This article examines the question of how to interpret a relationship between income and carbon emissions in a country (the environmental kuznets curve [EKC] for carbon). A very simple and graphical structural model of an EKC is developed, and the problems of applying the concept to carbon are discussed. A major issue is the weak link between demand to avoid damage from climate change and regulations limiting greenhouse gas emissions at the country level. The article goes on to interpret three recent papers in this journal in the context of this structural model.
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