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on Environmental Economics |
| By: | Beard, Rodney; Mallawaarachchi, Thilak |
| Abstract: | In this paper we present a model of international environmental agreements in the presence of threshold effects. The model is in the tradition of models of international environmental agreements formulated as games in partition function form. Games in partition function form allow the incorporation of external effects between players. The model is applied to global climate change agreements. The agreement involves a contract between nations as to the level of abatement of greenhouse gas emissions and how these benefits are to be shared. Benefits to emissions abatement are subject to a threshold. Consequently, we model climate as a global threshold public good. This allows a mechanism to explore incentives and disincentives for signing agreements consequent to a critical number of other players committing to an agreement. We show that thresholds may destabilize what would be an otherwise stable agreement and that combining an emissions tax with an international agreement can be used to restore stability. |
| Keywords: | International environmental agreements; threshold public good; gamma core; global warming and emissions taxation |
| JEL: | C71 H41 Q54 H23 |
| Date: | 2011–10–25 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:34303&r=env |
| By: | Michielsen, T.O. (Tilburg University, Center for Economic Research) |
| Abstract: | Anticipated and unilateral climate policies are ineffective when fossil fuel owners respond by shifting supply intertemporally (the green paradox) or spatially (carbon leakage). These mechanisms rely crucially on the exhaustibility of fossil fuels. We analyze the effect of anticipated and unilateral climate policies on emissions in a simple model with two fossil fuels: one scarce and dirty (oil), the other abundant and dirtier (coal). We derive conditions for a ’green orthodox’: anticipated climate policy may reduce current emissions, and unilateral measures may unintentionally reduce emissions in other countries. Calibrations suggest that intertemporal carbon leakage (between -3% and 1%) is less of a concern than spatial leakage (19-39%). |
| Keywords: | carbon tax;green paradox;exhaustible resource;backstop;climate change. |
| JEL: | Q31 Q54 |
| Date: | 2011 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:dgr:kubcen:2011110&r=env |
| By: | Raouf Boucekkine (GREQAM - Groupement de Recherche en Économie Quantitative d'Aix-Marseille - Université de la Méditerranée - Aix-Marseille II - Université Paul Cézanne - Aix-Marseille III - Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (EHESS) - CNRS : UMR6579); Aude Pommeret (IREGE - Institut de Recherche en Gestion et en Economie - Université de Savoie, HEC - HEC LAUSANNE); Fabien Prieur (LAMETA - Laboratoire Montpellierain d'économie théorique et appliquée - CNRS : UMR5474 - INRA : UR1135 - CIHEAM - Université Montpellier I - Montpellier SupAgro) |
| Abstract: | We consider an optimal technology adoption AK model in line with Boucekkine Krawczyk and Vallée (2011): an economy, caring about consumption and pollution as well, starts with a given technological regime and may decide to switch at any moment to a cleaner technology at a given permanent or transitory output cost. At the same time, we posit that there exists a pollution threshold above which the assimilation capacity of Nature goes down, featuring a kind of irreversible ecological regime. We study how ecological irreversibility interacts with the ingredients of the latter optimal technological switch problem, with a special attention to induced capital-pollution relationship. We find that if a single technological switch is optimal, one recovers the Environmental Kuznets Curve provided initial pollution is high enough. If exceeding the ecological threshold is optimal, then the latter configuration is far from being the rule. |
| Keywords: | Technology adoption; ecological irreversibility; Environmental Kuznets Curve; Multi-stage optimal control |
| Date: | 2011–10–17 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:wpaper:halshs-00633024&r=env |
| By: | David F. Drake (Harvard Business School, Technology and Operations Management Unit) |
