|
on Environmental Economics |
| By: | Niko Jaakkola; Rick van der Ploeg |
| Abstract: | Global warming can be curbed by pricing carbon emissions and thus substituting fossil fuel with renewable energy consumption. Breakthrough technologies (e.g., fusion energy) can reduce the cost of such policies. However, the chance of such a technology coming to market depends on investment. We model breakthroughs as an irreversible tipping point in a multi-country world, with different degrees of international cooperation. We show that international spill-over effects of R&D in carbon-free technologies lead to double free-riding, strategic over-pollution and underinvestment in green R&D, thus making climate change mitigation more difficult. We also show how the demand structure determines whether carbon pricing and R&D policies are substitutes or complements. |
| Keywords: | climate policy with breakthrough technology |
| JEL: | D62 D90 H23 Q38 Q54 Q58 |
| Date: | 2018 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ces:ceswps:_6977&r=env |
| By: | Loeschel, Andreas; Pei, Jiansuo; Sturm, Bodo; Wang, Ran; Buchholz, Wolfgang; Zhao, Zhongxiu |
| Abstract: | In this study, the real demand for global and local environmental protection in Beijing, China, is elicited and investigated. Participants from Beijing were offered the opportunity to contribute to voluntary climate change mitigation by purchasing permits from two Chinese CO2 emissions trading schemes (ETS). Purchased permits were withdrawn from the ETS. Since CO2 emissions mitigation is inevitably linked to other local benefits like the reduction in emissions of air pollutants, the aim of our study is to establish the demand for local and global environmental protection. To this end, Beijing and Shenzhen ETS permits were offered. The result is that at low prices the demand for Beijing ETS permits is significantly higher than for Shenzhen ETS permits indicating that a substantial part of the revealed demand for voluntary climate change mitigation in Beijing is driven by concerns for local co-benefits of CO2 emissions reduction. Our research identifies the important role of private benefits in the voluntary provision of the global public good climate change mitigation and provides first experimental evidence for China. |
| Keywords: | demand for environmental protection,experimental economics,willingness to pay,China,voluntary climate change mitigation,co-benefits |
| JEL: | Q51 Q54 C93 |
| Date: | 2018 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:zewdip:18017&r=env |
| By: | Kaushal, Kevin R. (School of Economics and Business, Norwegian University of Life Sciences); Navrud, Ståle (School of Economics and Business, Norwegian University of Life Sciences) |
| Abstract: | Climate change will have a major impact on global biodiversity. However, these changes – and their economic value– is inadequately captured in the existing Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs). We provide improved damage cost estimates based on a recent biophysical assessment of impact on species loss from increased global mean temperature, and value transfer from a recent global Delphi Contingent Valuation (CV) study of households´ willingness-to-pay (WTP) to avoid species loss due to deforestation of the Amazon rainforest. This is implemented in the FUND (Climate Framework for Uncertainty, Negotiation and Distribution) IAM. The numerical simulations suggest that the global species loss is lower than the original FUND model predicted. However, the economic valuation of the species loss is larger, resulting in higher aggregate biodiversity damage cost. Moreover, depending on the assumed marginal utility of consumption in the regions and discount rate used, the global Social Cost of Carbon Dioxide (SCCO2) could be more than seven times higher than in the original FUND 3.9 IAM. This indicate that IAMs with incomplete assessment and valuation of species loss could greatly underestimate SC-CO2; and thus lead to underinvestment in greenhouse gas mitigation measures. |
| Keywords: | Integrated Assessment Models; Climate change; Ecosystem services; Species loss; Social Costs of Carbon Dioxide |
| JEL: | Q54 |
| Date: | 2018–04–23 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hhs:nlsseb:2018_004&r=env |
| By: | Andreas Löschel; Jiansuo Pei; Bodo Sturm; Ran Wang; Wolfgang Buchholz; Zhongxiu Zhao |
| Abstract: | In this study, the real demand for global and local environmental protection in Beijing, China, is elicited and investigated. Participants from Beijing were offered the opportunity to contribute to voluntary climate change mitigation by purchasing permits from two Chinese CO2 emissions trading schemes (ETS). Purchased permits were withdrawn from the ETS. Since CO2 emissions mitigation is inevitably linked to other local benefits like the reduction in emissions of air pollutants, the aim of our study is to establish the demand for local and global environmental protection. To this end, Beijing and Shenzhen ETS permits were offered. The result is that at low prices the demand for Beijing ETS permits is significantly higher than for Shenzhen ETS permits indicating that a substantial part of the revealed demand for voluntary climate change mitigation in Beijing is driven by concerns for local co-benefits of CO2 emissions reduction. Our research identifies the important role of private benefits in the voluntary provision of the global public good climate change mitigation and provides first experimental evidence for China. |
| Keywords: | demand for environmental protection, experimental economics, willingness to pay, voluntary climate change mitigation, cobenefits |
| JEL: | C93 Q51 Q54 |
| Date: | 2018 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ces:ceswps:_6973&r=env |
| By: | Doro, Erica; Réquillart, Vincent |
