect energy-intensive Korean industries in the process of achieving the carbon reduction target by 2030 through the Korean ETS are also analyzed. Design/methodology - First, using the Korean Input-Output (IO) table, this paper calculates the balance of emissions embodied in trade (BEET) and the pollution terms of trade (PTT) to determine Korean industries' carbon leakage status. Analyses of the risk level posed by carbon reduction policy implementation in international trade are conducted for some sectors by applying the EU criteria. Second, using a computable general equilibrium (CGE) model, three BCA scenarios, exemption regulations (EXE), reimbursement (REB), and tariff reduction (TAR) to protect the energy-intensive industries under the Korean ETS are addressed. Compared to the baseline scenario of achieving carbon reduction targets by 2030, the effects of BCAs on welfare, carbon leakage, outputs, and trading are analyzed. Findings - As Korea's industrial structure has been transitioning from a carbon importing to a carbon leaking country. The results indicate that some industrial sectors could face the risk of losing international competitiveness due to the Korean ETS. South Korea's industries are basically exposed to risk of carbon leakage because most industries have a trade intensity higher than 30%. This could be interpreted as disproving vulnerability to carbon leakage. Although the petroleum and coal sector is not in carbon leakage, according to BEET and PTT, the Korean ETS exposes this sector to a high risk of carbon leakage. Non-metallic minerals and iron and steel sectors are also exposed to a high risk of carbon leakage due to the increased burden of carbon reduction costs embodied in the Korean ETS, despite relatively low levels of trade intensity. BCAs are demonstrated to have an influential role in protecting energy-intensive industries while achieving the carbon reduction target by 2030. The EXE scenario has the greatest impact on mitigation of welfare losses and carbon leakage, and the TAF scenario causes a disturbance in the international trade market because of the pricing adjustment system. In reality, the EXE scenario, which implies completely exempting energy-intensive industries, could be difficult to implement due to various practical constraints, such as equity and reduction targets and other industries; therefore, the REB scenario presents the most realistic approach and appears to have an effect that could compensate for the burden of economic activities and emissions regulations in these industries. Originality/value - This paper confirms the vulnerability of the Korean industrial the risk of carbon leakage, demonstrating that some industrial sectors could be exposed to losing international competitiveness by implementing carbon reduction policies such as the Korean ETS. The contribution of this paper is the identification of proposed approaches to protect Korean industries in the process of achieving the 2030 reduction target by analyzing the effects of BCA scenarios using a CGE model.

• THE INTERNATIONAL COMMERCE & LAW REVIEW
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• v.74
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• pp.125-150
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• 2017

Environment protection is one of the important political goals along with trade liberalization. Some of the institutions associated with it, however, either hinder trade or exert distorted influence and can arouse trade conflicts eventually. Therefore, harmony between environment protection and trade policy is becoming a crucial issue nowadays. Among the policies for environment, those related to climatic change are regarded as major tasks to deal with in the world commonly. Saying that it is for environment protection, advanced countries impose fines for environment protection on developing countries through border tax adjustments about the items imported from them. However, there is no such agreement about it internationally, so disputes often arise regarding what extent is appropriate as countries cope with it differently in their own way. Disputes about measures for climatic change are highly influential economically, and due to the severe conflicts of interests between states, they often tend to become politicized. Accordingly, we can say that such disputes affect international trade based on the WTO system seriously. When it comes to negotiation for climatic change, we should establish international systems urgently which can work fairly and effectively for all the countries joining in it. Therefore, it is important to examine the treatment of trade restriction measures intended to solve climatic change in international negotiations and establish definite conditions about which measures are allowed and which are not. In conclusion, we should devise rules for environment protection internationally which all the countries in the world can accept and agree on and also make the definite criteria of interpretation as well. Also, through those trade regulations, we should be able to accomplish environment protection globally and at the same time produce synergy, that is, economic growth through trading.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.15-33
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• 2022

This study is to investigate multilateral environmental agreements,mainly UNFCCC on the primary export industry of Korea and to make a policy recommendation. Mostly literature reviews are focused on the traditional multilateral environmental agreements and the for the most part analysis are conducted prior to the Paris agreement. The result of survey indicates that many companies have not yet felt burden on their business due to UNFCCC(decarbonization) and have monitored the related policies. But the companies ask the government for strong incentives. The paper implies that enforcing strong government incentives, upgrading usage of the nuclear power, improving the related government legislation, setting up the special task force team with government and private sectors are needed.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.209-232
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• 2023

This study aims to estimate the export performance factors of Korean Steel Products to the EU and the expected changes in exports according to the CBAM(Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism). the factors influencing the export performance of Korean Steel Products to the EU were analyzed using a Gravity Model, and the expected export amount in the case of a Carbon Tax was calculated assuming that the CBAM would be implemented in 2026, As a result, it was empirically analyzed that economic growth, population growth, exchange rate and manufacturing production index of each EU country have a positive effect on exports in Korea, and it was analyzed that the effects of the single market and system due to the EU's economic community were also helpful in increasing exports but the Carbon Tax is imposed in 2026, reducing Korea's steel exports by about -3.6% to -5.7%