| Abstract: | Carbon regulation is intended to reduce global emissions, but there is growing concern that such regulation may simply shift production to unregulated regions, potentially increasing overall carbon emissions in the process. Carbon tariffs have emerged as a possible mechanism to address this concern by imposing carbon costs on imports at the regulated region's border. Advocates claim that such a mechanism would level the playing field whereas opponents argue that such a tariff is anti-competitive. This paper analyzes how carbon tariffs affect technology choice, regional competitiveness, and global emissions through a model of imperfect competition between "domestic" (i.e., carbon-regulated) firms and "foreign" (i.e., unregulated) firms, where domestic firms have the option to offshore production and the number of foreign entrants is endogenous. Under a carbon tariff, results indicate that foreign firms would adopt clean technology at a lower emissions price than domestic producers, with the number of foreign entrants increasing in emissions price only over intervals where offshore foreign firms hold this technology advantage. Further, domestic firms would only offshore production under a carbon tariff to adopt technology strictly cleaner than technology utilized domestically. As a consequence, under a carbon tariff, foreign market share is non-monotonic in emissions price, and global emissions conditionally decrease. Without a carbon tariff, foreign share monotonically increases in emissions price, and a shift to offshore production results in a strict increase in global emissions. |
| Keywords: | Carbon regulation; Carbon leakage; Technology choice; Imperfect competition |
| Date: | 2011–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hbs:wpaper:12-029&r=env |
| By: | Claudia Kettner (WIFO); Daniela Kletzan-Slamanig (WIFO); Angela Köppl (WIFO) |
| Abstract: | The EU Emission Trading Scheme (EU ETS) that covers emitters from industry and the energy sector representing 40 percent of the EU's total greenhouse gas emissions is the biggest implementation worldwide of a cap-and-trade scheme. The EU ETS has been the core instrument of European climate policy since its start in 2005. Based on a database comprising more than 10,000 installations in 26 EU countries, this paper provides a thorough analysis of the performance of the EU ETS in the period 2005 to 2010. In the first part, we analyse allocation patterns – i.e., the stringency of allocation caps and distribution issues – on EU country and sector level comparing the results of the EU ETS pilot phase and the first three years of the Kyoto phase. In the second part of the paper, we assess trading flows of European Allowance Units (EUAs) between EU countries comparing the results for the first and second trading period. Furthermore, we analyse the use of credits from flexible mechanisms – Certified Emission Reductions (CERs) from CDM projects and Emission Reduction Units (ERUs) from JI projects – that installations may surrender since the beginning of the second trading period on country level. |
| Date: | 2011–10–17 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wfo:wpaper:y:2011:i:402&r=env |
| By: | Halkos, George; Tzeremes, Nickolaos |
| Abstract: | The paper investigates China’s environmental performance-economic development relationship for the time period of 1965-2009. The results indicate that after 1990 China increased its environmental performance mainly driven by the implementation of several environmental policies. In addition when we taking into account several factors contributed to China’s economic growth, the empirical evidences suggest the existence of an inverted “U” shape relationship between China’s environmental performance and economic development. However, when only the influence of the industrial sector is taken into account the shape of the established relationship changes from an inverted “U” to “N” shape, indicating that the main determinant of China’s environmental inefficiencies over the years was the heavily industrialization. |
| Keywords: | Environmental performance; Environmental Kuznets Curve; China; Economic Growth |
| JEL: | Q50 C14 O10 P28 C01 |
| Date: | 2011–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:34312&r=env |
| By: | Karine Constant (GREQAM - Groupement de Recherche en Économie Quantitative d'Aix-Marseille - Université de la Méditerranée - Aix-Marseille II - Université Paul Cézanne - Aix-Marseille III - Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (EHESS) - CNRS : UMR6579); Carine Nourry (GREQAM - Groupement de Recherche en Économie Quantitative d'Aix-Marseille - Université de la Méditerranée - Aix-Marseille II - Université Paul Cézanne - Aix-Marseille III - Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (EHESS) - CNRS : UMR6579); Thomas Seegmuller (GREQAM - Groupement de Recherche en Économie Quantitative d'Aix-Marseille - Université de la Méditerranée - Aix-Marseille II - Université Paul Cézanne - Aix-Marseille III - Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (EHESS) - CNRS : UMR6579) |