| Abstract: | Food systems in developed countries face one major challenge, namely the promotion of diets that are both healthy and generate less greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE). In this article, we review papers evaluating the impact of a change in diets on both health and GHGE. We address the following questions: How big are the health and environmental impacts that could be induced by a switch to healthier diets? What is, in monetary value, the relative importance of the health impact and the environmental impact? Is it possible to design an economic policy that increases global welfare taking into account externalities on both health and the environment? Since the way the change in diet is modeled is a key issue, we classify papers according to the methodology used for simulating diet changes: ad-hoc scenarios, optimized diets and economic modelling. We find that it is possible to design economic policies that have positive impacts on both dimensions. Because the substitutions / complementarities between food products are complex, it is not granted that a policy targeting one dimension will generate positive effects on the other dimensions. However, given the diversity of substitution and complementarity possibilities between products, it is possible to design a policy that does improve both dimensions. A carbon-based policy that targets the products with a high GHG content (e.g. meat products) and reinvests the revenues collected with the tax to subsidize the consumption of fruits and vegetables is likely to have positive effects on both dimensions. |
| Keywords: | food; consumer; diets; nutritional policy; health; climate change;greenhouse gas; environmental policy |
| JEL: | I18 Q18 Q54 |
| Date: | 2018–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:tse:wpaper:32616&r=env |
| By: | Ian Parry; Victor Mylonas |
| Abstract: | The pan-Canadian approach to carbon pricing, announced in October 2016, ensures that carbon pricing applies throughout Canada in 2018, with increasing stringency over time to reduce emissions. Canadian provinces and territories have the flexibility to either implement an explicit price-based system—with a minimum price of CAN $10 per tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2018, increasing to CAN $50 per tonne by 2022—or an equivalently scaled emissions trading system. This paper discusses the rationale for, and design of, the price floor requirement; its (provincial-level) environmental, fiscal, and economic welfare impacts; monitoring issues; and (national-level) incidence. The general conclusion is that the welfare costs and implementation issues are manageable, and pricing provides significant new revenues. A challenge is that the floor price by itself appears well short of what will be needed by 2030 for Canada’s Paris Agreement pledge. |
| Keywords: | carbon price, price floor, Canada, welfare impacts, incidence, effective carbon price, competitiveness impacts |
| JEL: | Q54 Q58 H23 |
| Date: | 2018 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ces:ceswps:_6959&r=env |
| By: | W. Walker Hanlon |
| Abstract: | This study provides new evidence on the impact of air pollution in London over the century from 1866-1965. To identify weeks with elevated pollution levels I use new data tracking the timing of London's famous fog events, which trapped emissions in the city. These events are compared to detailed new weekly mortality data. My results show that acute pollution exposure due to fog events accounted for at least one out of every 200 deaths in London during this century. I provide evidence that the presence of infectious diseases of the respiratory system, such as measles and tuberculosis, increased the mortality effects of pollution. As a result, success in reducing the infectious diseases burden in London in the 20th century reduced the impact of pollution exposure and shifted the distribution of pollution effects across age groups. |
| JEL: | I15 N3 Q53 |
| Date: | 2018–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:24488&r=env |
| By: | Annie Mwai Mapulanga and Hisahiro Naito |
| Abstract: | Using Malawi's satellite images of land use and cover, weather data and population data at each cluster and two waves of the Demographic Health Survey (DHS), this paper estimates the causal effect of deforestation on access to clean drinking water. The previous literature of forest science have examined the effect of deforestation of water flow and mixed results. This paper, instead, directly examines the causal effect of deforestation on households' access to clean drinking water by using two Staged Least Square (2SLS) estimation. The results illustrate strong empirical evidence that deforestation decreases the access to clean water. Falsification tests show that a possibility of our instrumental variable picking up an unobserved time trend is very unlikely. We find that a one percentage point increase in deforestation decreases access to clean water by 1.0-1.3 percentage points. |
| Date: | 2018–03 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:tsu:tewpjp:2018-004&r=env |
| By: | Lionel Nesta (Observatoire français des conjonctures économiques); Elena Verdolini; Francesco Vona (Observatoire français des conjonctures économiques) |
| Abstract: | This paper analyzes the effect of environmental policies on the direction of energy innovation across countries over the period 1990-2012. Our novelty is to use threshold regression models to allow for discontinuities in policy effectiveness depending on a country's relative competencies in renewable and fossil fuel technologies. We show that the dynamic incentives of environmental policies become effective just above the median level of relative competencies. In this critical second regime, market-based policies are moderately effective in promoting renewable innovation, while commandand-control policies depress fossil based innovation. Finally, market-based policies are more effective to consolidate a green comparative advantage in the last regime. We illustrate how our approach can be used for policy design in laggard countries. |
| Keywords: | Directed technical change; Threshold models; Environmental policies; Policy mix |
| JEL: | Q58 Q55 Q42 Q48 O34 |
| Date: | 2018–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:spo:wpmain:info:hdl:2441/2qaasbmk6u8cj8maoa30ls1roi&r=env |
| By: | Yongyang Cai; William Brock; Anastasios Xepapadeas; Kenneth Judd |
