Evaluating the efficacy of regulatory and technological innovation on carbon dioxide emissions: An application of structural break analysis

Starting as early as the 1950s, regulatory and technological innovations have played a co-causal role in the measurement and control of air pollution. "Technology-forcing" regulations, particularly early regulation in California, pushed the automobile industry to develop technology to mitigate carbon dioxide emissions, but as technology to measure carbon dioxide emissions was developed, more and better regulation was adopted. While the role of regulation in the development of new technology remains a topic of continued political debate, our analysis strongly supports the proposition that regulatory innovation played a significant role in the curtailment of carbon dioxide emissions since 1960.