|
on Environmental Economics |
| By: | Mount, Timothy D. |
| Keywords: | Environmental Economics and Policy, |
| Date: | 2012–07–18 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:cudawp:128109&r=env |
| By: | Larson, Donald F.; Dinar, Ariel; Blankespoor, Brian |
| Abstract: | Greenhouse gas emissions are largely determined by how energy is created and used, and policies designed to encourage mitigation efforts reflect this reality. However, an unintended consequence of an energy-focused strategy is that the set of policy instruments needed to tap mitigation opportunities in agriculture is incomplete. In particular, market-linked incentives to achieve mitigation targets are disconnected from efforts to better manage carbon sequestered in agricultural land. This is especially important for many countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia where once-productive land has been degraded through poor agricultural practices. Often good agricultural policies and prudent natural resource management can compensate for missing links to mitigation incentives, but only partially. At the same time, two international project-based programs, Joint Implementation and the Clean Development Mechanism, have been used to finance other types of agricultural mitigation efforts worldwide. Even so, a review of projects suggests that few countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia take full advantage of these financing paths. This paper discusses mitigation opportunities in the region, the reach of current mitigation incentives, and missed mitigation opportunities in agriculture. The paper concludes with a discussion of alternative policies designed to jointly promote mitigation and co-benefits for agriculture and the environment. |
| Keywords: | Climate Change Mitigation and Green House Gases,Wetlands,Climate Change Economics,Environmental Economics&Policies,Energy and Environment |
| Date: | 2012–06–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:6080&r=env |
| By: | Kim, Taeyoung; Langpap, Christian |
| Keywords: | Intermediate Forest Management, Carbon Sequestration, Incentive Payments, Price of Carbon, NIPF, Fuel Treatment, Fertilization, Environmental Economics and Policy, Institutional and Behavioral Economics, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy, Q23, Q54, |
| Date: | 2012–08–13 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aaea12:130709&r=env |
| By: | Stéphanie Jamet |
| Abstract: | Denmark’s green growth strategy focuses on moving the energy system away from fossil fuels and investing in green technologies, while limiting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. On the whole, current policies should allow Denmark to reach near-term climate change targets, but may not be sufficient to achieve its most ambitious targets. The challenge is to achieve objectives in a cost-effective manner and to ensure that these ambitions contribute as much as possible to global GHG emissions mitigation and to stronger and greener growth in Denmark. Better exploiting interactions with EU and international policies, finding the appropriate way to support green technologies and reducing GHG emissions in sectors not covered by the EU emission trading scheme are key issues which need to be addressed to meet this challenge. This Working Paper relates to the 2012 OECD Economic Survey of Denmark (www.oecd.org/eco/surveys/denmark).<P>Vers une croissance verte au Danemark : améliorer les politiques énergétiques et climatiques<BR>La stratégie de croissance verte du Danemark vise pour l’essentiel à supprimer les combustibles fossiles du système énergétique et à investir dans les technologies vertes, tout en limitant les émissions de gaz à effet de serre (GES). Dans l’ensemble, les mesures en cours devraient permettre au Danemark d’atteindre les objectifs d’atténuation du changement climatique à court terme mais peut-être pas de réaliser ses objectifs les plus ambitieux. Toute la difficulté sera de les atteindre de manière économiquement efficiente et de veiller à ce que ces ambitions contribuent au mieux à l’atténuation des émissions de GES dans le monde ainsi qu’à une croissance plus forte et plus verte au niveau national. Pour faire face à ce défi, le Danemark devra mieux exploiter les interactions avec les politiques mises en oeuvre dans le cadre de l’UE et à l’échelle internationale, trouver le meilleur moyen de soutenir les technologies vertes et réduire les émissions de GES dans les secteurs qui ne relèvent pas du système communautaire d’échange de quotas d’émissions. Ce Document de travail se rapporte à l’Étude économique de l’OCDE du Danemark, 2012 (www.oecd.org/eco/etudes/danemark). |
| Keywords: | Denmark, renewable energy, climate change, carbon tax, greenhouse gas emissions, green technologies, climate change mitigation policy, energy security, Danemark, énergie renouvelable, changement climatique, émissions de gaz à effet de serre, politiques d’atténuation du changement climatique, taxe carbone, technologies respectueuses de l'environnement |
| JEL: | Q48 Q54 Q58 |
| Date: | 2012–06–28 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:oec:ecoaaa:974-en&r=env |
| By: | Hertel, Thomas W.; Steinbuks, Jevgenijs; Baldos, Uris Lantz C. |
