Global Carbon Account 2018

17 April 2018 - Climate Brief - By : Sébastien POSTIC, Phd / Clément METIVIER

I4CE‘s Global Carbon Account 2018 presents key trends regarding the implementation of explicit carbon pricing policies throughout the world in 2018.

 

 

5 key trends in 2018

  1. (Too) Few jurisdictions have implemented an explicit carbon price : as of April 1, 2018, 46 countries and 26 provinces or cities have adopted carbon pricing policies ;
  2. The adoption of carbon pricing policies is accelerating : in 2017, 3 ETS and 3 carbon taxes have been implemented, and more than 25 carbon pricing instruments have been announced for the years to come ;
  3. Carbon revenues represent an increasingly important financing tool for both the environment and the economy : I4CE estimates that carbon pricing initiatives generated USD 32 billion (EUR 26 billion) in revenues in 2017, up from USD 22 billion in 2016 ;
  4. Carbon prices are perceived as too low for the economic sphere : the explicit price of a CO2 ton in 2018 varies generally between less than USD 1 (EUR 1) and USD 139 (EUR 114) depending on the jurisdiction ;
  5. Explicit carbon prices in 2018 are not aligned with the 2°C trajectory.

A timeline, a world map, a detailed table and a graph provide comprehensive information on the jurisdictions that have implemented or plan to implement explicit carbon pricing policies, the type of instrument chosen, the sectors and fuels covered, the pricing levels, and the use of revenues.

Map of explicit carbon prices around the world in 2018

carbon-prices-map

Global Carbon Account 2018 Download
I4CE Contacts
Sébastien POSTIC, Phd
Sébastien POSTIC, Phd
Research Fellow – Public finance, Development Email
To learn more
  • 07/02/2025 Foreword of the week
    Bridging the gap: high-level climate & development finance commitments and the reality on the ground

    The 4th International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4) in Seville represents a milestone for delivering on development (including climate action) goals, a decade after the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement. The “Seville Commitment” was adopted on June 30th, albeit in the absence of the United States – demonstrating that widespread support remains for a comprehensive package to finance development. However, the outcome also embodies the growing chasm between high-level commitments and the reality of financing for development and climate action on the ground. Recent research by I4CE attempts to bridge this gap on two crucial issues. 

  • 07/02/2025
    From headline trillions to actual millions: climate financing needs estimates in the age of implementation

    As climate finance debates evolve from pledges to implementation, this report critically reviews the methodologies and narratives behind existing climate financing needs estimates to examine how they might be used to guide practical efforts in the years to come, and where the most urgent improvements are needed. From headline trillions to actual millions, the challenge ahead is not just about determining how much is missing – the focus should be on closing this gap in practice.

  • 06/13/2025 Foreword of the week
    The unlocked potential of carbon revenues to help fill the climate finance gap

    Climate negotiations are taking place next week in Bonn, with finance once again high on the agenda. COP 29 ended last year with a New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) –revised climate finance target to replace the USD 100 billion goal. The NCQG decision put forward a commitment by developed countries to lead in providing USD 300 billion per year by 2035 for developing countries, as well as a proposal to work on a roadmap to scale up climate finance for developing countries to reach a level closer to the estimated needs –the ‘Baku to Belem Roadmap to 1.3T’ (USD 1.3 trillion). The latter must be delivered at the end of the year at COP 30, and strong efforts are being put in the task by the Brazilian Presidency.

See all publications
Press contact Amélie FRITZ Head of Communication and press relations Email
Subscribe to our mailing list :
I register !
Subscribe to our newsletter
Once a week, receive all the information on climate economics
I register !
Fermer