Distributional impacts of climate policy in Belgium : carbon pricing under household heterogeneity
(2026)
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Details
- Authors
- Supervisors
- Grandjean, Gilles
- Abstract
- This thesis provides a thorough assessment of carbon pricing and related policy mixes in Belgium, with a focus on distributive impacts. The aim is academic and applied: to advance the literature on carbon tax incidence, and to inform policymakers seeking to implement carbon pricing in a way that is politically feasible and publicly acceptable. A distinctive feature of this work is its temporal scope. It considers three time horizons: the immediate, the short-run, and the medium-run effects, each raising different questions and methodological challenges. In Chapter 1, the key issue is the “day-after” burden of carbon pricing and how recycling schemes can alleviate it. In Chapter 2, households may adjust their consumption, which changes the incidence and associated welfare impacts. In Chapter 3, price signals can spur larger structural changes such as home-retrofit investments. Throughout the chapters, the microsimulation analysis reflects the heterogeneity of Belgian households, from income and demographic characteristics to energy consumption profiles and dwelling conditions. With its multi-period lens, this research draws a comprehensive picture of how carbon pricing can transition from theory to a socially balanced reality.
- Affiliations
UCLouvain SSH/IRIS-L/CAPE - Center for Applied Public Economics
Citations
De Bevere, A. (2026). Distributional impacts of climate policy in Belgium : carbon pricing under household heterogeneity.