| Abstract: | Recently, many contributions have focused on the relationship between capital accumulation, growth and population dynamics, introducing fertility choice in macro-dynamic models. In this paper, we go one step further highlighting also the link with pollution. We develop a simple overlapping generations model with paternalistic altruism according to wealth and environmental concerns. One can therefore explain a simultaneous increase of capital intensity, population growth and pollution, namely a polluting industrialization. We show in addition that a permanent productivity shock, possibly associated to technological innovations, promotes such a polluting development process, escaping a trap where the economy is relegated to a low capital intensity, population growth and pollution. |
| Keywords: | Growth; Population dynamics; Pollution; Altruism; Development |
| Date: | 2011–10–19 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:wpaper:halshs-00633608&r=env |
| By: | Juan Luis Jiménez (Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Facultad de Economía, Empresa y Turismo, Spain); Jordi Perdiguero (Departament de Política Econòmica. GiM-IREA. University of Barcelona. Spain); Carmen García (Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Facultad de Economía, Empresa y Turismo, Spain) |
| Abstract: | During the recent period of economic crisis, many countries have introduced scrappage schemes to boost the sale and production of vehicles, particularly of vehicles designed to pollute less. In this paper, we analyze the impact of a particular scheme in Spain (Plan2000E) on vehicle prices and sales figures as well as on the reduction of polluting emissions from vehicles on the road. We considered the introduction of this scheme an exogenous policy change and because we could distinguish a control group (non-subsidized vehicles) and a treatment group (subsidized vehicles), before and after the introduction of the Plan, we were able to carry out our analysis as a quasi-natural experiment. Our study reveals that manufacturers increased vehicle prices by the same amount they were granted through the Plan (1,000 €). In terms of sales, econometric estimations revealed an increase of almost 5% as a result of the implementation of the Plan. With regard to environmental efficiency, we compared the costs (inverted quantity of money) and the benefits of the program (reductions in polluting emissions and additional fiscal revenues) and found that the Plan would only be beneficial if it boosted demand by at least 30%. |
| Keywords: | Subsidies; Automobile sector; Difference-in-Difference estimator; Green policies. |
| JEL: | H23 L52 L62 Q58 |
| Date: | 2011–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:xrp:wpaper:xreap2011-14&r=env |
| By: | Romeo Danielis (University of Trieste, Italy); Lucia Rotaris (University of Trieste, Italy); Edoardo Marcucci (University of Roma 3, Italy); Jérôme Massiani (University of Ca’ Foscari, Venice, Italy) |
| Abstract: | The paper provides an evaluation of the Ecopass scheme for the years 2008, 2009 and 2010. The term Ecopass conveys the stated political objective of the scheme: a PASS to improve the quality of the urban environment (ECO). The scheme has actually improved the air quality in Milan, although the recommended PM10 threshold is still exceeded for a larger number of days than that recommended by EU directives. This paper estimates the costs and benefits of the scheme three years after its implementation using the same methodology applied in Rotaris et al. (2010) for the year 2008. It results that the benefits still exceed the costs by an increasing amount, but at an annual decreasing rate of improvement. The Ecopass scheme has proved beneficial, but it seems to have exhausted its potential: little further gains in environmental quality could be obtained via a fiscal incentive to improve the abatement technology of the vehicles. The new administration, elected in June 2011, is faced with the task of deciding whether to dismiss, maintain or change the Ecopass scheme. The prevailing idea coming from the Ecopass Commission and from the advocacy groups is to extend both the area of application and the number of classes subject to the charge. A move from a pollution charge to a congestion charge, or at least a combination of a pollution and a congestion charge is envisaged. |
| Keywords: | Ecopass, road pricing, congestion pricing, urban transport |
| Date: | 2011 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:sit:wpaper:11_03&r=env |
| By: | Adrien Vogt-Schilb (CIRED - Centre International de Recherche sur l'Environnement et le Développement - CIRAD : UMR56 - CNRS : UMR8568 - Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (EHESS) - Ecole des Ponts ParisTech - AgroParisTech); Stéphane Hallegatte (CNRM-GAME - Groupe d'étude de l'atmosphère météorologique - CNRS : URA1357 - INSU - Météo France) |
