[open-sustainability] [OpenSpending] [School-of-data] Data on energy subsidies?

Mon Aug 5 15:13:33 UTC 2013

Hi Velichka and others,

Both the IEA (consumer subsidies to energy) and the OECD (growing coverage
producer subsidies within OECD countries) do make their disaggregated data
available to the public.  Some is online, and some they will provide upon
request.  This doesn't show their full calculations, but will get you part
of the way there.

I've not seen raw data from the IMF.  However, keep in mind that their
methodology is a bit different from the IEA.  In the IMF's most recent
report, they imputed a carbon tax, which is why their figures were so much
larger.  External costs are certainly a relevant part of the picture, but I
and other researchers have found it useful to segregate fiscal and
environmental subsidies, as there are different reform pathways.

There has been no comprehensive review of global energy subsidies,
however.  Coverage of sub-national (state, provincial, and local) supports
is very limited.  Producer subsidies in developing countries have not been
well characterized, though are often very large.  Further, even in
developed countries the coverage of certain types of subsidy instruments
(purchase mandates, government-owned energy assets, many tax breaks, and
credit and insurance supports) are far from comprehensive.  It is a very
big problem, and if one includes things such as subsidies to road transport
(the main outlet market for petrol fuels) it gets even bigger.  In the US
alone, fuel taxes fall about $70 billion/year short of what is spent to
build and maintain highways.

Regards,

Doug

On Mon, Aug 5, 2013 at 10:34 AM, Velichka Dimitrova <
velichka.dimitrova at okfn.org> wrote:

> I want to point out to the work of Doug Koplow at Earth Track -
> http://earthtrack.net/about, who has been investigating for years the
> impact of fossil fuels subsidies to the environment with the mission of
> getting better information and more transparency.
>
> Cc-ing Doug here.. he might be able to respond to more concrete questions
> and share info on what data is available in this field.
>
>
> *
>
> Velichka Dimitrova
>
> Open Economics Project Coordinator | @vndimitrova<http://twitter.com/vndimitrova>
>
> The Open Knowledge Foundation
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>
>
>
> On 29 July 2013 10:37, Rufus Pollock <rufus.pollock at okfn.org> wrote:
>
>> Just to say
>>
>> a) This is a very interesting topic!
>> b) It may be useful to record some of this info in this existing "idea
>> issue": https://github.com/okfn/ideas/issues/53 - "Investigation: Energy
>> subsidies" (this already includes some research by Velichka Dimitrova last
>> year!)
>>
>> Rufus
>>
>> On 25 July 2013 16:19, Jonathan Gray <jonathan.gray at okfn.org> wrote:
>>
>>> Thanks all.
>>>
>>> Olav: I'm astounded at the following claim in the IMF report you
>>> forwarded:
>>>
>>> "energy subsidies amount to a staggering $1.9 trillion worldwide—the
>>> equivalent of 2½ percent of global GDP, or 8 percent of government
>>> revenues."
>>>
>>> It might be interesting to further explore the aggregated/estimated
>>> figures in the tables in the appendices. [1]
>>>
>>> The IEA also publishes this: http://www.iea.org/subsidy/index.html
>>>
>>> But I can't seem to see a way to get the raw data.
>>>
>>> Anyone else interested in digging into this?
>>>
>>> J.
>>>
>>> [1] pp. 47-66 of http://www.imf.org/external/np/pp/eng/2013/012813.pdf
>>>
>>>
>>> On 24 July 2013 19:27, Olav Anders Øvrebø <olav.ovrebo at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> The IMF recently published a good report on energy subsidies:
>>>> http://www.imf.org/external/np/sec/pr/2013/pr1393.htm
>>>>
>>>> olav
>>>>
>>>> On Tue, Jul 23, 2013 at 3:05 PM, Jonathan Gray <jonathan.gray at okfn.org>
>>>> wrote:
>>>> > Saw this story yesterday about coal power subsidies [1], which
>>>> reminded me
>>>> > to ask whether anyone has looked into data on energy subsidies in
>>>> their
>>>> > country?
>>>> >
>>>> > Perhaps this could be an interesting data expedition, or mini-project?
>>>> >
>>>> > [1]
>>>> >
>>>> http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/consumers-to-pay-dirty-coal-power-subsidies-for-years-8724925.html
>>>> >
>>>> > --
>>>> >
>>>> > Jonathan Gray
>>>> >
>>>> > Director of Policy and Ideas  | @jwyg
>>>> >
>>>> > The Open Knowledge Foundation
>>>> >
>>>> > Empowering through Open Knowledge
>>>> >
>>>> > okfn.org  |  @okfn  |  OKF on Facebook  |  Blog  |  Newsletter
>>>> >
>>>> >
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-- 
_________________________
Doug Koplow
Earth Track, Inc.
2067 Massachusetts Ave., 4th Floor
Cambridge, MA  02140
Tel: (617) 661-4700
Fax: (617) 354-0463
www.earthtrack.net

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