Policy sequencing towards carbon pricing among the world’s largest emitters

Abstract

Policy sequencing to gradually increase the stringency of policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions has become an influential narrative without much evidence beyond selected policies and sectors or case studies of individual countries. Here we provide international and cross-sectoral evidence on climate policy sequences for the G20 economies and 18 other large emitters. We find that policy sequences towards carbon pricing are a consistent pattern in the data. The adoption of some climate policies can facilitate the subsequent adoption of other policies, which is referred to as policy sequencing. Across sectors and countries, policy sequences often play an important role in the adoption and stringency of carbon pricing.