päästövuodon

Päästövuoto, often translated as emission leakage, refers to a situation where companies or industries relocate their production to countries with less stringent environmental regulations. This can occur in response to carbon pricing mechanisms, such as emissions trading schemes or carbon taxes, implemented in their home countries. The concern is that if a country imposes significant costs on its industries for their greenhouse gas emissions, those industries might move to countries without such costs. This relocation does not necessarily reduce global emissions; instead, it might shift emissions from one jurisdiction to another, potentially leading to a "leakage" of emissions.

The concept of emission leakage is important in climate policy discussions. If emission leakage is significant, it can undermine the environmental effectiveness of domestic climate policies. For example, if a company moves its manufacturing to a country with weaker environmental laws, the overall global carbon footprint might not decrease, and could even increase if the new location is less efficient. This can also lead to economic disadvantages for industries in countries with strong climate policies, as they face higher operating costs compared to competitors in countries with laxer regulations.

To address emission leakage, some countries or regions consider implementing border carbon adjustments. These are tariffs or taxes imposed on imported goods based on the carbon emissions associated with their production. The aim is to level the playing field between domestic industries facing carbon costs and foreign competitors who do not. However, border carbon adjustments are complex to implement and can raise international trade concerns. Policy makers continue to debate the most effective strategies to mitigate emission leakage while pursuing ambitious climate goals.