| Abstract: | We build a novel stochastic dynamic regional integrated assessment model (IAM) of the climate and economic system including a number of important climate science elements that are missing in most IAMs. These elements are spatial heat transport from the Equator to the Poles, sea level rise, permafrost thaw and tipping points. We study optimal policies under cooperation and various degrees of competition between regions. Our results suggest that when the elements of climate science which are accounted for in this paper are ignored, important policy variables such as the social cost of carbon and adaptation could be seriously biased. |
| JEL: | C61 C63 Q54 Q58 |
| Date: | 2018–03 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:24473&r=env |
| By: | Michael Olaf Hoel |
| Abstract: | If bioenergy has a less negative impact on the climate than fossil energy, it may be optimal to have a significant increase in the use of bioenergy over time. Due to the difference in the way the climate is affected by the two types of energy, the future time path of the use of bioenergy may be non-monotonic: It may be optimal to first have an increase in its use, and later a reduction. Optimal taxes and subsidies are derived both for the first-best case and for the case of a constraint on the size of the fossil tax. |
| Keywords: | bioenergy, renewable energy, climate policy, carbon tax, second best, subsidies |
| JEL: | Q42 Q48 Q54 Q58 |
| Date: | 2018 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ces:ceswps:_6971&r=env |
| By: | De Preux Gallone, LB; Sassi, F |
| Abstract: | Interventions to reduce pollution have the potential to increase social welfare through improvements in health, social and economic outcomes. This potential has been shown in a range of economic analyses focusing on specific interventions. In this chapter we present evidence from studies focusing on the health impacts of environmental interventions that have been evaluated from an economic perspective. Overall, this body of evidence is strongly suggestive of beneficial welfare impacts from most interventions. However, there remains significant scope for expanding and strengthening the current evidence base in order to provide clearer guidance to policy makers in policy design and investment decisions. Salient points made in this chapter include: 1) England has successfully managed to “decouple†trends of economic growth and polluting emissions, achieving reductions in emissions of a large range of pollutants with an expanding economy. However, the detrimental health impacts of current levels of pollution are still large, as are the potential benefits of taking more incisive actions against pollution. 2) Economic analysis approaches typically applied in the appraisal of environmental interventions are at odds with those prevailing in the health care domain. A goldstandard economic evaluation approach in the area of environmental health interventions should take a societal perspective and aim at assessing overall impacts on social welfare. Available evidence neglecting these key components likely underestimates the net benefit of pollution reduction measures. 3) Research priorities should now include the evaluation of the societal benefits of measures to address pollution in order to justify economically beneficial interventions that reduce individuals’ pollution exposure or remove the source of emissions. |
| Date: | 2018–03–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:imp:wpaper:58735&r=env |
| By: | Thomas Eichner; Gilbert Kollenbach; Mark Schopf |
| Keywords: | Demand Side Policy, Supply Side Policy, Climate Change, Deposit, Fossil Fuel |
| JEL: | F55 H23 Q54 Q58 |
| Date: | 2018 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:sie:siegen:185-18&r=env |
| By: | Chia-Lin Chang (Department of Applied Economics Department of Finance National Chung Hsing University, Taiwan.); Michael McAleer (Department of Quantitative Finance National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan and Econometric Institute Erasmus School of Economics Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands and Department of Quantitative Economics Complutense University of Madrid, Spain And Institute of Advanced Sciences Yokohama National University, Japan.); Te-Ke Mai (Department of Economics National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan.) |
| Abstract: | The purpose of the paper is to establish national carbon emissions prices for the People’s Republic of China, which is one of the world’s largest producers of carbon emissions. Several measures have been undertaken to address climate change in China, including the establishment of a carbon trading system. Since 2013, eight regional carbon emissions markets have been established, namely Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong, Shenzhen, Tianjin, Chongqing, Hubei and Fujian. The Central Government announced a national carbon emissions market, with power generation as the first industry to be considered. However, as carbon emissions prices in the eight regional markets are very different, for a variety of administrative reasons, it is essential to create a procedure for establishing a national carbon emissions price. The regional markets are pioneers, and their experience will play important roles in establishing a national carbon emissions market, with national prices based on regional prices, turnovers and volumes. The paper considers two sources of regional data for China’s carbon allowances, which are based on primary and secondary data sources, and compares their relative strengths and weaknesses. The paper establishes national carbon emissions prices based on the primary and secondary regional prices, for the first time, and compares both national prices and regional prices against each other. The carbon emission prices in Hubei, Guangdong, Shenzhen and Tianjin are highly correlated with the national prices based on the primary and secondary sources. Establishing national carbon emissions prices should be very helpful for the national carbon emissions market that is under construction in China, as well as for other regions and countries worldwide. |
| Keywords: | Pricing Chinese carbon emissions, National pricing policy, Energy, Volatility, Energy finance, Provincial decisions. |
| JEL: | C22 C58 G12 Q48 |
| Date: | 2018–03 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ucm:doicae:1810&r=env |
| By: | Annie Mwai Mapulanga and Hisahiro Naito |
