Researcher(s):
Frances Swanson Maddy Frawley Audrey Stuart
ENVS course(s): 330 Initiated: March 2016 Completed: April 2016 Go to project site
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A carbon tax has the potential to help Oregon meet its emissions reductions goals, but may disproportionately affect low-income groups and certain industries. This project sought to answer the question “How can we construct a carbon tax that meets Oregon’s climate goals, maintains economic stability, and does not disproportionately tax lower income populations?”
The methods used to answer the focus question included qualitative analysis of existing carbon taxes, attending the Oregon Clean Power Plan Forum, and interviewing various experts. This all cumulated in the writing of a bill that would impose a carbon tax for Oregon that starts at $15 per metric ton of carbon emissions. The Oregon Accountable Emissions Act was designed with a focus on equity and includes features such as rebates for low-income households and corporate tax reductions.
Larger themes of political feasibility and unequal burden sharing are apparent in the bill. A general conclusion was that passing a carbon tax in Oregon would require immense political maneuvering, and the use of the collected revenue would be especially contested. The bill also fits with Oregon’s role as a leader in environmental issues, and the impacts on both the political and actual climate would stretch far beyond state borders.