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arXiv · 2601.13834

Liabilities for the social cost of carbon

Matthew K. Agrawala·Richard S. J. Tol
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Abstract

We estimate the national social cost of carbon using a recent meta-analysis of the total impact of climate change and a standard integrated assessment model. The average social cost of carbon closely follows per capita income, the national social cost of carbon the size of the population. The national social cost of carbon measures self-harm. Net liability is defined as the harm done by a country's emissions on other countries minus the harm done to a country by other countries' emissions. Net liability is positive in middle-income, carbon-intensive countries. Poor and rich countries would be compensated because their current emissions are relatively low, poor countries additionally because they are vulnerable.

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Matthew K. Agrawala, Richard S. J. Tol. 2026-01-20. Liabilities for the social cost of carbon. https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.13834

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