| Abstract: | The global land use implications of biofuel expansion have received considerable attention in the literature over the past decade. Model-based estimates of the emissions from cropland expansion have been used to assess the environmental impacts of biofuel policies. And integrated assessment models have estimated the potential for biofuels to contribute to greenhouse gas abatement over the coming century. All of these studies feature, explicitly or implicitly, competition between biofuel feed stocks and other land uses. However, the economic mechanisms governing this competition, as well as the contribution of biofuels to global land use change, have not received the close scrutiny that they deserve. The purpose of this paper is to offer a deeper look at these factors. We begin with a comparative static analysis which assesses the impact of exogenously specified forecasts of biofuel expansion over the 2006-2035 period. Global land use change is decomposed according to the three key margins of economic response: extensive supply, intensive supply, and demand. Under the International Energy Agency’s “New Policies” scenario, biofuels account for nearly one-fifth of global land use change over the 2006-2035 period. The paper also offers a comparative dynamic analysis which determines the optimal path for first and second generation biofuels over the course of the entire 21st century. In the absence of GHG regulation, the welfare-maximizing path for global land use allocates 170 Mha to biofuel feed stocks by 2100, with the associated biofuels accounting for about 30% of global liquid fuel consumption. This area expansion is somewhat diminished by expected climate change impacts on agriculture, while it is significantly increased by a moderately aggressive GHG emissions target and by advances in conversion efficiency of second generation biofuels. Keywords: Biofuels, global land use, partial equilibrium analysis, comparative statics, comparative dynamics, climate change impacts, carbon policies. |
| Keywords: | Biofuels, global land use, partial equilibrium analysis, comparative statics, comparative dynamics, climate change impacts, carbon policies, Land Economics/Use, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy, Q11, Q15, Q24, Q42, Q54, |
| Date: | 2012 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae12:129614&r=env |
| By: | Jeffrey D. Sachs (Asian Development Bank Institute); Shiv Someshwar |
| Abstract: | Green growth entails several different kinds of processes : conversion to low-carbon energy, climate resilience, and response to climate shocks. Equity implies a fair sharing of the costs, within countries and between countries. The authors set out to explore some of the ways that equity has been considered in climate change discussions. They discuss per capita emission right approaches, and highlight key challenges in the application of equity in global climate change negotiations. They provide a brief overview of key approaches to carbon financing, focusing on some recent cost estimations of potential climate change impacts, as well as of projected needs for green growth programs. The diversity of estimates and present evidence on the apparent gulf between available public financing and green growth needs are highlighted; and considerations of implementing green growth, focusing on building climate resilience and responding to climate shocks are discussed. In conclusion, the authors present one approach to a global Green Fund to receive assessed contributions of member countries and disburse grant and loan fund to low-income and middle-income countries to pursue green growth programs. |
| Keywords: | Green growth, Equity, Climate change, low carbon, carbon financing, global Green Fund |
| JEL: | Q2 Q5 |
| Date: | 2012–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:eab:energy:23306&r=env |
| By: | John A. Dixon |
| Abstract: | This paper provides guidance to Bank staff on how to conduct an expanded, comprehensive economic cost-benefit analysis (CBA) in order to measure net benefits from a project taking both project and environmental factors into account, as required under Directives B.5 and B.9 in the Bank's operational policy OP-703. |
| Keywords: | Economics, Environment & Natural Resources, cost benefit analysis, project environmental impact, project mitigation measures, environmental economics, Benefit-Cost Analysis |
| Date: | 2012–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:idb:brikps:75098&r=env |
| By: | Jeffrey D. Sachs (Asian Development Bank Institute); Shiv Someshwar |
| Abstract: | Green growth entails several different kinds of processes : conversion to low-carbon energy, climate resilience, and response to climate shocks. Equity implies a fair sharing of the costs, within countries and between countries. The authors set out to explore some of the ways that equity has been considered in climate change discussions. They discuss per capita emission right approaches, and highlight key challenges in the application of equity in global climate change negotiations. They provide a brief overview of key approaches to carbon financing, focusing on some recent cost estimations of potential climate change impacts, as well as of projected needs for green growth programs. The diversity of estimates and present evidence on the apparent gulf between available public financing and green growth needs are highlighted; and considerations of implementing green growth, focusing on building climate resilience and responding to climate shocks are discussed. In conclusion, the authors present one approach to a global Green Fund to receive assessed contributions of member countries and disburse grant and loan fund to low-income and middle-income countries to pursue green growth programs. |
| Keywords: | Green growth, Equity, Climate change, low carbon, carbon financing, global Green Fund |
| JEL: | Q2 Q5 |
| Date: | 2012–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:eab:develo:23306&r=env |
| By: | Jeffrey D. Sachs (Asian Development Bank Institute); Shiv Someshwar |
