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Different Conditions, Yet Similar Outcomes : How Interaction Between Policy Areas Enabled Carbon Tax Adoption in Sweden and Mexico

Skovgaard, Jakob LU ; Knaggård, Åsa LU ; Hildingsson, Roger LU orcid and Ferrari, Sofía Sacks LU (2026) In Environmental Policy and Governance 36(3). p.715-726
Abstract

The interest in putting a price on carbon emissions is increasing in pace with the urgency of climate change. In this article we compare the adoption of one such policy instrument, carbon taxation, in the cases of Sweden and Mexico. We use a theoretical framework that focuses on economic and environmental factors influencing the policy process via distinct policy areas, as well as the mechanisms these factors operate through and their impact on agency. Despite the differences between the countries, the adoption of carbon taxes in these two cases was shaped by surprisingly similar factors. In both cases ideational change allowed for framing carbon taxes in environmental and economic terms, which eased coalition-building between economic... (More)

The interest in putting a price on carbon emissions is increasing in pace with the urgency of climate change. In this article we compare the adoption of one such policy instrument, carbon taxation, in the cases of Sweden and Mexico. We use a theoretical framework that focuses on economic and environmental factors influencing the policy process via distinct policy areas, as well as the mechanisms these factors operate through and their impact on agency. Despite the differences between the countries, the adoption of carbon taxes in these two cases was shaped by surprisingly similar factors. In both cases ideational change allowed for framing carbon taxes in environmental and economic terms, which eased coalition-building between economic and environmental actors once broad fiscal reforms changed power dynamics and opened windows of opportunity for policy adoption. These findings contain lessons regarding interacting factors shaping policy adoption, including the critical importance of actors exploiting synergies.

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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
carbon tax, climate policy, Mexico, policy adoption, Sweden
in
Environmental Policy and Governance
volume
36
issue
3
pages
715 - 726
publisher
John Wiley & Sons Inc.
external identifiers
  • scopus:105036362599
ISSN
1756-932X
DOI
10.1002/eet.70075
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
3e1b4fb2-88ae-4dac-b8d4-62701c3492a7
date added to LUP
2026-05-27 13:50:42
date last changed
2026-06-10 09:12:28
@article{3e1b4fb2-88ae-4dac-b8d4-62701c3492a7,
  abstract     = {{<p>The interest in putting a price on carbon emissions is increasing in pace with the urgency of climate change. In this article we compare the adoption of one such policy instrument, carbon taxation, in the cases of Sweden and Mexico. We use a theoretical framework that focuses on economic and environmental factors influencing the policy process via distinct policy areas, as well as the mechanisms these factors operate through and their impact on agency. Despite the differences between the countries, the adoption of carbon taxes in these two cases was shaped by surprisingly similar factors. In both cases ideational change allowed for framing carbon taxes in environmental and economic terms, which eased coalition-building between economic and environmental actors once broad fiscal reforms changed power dynamics and opened windows of opportunity for policy adoption. These findings contain lessons regarding interacting factors shaping policy adoption, including the critical importance of actors exploiting synergies.</p>}},
  author       = {{Skovgaard, Jakob and Knaggård, Åsa and Hildingsson, Roger and Ferrari, Sofía Sacks}},
  issn         = {{1756-932X}},
  keywords     = {{carbon tax; climate policy; Mexico; policy adoption; Sweden}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{715--726}},
  publisher    = {{John Wiley & Sons Inc.}},
  series       = {{Environmental Policy and Governance}},
  title        = {{Different Conditions, Yet Similar Outcomes : How Interaction Between Policy Areas Enabled Carbon Tax Adoption in Sweden and Mexico}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/eet.70075}},
  doi          = {{10.1002/eet.70075}},
  volume       = {{36}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}