| Abstract: | We investigate the use of expert-based Marginal Abatement Cost Curves (MACC) to design abatement strategies. We show that introducing inertia, in the form of the "cost in time" of available options, changes the message from MACCs. Under some conditions, it makes sense to implement some of the more expensive options before the potential of the cheapest ones has been exhausted. It can even be preferable to start with the implementation of the most expensive options if their potential is high and their inertia significant. Also, the best way to achieve Europe's goal of 20 percent reduction in emissions by 2020 is different if this objective is the ultimate objective or if it is only a milestone in a trajectory toward a 75 percent reduction in 2050. The cheapest options may be sufficient to reach the 2020 target but could create a carbon-intensive lock-in and preclude deeper emission reductions by 2050. These results show that in a world without perfect foresight and perfect credibility of the long-term carbon-price signal, a unique carbon price in all sectors is not the most efficient approach. Sectoral objectives, such as Europe's 20 percent renewable energy target in Europe, fuel-economy standards in the auto industry, or changes in urban planning, building norms and infrastructure design are a critical part of an efficient mitigation policy. |
| Keywords: | marginal abatement cost curves; MACC; inertia; when-flexibility; how-flexibility; optimal abatement strategy; merit-order; timing; dynamic efficiency |
| Date: | 2011–08–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-00626261&r=env |
| By: | Massimiliano Mazzanti; Davide Antonioli; Susanna Mancinelli |
| Abstract: | Many scholars have highlighted the role of high performance work practices (HPWP) and Human Resource Management (HRM) as contents of organizational change that integrate with green business strategies, mainly in the realm of the ‘Porter paradigm of change’ and competitive advantage. We investigate whether manufacturing firms, in light of the challenges that the path to a ‘Green economy’ poses, have given heavier weight in most recent times to internal sources of environmental innovation (EI) that refer to structural mechanisms of organizational change. More specifically, we analyse how the complementarity between different performance oriented strategies such as training and organizational innovations of labor and production can (jointly) foster the adoption of relatively more radical innovations, as environmental ones are. We use an original dataset on 555 Italian industrial firms on EI and high performance work practices, coherent with the last CIS5 survey, to analyse whether various, more or less radical, forms of environmental innovations are correlated to complementarity investments in HPWP/HRM. Empirical evidence shows that the strict complementarity assumption is not valid as a general rule for the HPWP/HRM strategies we analyse. We indeed find that trade offs (substitutability) is present when training competencies and organizational change in production are investigated. Weaknesses in organizational change processes are then highlighted for the sake of management restructuring. Sector specificity and market conditions eventually matter: the only case where we do find strict complementarities in organizational change is for CO2 abatement, a relatively more radical type of EI, but when we restrict the sample to more polluting (and regulated) firms. This evidence is coherent with the Porter hypothesis: complementarity related adoption of EI is an element of organizational change in firms that are subject to more stringent regulations. The fact that strict complementarity is not a diffused factor behind the adoption of all environmental innovations does not come indeed at a surprise. At this stage of development of green strategies, the share of eco-firms is still limited even in advanced countries that are seeking for new competitiveness tools. Market Leaders do find innovations sources mainly ‘outside’ the boundaries instead of reshaping organizations along complementary green lines. The integration of EIs with the internal capabilities and firm’s own assets is far from being reached even in advanced and competitive industrial settings. |
| Keywords: | environmental innovations; complementarity; HRM; HPWP; training; innovation survey; manufacturing firms; Porter hypothesis |
| JEL: | L6 M53 O3 Q55 |
| Date: | 2011–10–26 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:udf:wpaper:201115&r=env |
| By: | Peter Skott (University of Massachusetts Amherst); Leila Davis (University of Massachusetts Amherst) |