| Abstract: | Using Malawi's satellite images of land use/land cover change, weather data and population data at each cluster and Population Housing Census (PHC) data, this paper estimates the causal effect of the growth of population of local residents on deforestation in Malawi. We use the average number of births in the census ten years ago as the instrumental variable to control the endogeneity of population growth. The results illustrate strong empirical evidence that high population growth of local residents increases deforestation through expansion of agricultural land. The results show that a 1 percent increase in population growth increases the deforestation rate by 2.7 percent through the increase in agricultural land. In terms of land use changes, a one hectare gain in agriculture land results in a 0.57 hectare loss in forest land cover. |
| Date: | 2018–03 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:tsu:tewpjp:2018-005&r=env |
| By: | Chang, C-L.; Mai, T.K.; McAleer, M.J. |
| Abstract: | The purpose of the paper is to establish national carbon emissions prices for the People’s Republic of China, which is one of the world’s largest producers of carbon emissions. Several measures have been undertaken to address climate change in China, including the establishment of a carbon trading system. Since 2013, eight regional carbon emissions markets have been established, namely Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong, Shenzhen, Tianjin, Chongqing, Hubei and Fujian. The Central Government announced a national carbon emissions market, with power generation as the first industry to be considered. However, as carbon emissions prices in the eight regional markets are very different, for a variety of administrative reasons, it is essential to create a procedure for establishing a national carbon emissions price. The regional markets are pioneers, and their experience will play important roles in establishing a national carbon emissions market, with national prices based on regional prices, turnovers and volumes. The paper considers two sources of regional data for China’s carbon allowances, which are based on primary and secondary data sources, and compares their relative strengths and weaknesses. The paper establishes national carbon emissions prices based on the primary and secondary regional prices, for the first time, and compares both national prices and regional prices against each other. The carbon emission prices in Hubei, Guangdong, Shenzhen and Tianjin are highly correlated with the national prices based on the primary and secondary sources. Establishing national carbon emissions prices should be very helpful for the national carbon emissions market that is under construction in China, as well as for other regions and countries worldwide. |
| Keywords: | Pricing Chinese carbon emissions, National pricing policy, Energy, Volatility, Energy finance, Provincial decisions |
| JEL: | C22 C58 G12 Q48 |
| Date: | 2018–03–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ems:eureir:105880&r=env |
| By: | Nikolas D. Müller; Andreas Pfnür |
| Abstract: | Energy and climate policy for the building sector is a subject of controversial discussion. Against this background, the paper aims to dissolve the complexity and thus generate expertise for politically sustainable decisions.Therefore a. perspectives relevant for policy implementation are elaborated from the literature (i.e. owners, tenants, producers, macroeconomic), b. their specific valuation approaches are exposed and c. regarding the current policy for the building sector discussed.On this basis we can show that ‘efficiency‘ is a term of wide variation in the political debate, depending on which perspective is taken. We can present a conceptual model, which shows the interdependencies and interactions of the different valuation approaches. In addition, we can present minimum requirements for a sustainable policy that could be worked out from the discussion, which we use in the end to discuss the appropriateness of alternative control indicators (i. we. primary energy, GHG-Emissions or the energetic quality of the shell) to create equality of interests as a foundation for a successful policy.The work is highly compatible with the interests of the various stakeholders. As a result, it provides a basis for policy implications to enforce energy efficiency and climate protection in the building sector successfully. |
| Keywords: | Conceptual Model for Policy Implications; Different valuation Approaches; Energy and Climate Policy for Real Estate; Environmental Economics; Real Estate Perspectives |
| JEL: | R3 |
| Date: | 2017–07–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arz:wpaper:eres2017_243&r=env |
| By: | Malikov, Emir; Sun, Kai; Kumbhakar, Subal C. |
| Abstract: | In growth theory, a greater-than-one elasticity of substitution between clean and dirty energy is among key necessary conditions for long-run green economic growth. Using parametric specifications, Papageorgiou et al. (2017) provide first estimates of this fundamentally important inter-energy substitution elasticity. We extend their work by relaxing restrictive functional-form assumptions about production technologies using flexible nonparametric methods. We find that the technological substitutability between clean and dirty energy inputs may not be that strong, especially in the case of a final-goods sector for which the inter-energy elasticity of substitution statistically exceeds one for at most a third of industries/countries. Hence, the favorability of technological conditions for long-run green growth may not be corroborated by the cross-country empirical evidence as strongly as previously thought. |
| Keywords: | aggregate production function, clean and dirty energy, cross-country analysis, elasticity of substitution, environmental policy, green growth |
| JEL: | O44 O47 Q54 Q58 |
| Date: | 2018 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:86260&r=env |
| By: | Peddy PiYing Lai |