| Abstract: | Green growth entails several different kinds of processes : conversion to low-carbon energy, climate resilience, and response to climate shocks. Equity implies a fair sharing of the costs, within countries and between countries. The authors set out to explore some of the ways that equity has been considered in climate change discussions. They discuss per capita emission right approaches, and highlight key challenges in the application of equity in global climate change negotiations. They provide a brief overview of key approaches to carbon financing, focusing on some recent cost estimations of potential climate change impacts, as well as of projected needs for green growth programs. The diversity of estimates and present evidence on the apparent gulf between available public financing and green growth needs are highlighted; and considerations of implementing green growth, focusing on building climate resilience and responding to climate shocks are discussed. In conclusion, the authors present one approach to a global Green Fund to receive assessed contributions of member countries and disburse grant and loan fund to low-income and middle-income countries to pursue green growth programs. |
| Keywords: | Green growth, Equity, Climate change, low carbon, carbon financing, global Green Fund |
| JEL: | Q2 Q5 |
| Date: | 2012–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:eab:macroe:23306&r=env |
| By: | Sesmero, Juan P.; Perrin, Richard K.; Fulginiti, Lilyan E. |
| Abstract: | This study evaluates the environmental efficiency of seven recently constructed ethanol plants in the North Central region of the U.S., using nonparametric data envelopment analysis (DEA). Environmental efficiency is measured and decomposed into its technical and allocative sources. Results show that, on average, plants in our sample may be able to reduce GHG emissions by a maximum of 6% or by 3,116 tons per quarter. The economic (shadow) cost of reducing greenhouse gas emissions reveals that, at current activity levels, plants may have room for simultaneous improvement of environmental efficiency and economic profitability. |
| Keywords: | ethanol carbon footprint, environmental efficiency, shadow cost, data envelopment analysis, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy, |
| Date: | 2012 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae12:130167&r=env |
| By: | Dirk Heine; John Norregaard; Ian W.H. Parry |
| Abstract: | This paper recommends a system of upstream taxes on fossil fuels, combined with refunds for downstream emissions capture, to reduce carbon and local pollution emissions. Motor fuel taxes should also account for congestion and other externalities associated with vehicle use, at least until mileage-based taxes are widely introduced. An examination of existing energy/environmental tax systems in Germany, Sweden, Turkey, and Vietnam suggests that there is substantial scope for policy reform. This includes harmonizing taxes for pollution content across different fuels and end-users, better aligning tax rates with values for externalities, and scaling back taxes on vehicle ownership and electricity use that are redundant (on environmental grounds) in the presence of more targeted taxes. |
| Keywords: | Cross country analysis , Energy taxes , Environmental protection , Germany , Sweden , Tax reforms , Tax system reviews , Turkey , Vietnam , |
| Date: | 2012–07–06 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:imf:imfwpa:12/180&r=env |
| By: | Thomas Jobert (GREDEG - Groupe de Recherche en Droit, Economie et Gestion - CNRS : UMR7321 - Université de Nice Sophia Antipolis (UNS)); Fatih Karanfil (EconomiX - CNRS : UMR7166 - Université Paris X - Paris Ouest Nanterre La Défense); Anna Tykhonenko (GREDEG - Groupe de Recherche en Droit, Economie et Gestion - CNRS : UMR7321 - Université de Nice Sophia Antipolis (UNS)) |
| Abstract: | This paper focuses solely on the energy consumption, carbon dioxide ( 2 CO ) emissions and economic growth nexus applying the iterative Bayesian shrinkage procedure. The environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis is tested using this method for the first time in this literature and the results obtained suggest that: first, the EKC hypothesis is rejected for 49 out of the 51 countries considered when heterogeneity in countries' energy efficiencies and cross-country differences in the 2 CO emissions trajectories are accounted for; second, a classification of the results with respect to countries' development levels reveals that an overall inverted U-shape curve is due to the fact that increase in gross domestic product (GDP) in the high-income countries decreases emissions, while in the low-income countries it increases emissions. |
| Keywords: | Environmental Kuznets curve; Bayesian shrinkage estimator; Heterogeneity |
| Date: | 2012–07–29 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:wpaper:halshs-00721675&r=env |
| By: | Malcolm, Scott A.; Marshall, Elizabeth P.; Aillery, Marcel P.; Heisey, Paul W.; Livingston, Michael J.; Day-Rubenstein, Kelly A. |
| Abstract: | Global climate models predict increases over time in average temperature worldwide, with significant impacts on local patterns of temperature and precipitation. The extent to which such changes present a risk to food supplies, farmer livelihoods, and rural communities depends in part on the direction, magnitude, and rate of such changes, but equally importantly on the ability of the agricultural sector to adapt to changing patterns of yield and productivity, production cost, and resource availability. Study findings suggest that, while impacts are highly sensitive to uncertain climate projections, farmers have considerable fl exibility to adapt to changes in local weather, resource conditions, and price signals by adjusting crops, rotations, and production practices. Such adaptation, using existing crop production technologies, can partially mitigate the impacts of climate change on national agricultural markets. Adaptive redistribution of production, however, may have signifi cant implications for both regional land use and environmental quality. |