| Abstract: | The economic analysis of global warming is dominated by models based on optimal growth theory. These representative-agent models have an intrinsic distributional bias in favor of the rich. The bias is compounded by the se of revenue-neutrality in the allocation of emission permits. The result is mitigation recommendations that are biased downwards. JEL Categories: Q13, I3, E1 |
| Keywords: | representative agent, welfare, global warming, inequality. |
| Date: | 2011–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ums:papers:2011-22&r=env |
| By: | Cristina Dengel; John Horton |
| Abstract: | The IDB's strategy in Brazil seeks to promote and further the reform and modernization of the public sector, to support efforts to improve the competitiveness of Brazilian goods, to support the efforts to reduce social inequalities and poverty and, finally, to address the problems of environmental and natural resource management. The Sustainable Development Program in the State of Acre supported the four elements of this strategy by including activities to strengthen the capacity for environmental management at the state level thus promoting modernization of the state, by bolstering competitiveness through improvement of the quality of the transportation infrastructure, by actions to foster the productivity of rural communities and small producers thus supporting efforts to reduce inequality and by actions for conservation and protection of the Amazon rainforest. This note gives an overview of key achievements and challenges to reach such results as well as outline the key lessons learned accumulated over the course of the project. |
| Keywords: | Environment & Natural Resources :: Biodiversity & Natural Resources Management, Infrastructure & Transport, Rural & Urban Development :: Rural Development, Agriculture & Food Security :: Plant, Animal, & Food Production, Social Development :: Poverty, amazon rainforest, environment conservation, inequality |
| Date: | 2011–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:idb:brikps:51098&r=env |
| By: | Alessio D'Amato (Faculty of Economics, University of Rome "Tor Vergata"); Massimiliano Mazzanti (University of Ferrara); Francesco Nicolli (University of Ferrara) |
| Abstract: | Waste management / disposal performances and a desirable delinking between income and waste trends are influenced by socio economic, institutional and policy factors. In highly regionalised settings many idiosyncratic factors of local interest influence waste management and disposal. Through an impact on policy enforcement costs, crime activities in a defined area and their geographical spillovers, may negatively affect legal forms of waste management and disposal. Given its high regional heterogeneity and known plague of Mafia in areas affected by recent =waste crisis‘, Italy is a compelling case study: in full consistence to a theoretical model that analyzes how legal disposal (landfill), illegal disposal and recyclable waste levels are influenced by waste tariff and crime; econometric analysis on Italian provinces, shows that separated collection and legal forms of waste disposal are lower when crime spills are present. Crime activities erode and slow down the enhancement of waste management and disposal brought about by socio economic and structural factors enhanced by the introduction of newly crafted economic minded tariffs. |
| Keywords: | waste tariffs, crime, mafia, waste management and disposal, enforcement costs, recycling. |
| Date: | 2011–10–24 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:rtv:ceisrp:213&r=env |
| By: | Leila Davis (University of Massachusetts Amherst); Peter Skott (University of Massachusetts Amherst) |
| Abstract: | The economic analysis of global warming is dominated by models based on optimal growth theory. This approach can generate biases in the presence of positional goods and status effects. We show that by ignoring these direct consumption externalities, integrated assessment models overestimate the social return to conventional investment and underestimate the optimal amount of investment in mitigation. Empirical evidence on the influence of relative consumption on utility suggests that the bias could be quantitatively significant. Our results from a simple survey support this conclusion. JEL Categories: Q13, I3, E1 |
| Keywords: | representative agent, consumption externalities, positional goods, relative consumption, welfare, global warming, discount rates. |
| Date: | 2011–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ums:papers:2011-24&r=env |