| Abstract: | An attractive environment is likely to influence house price. We have high regard for the quality of living environment and living function. Especially, one of the crucial factors of choosing residence is the construct of public facilities that provide much service, such as park, school and green space. The aim of this study was to find the effect of parks and green space on housing price. The research used hedonic price model and geographic information system (GIS) to evaluate the effect of parks and green space in Kaohsiung in Taiwan.The result shows that housing price is determined by the effect of different characteristics. For parks and green space, the more close to parks and green space is, the higher total price is. When the transaction cases surround more parks, the value of property would go up. This situation leads to higher price on transaction cases. When land use zoning is non-residential kind with the purpose of residential type, the total price would raise. The total price of townhouse is higher than apartment, condominium and mansion. There is a negative correlation between building age and total price.However, there is a different result that the effect of difference distance of parks and green space within 500 meter radius on transaction cases. We found that the distance of parks and green space within 500 meter radius is not main factor on transaction cases. The existing and quantity of parks and green space is the main reason for transaction cases. We infer that this is the reason why the result did not fit the expected outcome. The housing price would become higher when it is close to green space |
| Keywords: | Geographic information system%28GIS%29; Hedonic Price Mode; Housing Price; Park and Green space |
| JEL: | R3 |
| Date: | 2017–07–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arz:wpaper:eres2017_353&r=env |
| By: | Nienke Rovers; Rianne Appel-Meulenbroek; Astrid Kemperman |
| Abstract: | In the current office market office providers are obligated to meet as many wishes of the (future) end-users of their buildings as possible in order to keep their buildings from becoming vacant. In order to do so it is necessary to gain more insight in these wishes. The aim of this study was therefore to examine a holistic model for effects of many aspects of the current work environment and of the employees that use it (demographics, personality, and work characteristics) on user satisfaction, mediated by end-user needs. Besides the holistic approach, the context of multi-tenant offices to gather data was also innovative.Data was collected via a survey amongst 272 end-users of 18 office buildings in the Netherlands. A path model was constructed based on current literature and tested with the data using LISREL. Results showed the significance of testing a holistic model, as not all bivariate relations found in literature remained significant. Mainly the type of workspace, storage/clean desk policy and climate comfort of the currently offered work environment determined environmental satisfaction, together with personality characteristics of the respondent. The needs for privacy and for control & expression also played a mediating role. Surprisingly, demographic and work characteristics showed very little effect. Future studies should incorporate a holistic approach and preferably use large and diverse samples. |
| Keywords: | environmental satisfaction; holistic path model; multi-tenant offices; personality; user needs |
| JEL: | R3 |
| Date: | 2017–07–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arz:wpaper:eres2017_25&r=env |
| By: | Francesca Marchetta (CERDI - Centre d'Études et de Recherches sur le Développement International - UdA - Université d'Auvergne - Clermont-Ferrand I - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique); David Sahn (Cornell University); Luca Tiberti (Université Laval) |
| Abstract: | We examine the impact of rainfall variability and cyclones on schooling and work among a cohort of teens and young adults by estimating a bivariate probit model, using a panel survey conducted in 2004 and 2011 in Madagascar—a poor island nation that is frequently affected by extreme weather events. Our results show that negative rainfall deviations and cyclones reduce the current and lagged probability of attending school and encourage young men and, to a greater extent, women to enter the work force. Less wealthy households are most likely to experience this school-to-work transition in the face of rainfall shocks. The finding is consistent with poorer households having less savings and more limited access to credit and insurance, which reduces their ability to cope with negative weather shocks. |
| Keywords: | Climate shocks, Employment, Schooling, Africa. |
| Date: | 2018–04–24 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:wpaper:halshs-01774919&r=env |
| By: | Jonas Hahn; Christian Ott |
| Abstract: | The real estate sector has great potential to reduce the carbon footprint due to its large number of employed people and its resource- and energy-intensive production and maintenance process.Countless empirical studies have shown that Green Buildings generate additional value in terms of transaction prices and rents. Most of their conclusions, though, are limited to specific submarkets, regions or specific aspects of sustainability. These limitations reduce significantly the reliability of their conclusions. In this context, the extensive green payoff evidence of some studies will have to be discussed. Hypothetically, not all relevant control factors have been accounted for appropriately which might result in an overestimated value of "being green".A hedonic regression will be applied to analyse the Green Payoff of a portfolio of 160 European office buildings held by a German investment management firm from 2011 to 2014. Our analysis extends findings of existing payoff studies as it includes not only sustainability certificates, but also green leases, actual consumption data, tenant satisfaction and undertaken refurbishments. In a second step, another factor will be included in the regression framework – the influence of super trophy status. After having controlled for large surface areas, unique architecture, excellent quality of amenities, building height, prominence and return characteristics, what can we conclude about the statistical significance and the size of Green Premia? How do these findings compare to the existing evidence of green payoff literature on benefits of sustainable commercial real estate in Europe? |
| Keywords: | Green Building; green payoff; Hedonic regression; Sustainability; trophy properties |
| JEL: | R3 |