| By: | Raouf Boucekkine (GREQAM - Groupement de Recherche en Économie Quantitative d'Aix-Marseille - Université de la Méditerranée - Aix-Marseille II - Université Paul Cézanne - Aix-Marseille III - Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (EHESS) - CNRS : UMR6579); Natali Hritonenko (Prairie View - A&M University); Yuri Yatsenko (Houston Baptist University - Houston Baptist University) |
| Abstract: | We consider an optimal growth model of an economy facing an exogenous pollution quota. In the absence of an international market of pollution permits, the economy has three instruments to reach sustainable growth: R&D to develop cleaner technologies, investment in new clean capital goods, and scrapping of the old dirty capital. The R&D technology depends negatively on a complexity component and positively on investment in this sector at constant elasticity. First, we characterize possible balanced growth paths for different parameterizations of the R&D technology. It is shown that countries with an under-performing R&D sector would need an increasing pollution quota over time to ensure balanced growth while countries with a highly efficient R&D sector would supply part of their assigned pollution permits in an international market without harming their long-term growth. Second, we study transitional dynamics to balanced growth. We prove that regardless of how large the regulation quota is, the transition dynamics leads to the balanced growth with binding quota in a finite time. In particular, we discover two optimal transition regimes: an intensive growth (sustained investment in new capital and R&D with scrapping the oldest capital goods), and an extensive growth (sustained investment in new capital and R&D without scrapping the oldest capital). |
| Keywords: | Sustainable growth; vintage capital; endogenous growth; R&D; pollution quotas |
| Date: | 2011–10–17 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:wpaper:halshs-00632887&r=env |
| By: | Sandra Rousseau; Liesbet Vranken; |
| Abstract: | Organic labels potentially play an important role in shaping consumer preferences for organic food products. Information implied by the presence of labels can be used by consumers to facilitate their consumption decisions. Therefore, we investigate the influence of the provision of objective information on the willingness-to-pay of consumers for labeled organic apples in Flanders (Belgium). Initially, we find that Flemish consumers are willing to pay a positive price premium of approximately 33 eurocent per kilogram for labeled organic apples. After the provision of information on the actual environmental and health effects of organic apple production, this price premium becomes even more pronounced and amounts to approximately 56 eurocent per kilogram. |
| Keywords: | organic food production, willingness-to-pay, choice experiment, role of information |
| JEL: | Q01 Q51 D12 |
| Date: | 2011 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:lic:licosd:28411&r=env |
| By: | Christopher Jeffords (University of Connecticut); Farhed Shah (University of Connecticut) |
| Abstract: | We present, to the best of our knowledge, the first economic model of the human right to water using a nonrenewable resource model inclusive of a backstop technology. The right is interpreted as a minimum consumption requirement the government is obligated to fulfill in the event that any one household cannot do so independently. Differing by income levels, households maximize utility by purchasing a composite consumption good and water from two distinct, government-owned sources. Facing physical and financial constraints, the government uses fiscal policy to address potential human rights violations. Reducing the analysis to two-periods, we develop a novel approach to compare total welfare levels from a joint human rights and economics perspective. We define a human rights welfare standard and discuss cases where traditional social welfare measures would meet, surpass, or violate this standard. We thus offer a unique way to merge economic analysis with human rights research. |
| Keywords: | Nonrenewable resource, water, minimum consumption requirement, human right to water, government policy |
| JEL: | D19 D69 D63 Q38 |
| Date: | 2011–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:uct:ecriwp:18&r=env |
| By: | Dambala Gelo (Department of Economics, University of Pretoria); Steven F. Koch (Department of Economics, University of Pretoria) |
| Abstract: | Through the implementation of a choice experiment valuation exercise, this study set out to identify the set of community plantation attributes that impact the welfare of potential community forestry program participants. We employed a combination of choice models to evaluate the preferences, welfare impacts and choice elasticities associated with alternative community forestry programs, allowing for different assumptions regarding heterogeneity. In line with economic theory, increased participation costs reduced the demand for community forestry, while increases in expected productivity raised the demand. With respect to preferences for the other alternatives considered - type of forest, area enclosure and type of land upon which the forest was to be situated - the results point to significant differences in preferences across the study population, suggesting that programs should be tailored to the communities in which the program is to be implemented. |
| Keywords: | Community forestry, choice experiment, conditional logit, random parameters logit and latent class model |
| JEL: | Q23 Q28 Q51 |
| Date: | 2011–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pre:wpaper:201121&r=env |
| By: | Thijs Vandemoortele; ; |
| Abstract: | Retailers’ private standards are increasingly important in addressing consumer concerns about safety, quality and social and environmental issues. Empirical evidence shows that these private standards are frequently more stringent than their public counterparts. I develop a political economy model that may contribute to explaining this stylized fact. I show that if producers exercise their political power to persuade the government to impose a lower public standard, retailers may apply their market power to install a private standard at a higher level than the public one, depending on several factors. |
| Keywords: | Private standards, public standards, political economy |
| JEL: | D72 L15 |
| Date: | 2011 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:lic:licosd:29611&r=env |
| By: | Antonin, Céline (Centre de recherche en économie de Sciences Po); Melonio, Thomas (Agence Française de Développement); Timbeau, Xavier (Centre de recherche en économie de Sciences Po) |
| Abstract: | Cet article discute de la pertinence théorique et de la validité empirique du principal indicateur de soutenabilité utilisé dans les travaux de recherche et discuté dans les forums internationaux, l'épargne nette ajustée. Après avoir rappelé le contexte de sa conception théorique et la méthodologie qui le soustend, l'article pointe certaines limites importantes de l'épargne nette ajustée telle qu'elle est calculée aujourd'hui par la Banque mondiale. Des innovations sont introduites dans le calcul : la dépréciation du capital éducatif, une prise en compte plus exhaustive des émissions de carbone et un prix social du carbone plus élevé. Ces changements modifient sensiblement les conclusions optimistes, en matière de soutenabilité globale, que l'on peut tirer des données que la Banque mondiale publie. |
| Keywords: | épargne nette ajustée, dépréciation du capital éducatif, emissions de carbone; |
| Date: | 2011 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ner:sciepo:info:hdl:2441/eu4vqp9ompqllr09hi4j70a29&r=env |
| By: | Callonnec, Gaël; Reynès, Frédéric (Centre de recherche en économie de Sciences Po); Tamsamani, Yasser Yeddir |
| Abstract: | Cet article évalue l’impact macroéconomique et sectoriel d’une taxe carbone en France en utilisant le modèle Three-ME qui combine deux caractéristiques importantes pour cette analyse. (1) Le modèle possède une structure sectorielle détaillée avec une fine description du système fiscal français, en particulier de la fiscalité appliquée à l’énergie. (2) Il a les principales propriétés des modèles d’inspiration néo-keynésienne car il tient compte de la lenteur des processus d’ajustement des prix et des quantités. Les modèles d’équilibre général d’inspiration walrasienne mettent souvent en évidence les conséquences à long terme d’une taxe carbone sur l’économie mais ils négligent les effets à court et moyen terme notamment sur l’emploi et sur la compétitivité des entreprises. Or l’acceptabilité des réformes environnementales dépend souvent de leurs répercussions sur la sphère économique et sociale à court terme. Ayant des propriétés néokeynésiennes, Three-ME permet de mesurer ces répercussions. Nos résultats confirment sous certaines conditions la possibilité d’un double dividende économique et environnemental autant à court terme qu’à long terme. L’amélioration de la situation économique dépend néanmoins des mesures d’accompagnement mises en oeuvre telles que les exonérations et les modalités de redistribution de la taxe. Il apparaît aussi que ces mesures d’accompagnement réduisent sensiblement l’ampleur du dividende environnemental. |
| Keywords: | taxe carbone, modèle macroéconomique néo-keynésien, analyse sectorielle.; |
| Date: | 2011 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ner:sciepo:info:hdl:2441/eu4vqp9ompqllr09hi4ipb1c8&r=env |