| Date: | 2017–07–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arz:wpaper:eres2017_312&r=env |
| By: | Sara Wilkinson |
| Abstract: | This is a period of rapid urbanisation, population growth and manifestation of climate change (RICS 2015). Simultaneously the notion of resilience, resilient cities and resilient buildings is gaining traction. Resilience issues are either chronic; that is slow and continuing or acute; rapidly occurring and unpredictable. Resilience issues can be governance and policy or social, economic or environmental in nature. Some resilience issues, such as flooding, is an acute resilience issue that can be mitigated through effective building design. A response at the city scale has been the 100 Resilient Cities initiative where member cities set out resilience issues affecting them and a strategy to address them. The Rotterdam resilience strategy has a model with concentric circles showing buildings at the smallest level, followed by precincts, cities, metropolitan areas, countries, regions and finally the world. The inference is resilience needs to be embedded at building level and it will filter outwards. However to date, no appraisal tool/model exists to relate the 49 resilience issues to buildings. Furthermore none of the existing rating tools for building sustainability explicitly deal with resilience. The debate to date about resilience is largely at the city scale and practitioners have little awareness or practical guidance as to how resilience might be mitigated at the building scale in new build or retrofit. This paper identifies the gaps in knowledge and practice, and investigates the viability of using addendums to existing voluntary rating tools and mandatory tools as a means of acknowledging the building related resilience issues. |
| Keywords: | Buildings; rating tools; Resilience; Sustainability |
| JEL: | R3 |
| Date: | 2017–07–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arz:wpaper:eres2017_354&r=env |
| By: | Daniel Danau; Annalisa Vinella |
| Abstract: | Riordan and Sappington (JET, 1988) show that in an agency relationship in which the agent’s type is correlated with a public ex post signal, the principal may attain first best (full surplus extraction and efficient output levels) if the agent is faced with a lottery such that each type is rewarded for one signal realization and punished equally for all the others. Gary-Bobo and Spiegel (RAND, 2006) show that this kind of lottery is most likely to be locally incentive compatible when the agent is protected by limited liability. In this paper, we investigate how the principal should construct the lottery to attain not only local but also global incentive compatibility. We first assess that the main issue with global incentive compatibility rests with intermediate types being potentially attractive reports to both lower and higher types. We then show that a lottery including three levels of profit (rather than only two) is optimal in that it is most likely to be globally incentive compatible under limited liability, if local incentive constraints are strictly satisfied. We identify conditions under which first best is implemented. In a setting with three types and three signals we also pin down the optimal distortions when those conditions are violated. We show that, if local incentive compatibility is not an issue but first best is beyond reach, then it is generally optimal to concede an information rent to one type only. |
| Keywords: | informative signals, limited liability, conditional probability, incentive compatibility, full-rank condition |
| JEL: | D82 |
| Date: | 2018 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ces:ceswps:_6974&r=env |
| By: | - |
| Abstract: | En el marco del proceso de alineación de la planificación nacional y la Agenda 2030, la Unidad de Desarrollo Social de la CEPAL México ha propuesto una metodología que permite articular los contenidos de un instrumento de planificación en términos de estrategias o líneas de acción, con los objetivos y metas de la Agenda de Desarrollo Sostenible, así como identificar los vínculos entre dichas metas y estrategias para posteriormente realizar un proceso de jerarquización mediante la identificación de eslabones y nodos críticos que finalmente deriven en planteamientos de prioridades nacionales para el proceso de implementación de acciones a favor del cumplimiento de los ODS. Dicha metodología ha sido utilizada en el marco del proceso de apropiación de la Agenda 2030 en Guatemala adecuándola a su contexto nacional, lo que ha permitido identificar aspectos estratégicos que pueden ser abordados en la etapa de implementación de la misma desde una visión holística del desarrollo sostenible y una óptica integral que articula en la estrategia a diversos actores y sectores involucrados. Este texto presenta la aplicación práctica de la guía metodológica en el caso guatemalteco y se plantea como una herramienta que puede ser de utilidad para que otros países puedan realizar alguna de las fases antes descritas, sobre todo en el proceso de identificación de prioridades nacionales y vínculos entre metas, lo que deriva en una visión práctica de la integralidad e intersectorialidad que la Agenda 2030 plantea. |
| Keywords: | AGENDA 2030 PARA EL DESARROLLO SOSTENIBLE, PLANES DE DESARROLLO, PLANIFICACION DEL DESARROLLO, ADMINISTRACION PUBLICA, ESTUDIOS DE CASOS, 2030 AGENDA FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, DEVELOPMENT PLANS, DEVELOPMENT PLANNING, PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION, CASE STUDIES |
| Date: | 2018–04–19 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ecr:col094:43526&r=env |
| By: | Radoslaw Trojanek; Sonia Huderek-Glapska |
| Abstract: | The interactions between air transport activities, airport location, local society and the regional economy are of great importance nowadays. Air traffic growth enhances the development of the economy and brings benefits to the users. On the other hand, there are some negative external effects and the costs are borne to great extent by the local community. Sustainable development requires all the effects caused by the provision of air services to be included in a comprehensive assessment of air transport activities. The aim of this study is to discuss the role of air transport as an instrument for sustainable development, investigate the external costs of aviation with particular emphasis on the effect of aviation noise on the local community and estimate to what degree this impact is stable over a period of time. The social cost of noise was evaluated through a complementary market, namely a change in the value of properties located in an area affected by airport activities. Therefore the impact of the Limited Use Area (LUA) related to aircraft noise associated with the operations of the largest airport in Poland, Warsaw Chopin Airport, on the housing prices in Warsaw was measured through the use of hedonic price modelling. Our estimates suggest that the impact of aviation noise on land-use policy has implications for the housing market. The location of a dwelling within the Limited Use Area around Warsaw Chopin Airport reduces its value by about 3%on average in the years 2011-2014, the NDI value being 0.6. According to the results of estimations the LUA variable for the years 2007-2009 was statistically insignificant. |
| Keywords: | aviation noise; limited use area; property prices |
| JEL: | R3 |
| Date: | 2017–07–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arz:wpaper:eres2017_251&r=env |
| By: | Jean Pierre Ponssard (Department of Economics, École Polytechnique, Palaiseau Cedex, 91128, France - affiliation inconnue); Guy Meunier (CIRED - Centre International de Recherche sur l'Environnement et le Développement - CIRAD - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - AgroParisTech - ENPC - École des Ponts ParisTech - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique) |
| Date: | 2018–04–24 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:wpaper:halshs-01777499&r=env |
| By: | Laté Ayao Lawson; Phu Nguyen-Van |
| Abstract: | Some scientific views argue that human population and economic activities might be expanding at the cost of other biological species. Hence, this paper proposes an empirical analysis on the case of threatened animal and plant species, exploiting an international panel dataset to test whether there is a peaceful cohabitation with human activities. Applying count data regression techniques we show, on the one hand, that human population growth and agricultural production harm animal and plant species. On the other hand, our results indicate that the number of threatened animal and plant species depicts an inverted U-shaped curve with income per capita. Our analysis further suggests that the more biological species-rich a region is, the more threatened species it holds, other things being equal. Globally compared to developing countries, developed countries definitely appear to be threatening fewer animal and plant species, suggesting a possible peaceful cohabitation between living species. |
| Keywords: | Biodiversity loss, threatened species, income, population, control function approach. |
| JEL: | C23 C29 Q57 |
| Date: | 2018 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ulp:sbbeta:2018-19&r=env |
| By: | Shteryo Nozharov |
| Abstract: | The study aims to identify the institutional flaws of the current EU waste management model by analysing the economic model of extended producer responsibility and collective waste management systems and to create a model for measuring the transaction costs borne by waste recovery organizations. The model was approbated by analysing the Bulgarian collective waste management systems that have been complying with the EU legislation for the last 10 years. The analysis focuses on waste oils because of their economic importance and the limited number of studies and analyses in this field as the predominant body of research to date has mainly addressed packaging waste, mixed household waste or discarded electrical and electronic equipment. The study aims to support the process of establishing a circular economy in the EU, which was initiated in 2015. |
| Date: | 2018–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:1804.06792&r=env |
| By: | María de Lourdes VÁzquez RascÓn (UQAM - Université du Québec à Montréal); Miguel Ángel Corona JimÉnez; Adrian Ilinca (UQAR - Université du Québec A Rimouski) |
| Abstract: | The DEMIT approach (energy development by modeling and territorial intelligence) was created to respond to citizen requests for transparency and participation in decision-making for the construction of wind farms in the state of Quebec, Canada. To this end, DEMIT articulates four modules where multicriterial analysis and collaborative geographic information systems interact with the knowledge (local or techno-scientific) of the actors involved in a renewable energy project. In an academic and institutional framework, and thanks to bilateral financing, in 2012 a pilot project was carried out to transfer and adapt this approach to the Mexican context. This pilot project is fictitious and exclusively academic. |
| Abstract: | El enfoque DEMIT (desarrollo energético por modelización et inteligencia territorial) fue creado para dar respuesta a las solicitudes ciudadanas de transparencia y de participación en la toma de decisión para la construcción de parques eólicos en el estado de Quebec, Canadá. Para ello, DEMIT articula cuatro módulos en donde el análisis multicriterio y los sistemas de información geográfica colaborativos interaccionan con los conocimientos (locales o tecno-científicos) de los actores implicados en un proyecto de energía renovable. En un marco académico e institucional, y gracias a un financiamiento bilateral, en 2012 se realizó un proyecto piloto para la transferencia y adaptación de este enfoque al contexto mexicano. Dicho proyecto piloto es ficticio y exclusivamente académico. Palabras clave: energía renovable, impactos socio-ambientales, toma de decisión participativa. |
| Keywords: | renewable energy,socio-environmental impacts,participatory decision making. |
| Date: | 2017 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:halshs-01740298&r=env |
| By: | Jean Huge; Karolien K. Van Puyvelde; Cosmas C. Munga; Farid Dahdouh-Guebas; Nico Koedam |
| Abstract: | Tropical coastal systems are undergoing rapid change, which impacts people and natural resources, and that requires innovative governance processes to be turned into an opportunity for sustainable management. Focusing on Unguja, the main island of the Zanzibar archipelago in Tanzania, this study explores the current state of the island's coastal systems, as well as probable and desirable scenarios for the future. Based on a two-round iterative Delphi survey aimed at coastal science & management experts, research priorities are identified, and explorative scenarios are proposed. The findings indicate that demographic pressure is expected to have a high impact, and that competing coastal land use claims balancing between tourism infrastructure development and local fisheries-related land are to be expected. Sustainable alternative livelihood strategies are however expected to be part of the solution, for a resilient coastal system, if inclusive governance and management strategies are put in place, e.g. regarding access to coastal resources. This study combines the predictive and normative components of explorative scenarios and its approach and findings can be inspiring in the whole Western Indian Ocean region, beyond the Zanzibar case study. |
| Keywords: | Coastal management; Delphi; Scenarios; Sustainability assessment; Zanzibar |
| Date: | 2018–05 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ulb:ulbeco:2013/269521&r=env |
| By: | Viviana Otero Fadul; Ruben Van De Kerchove; Behara Satyanarayana; Columba Martínez-Espinosa; Muhammad Amir Bin Fisol; Mohd Rodila Bin Ibrahim; Sulong Ibrahim; Husain Mohd-Lokman; Richard Lucas; Farid Dahdouh-Guebas |
| Abstract: | Retrieval of biophysical properties of mangrove vegetation (e.g. height and above ground biomass) has typically relied upon traditional forest inventory data collection methods. Recently, the availability of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) with different types of sensors and capabilities has proliferated, opening the possibility to expand the methods to retrieve biophysical properties of vegetation. Focusing on the Matang Mangrove Forest Reserve (MMFR) in Perak Province, Malaysia, this study aimed to investigate the use of UAV imagery for retrieving structural information on mangroves. We focused on a structurally complex 90-year-old protective forest zone and a simpler 15-year-old productive forest zone that had been silviculturally managed for charcoal production. The UAV data were acquired in June 2016. In the productive zone, the median tree stand heights retrieved from the UAV and field data were, respectively, 13.7 m and 14 m (no significant difference, p-value =.375). In the protective zone, the median tree stand heights retrieved from the UAV and field data were, respectively, 25.8 and 16.5 m (significant difference, p-value =.0001) taking into account only the upper canopy. The above ground biomass (AGB) in the productive zone was estimated at 217 Mg ha−1 using UAV data and 238 Mg ha−1 using ground inventory data. In the protective zone, the AGB was estimated at 210 Mg ha−1 using UAV data and 143 Mg ha−1 using ground inventory data, taking into account only upper canopy trees in both estimations. These observations suggested that UAV data were most useful for retrieving canopy height and biomass from forests that were relatively homogeneous and with a single dominant layer. A set of guidelines for enabling the use of UAV data for local management is presented, including suggestions as to how to use these data in combination with field observations to support management activities. This approach would be applicable in other regions where mangroves occur, particularly as these are environments that are often remote, inaccessible or difficult to work in. |
| Keywords: | Canopy height model; Forest inventory; Mangroves; Structure from Motion; UAV |
| Date: | 2018–03 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ulb:ulbeco:2013/269731&r=env |
| By: | Yuichi Ishimura (Faculty of Management Information, Kyoto College of Economics); Kenji Takeuchi (Graduate School of Economics, Kobe University) |
| Abstract: | This study investigates the spatial concentration of waste landfill sites over two decades. Using a unique dataset of 2,164 industrial-waste landfill sites from 1992 to 2012, we find a persistent spatial concentration of sites managed by private companies. The empirical results show that the economic factors and the existence of other waste-related facilities have a positive effect on the location of private landfill sites. Interestingly, this relationship was fairly stable for 20 years despite a significant decline in the number of sites in operation. The results suggest the difficulty in addressing NIMBY "not in my backyard" issues without public intervention. |
| Keywords: | Waste landfill site, Industrial waste, Spatial econometrics, NIMBY, Japan |
| JEL: | D72 Q53 R39 |
| Date: | 2018–05 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:koe:wpaper:1818&r=env |
| By: | Paul Erian; Gunther Maier; Hans-Martin Neumann; Julia Schmidmayer; Tim Selke |
| Abstract: | The existing stock of buildings plays a key role in achieving goals of energy efficiency and carbon neutrality. Particularly difficult are social housing projects from the 1960s and 1970, which on the one hand were built according to low standards of energy efficiency, and on the other hand are now occupied by an overaged population of lower economic status. In Austria, such neighborhoods constitute a substantial part of the rental housing stock.In this paper we report a project in the city of Salzburg that attempted to analyze the opportunities for converting such a neighborhood toward carbon neutrality. We investigated the legal, institutional, and political framework conditions, analyzed the current technical status of the buildings as well as the social and economic status of the population. In a second step, a number of technical scenarios for investing into energy efficiency of the settlement were developed and evaluated economically. Based on this, we developed recommendations as well as specific steps for their implementation.The paper also takes a critical view of the political and administrative processes, the stakeholders involved and the regulatory framework. |
| Keywords: | 1970s; carbon neutrality; Energy Efficiency; retrofitting; Social Housing |
| JEL: | R3 |
| Date: | 2017–07–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arz:wpaper:eres2017_266&r=env |