| Keywords: | climate change, adaptation, water resources, agricultural pests, Regional Environment and Agriculture Programming (REAP) model, regional crop mix, regional environmental effects, drought tolerance, pest managemen, Agricultural and Food Policy, Crop Production/Industries, Environmental Economics and Policy, Farm Management, |
| Date: | 2012–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:uersrr:127734&r=env |
| By: | Stephen Howes (Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI)); Paul Wyrwoll |
| Abstract: | Developing Asia is the driver of today’s emissions intensive global economy. As the principle source of future emissions, the region is critical to the task of global climate change mitigation. Reflecting this global reality and a range of related domestic issues, the governments of the People’s Republic of China, India, Indonesia, Thailand, and Viet Nam have embarked upon an ambitious policy agenda. This report reviews the present and future policy settings for climate change mitigation and green growth in Asia’s major emerging economies. Although recent targets and commitments will involve a fundamental change in emissions trajectories, the urgency and extent of necessary global action requires ambition to be raised even further in developing Asia. An additional transformation will be required for the trajectory of emissions and energy demand, as well as the future composition of the power generation mix. Achieving these transformations will not be easy. There are a substantial number of policy instruments available, yet significant obstacles stand in the way of their effective deployment. Governments face a number of policy challenges, including : energy sector reform, economic reform, strengthening institutional capacity, and securing international support. The principal conclusion of this analysis is that the task facing Asia’s policymakers is not simply one of setting targets and pursuing narrowly focused policies to reach them. Rather, a broad–scale approach involving all sections of the economy and government will be required to achieve the shift to a sustainable, low-emissions development trajectory. |
| Keywords: | Climate change, Green growth, mitigation, developing Asia, emerging economies, carbon emissions |
| JEL: | O44 Q54 Q58 Q40 Q42 Q53 Q56 O10 |
| Date: | 2012–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:eab:energy:23308&r=env |
| By: | Stephen Howes (Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI)); Paul Wyrwoll |
| Abstract: | Developing Asia is the driver of today’s emissions intensive global economy. As the principle source of future emissions, the region is critical to the task of global climate change mitigation. Reflecting this global reality and a range of related domestic issues, the governments of the People’s Republic of China, India, Indonesia, Thailand, and Viet Nam have embarked upon an ambitious policy agenda. This report reviews the present and future policy settings for climate change mitigation and green growth in Asia’s major emerging economies. Although recent targets and commitments will involve a fundamental change in emissions trajectories, the urgency and extent of necessary global action requires ambition to be raised even further in developing Asia. An additional transformation will be required for the trajectory of emissions and energy demand, as well as the future composition of the power generation mix. Achieving these transformations will not be easy. There are a substantial number of policy instruments available, yet significant obstacles stand in the way of their effective deployment. Governments face a number of policy challenges, including : energy sector reform, economic reform, strengthening institutional capacity, and securing international support. The principal conclusion of this analysis is that the task facing Asia’s policymakers is not simply one of setting targets and pursuing narrowly focused policies to reach them. Rather, a broad–scale approach involving all sections of the economy and government will be required to achieve the shift to a sustainable, low-emissions development trajectory. |
| Keywords: | Climate change, Green growth, mitigation, developing Asia, emerging economies, carbon emissions |
| JEL: | O44 Q54 Q58 Q40 Q42 Q53 Q56 O10 |
| Date: | 2012–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:eab:develo:23308&r=env |
| By: | Stephen Howes (Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI)); Paul Wyrwoll |
| Abstract: | Developing Asia is the driver of today’s emissions intensive global economy. As the principle source of future emissions, the region is critical to the task of global climate change mitigation. Reflecting this global reality and a range of related domestic issues, the governments of the People’s Republic of China, India, Indonesia, Thailand, and Viet Nam have embarked upon an ambitious policy agenda. This report reviews the present and future policy settings for climate change mitigation and green growth in Asia’s major emerging economies. Although recent targets and commitments will involve a fundamental change in emissions trajectories, the urgency and extent of necessary global action requires ambition to be raised even further in developing Asia. An additional transformation will be required for the trajectory of emissions and energy demand, as well as the future composition of the power generation mix. Achieving these transformations will not be easy. There are a substantial number of policy instruments available, yet significant obstacles stand in the way of their effective deployment. Governments face a number of policy challenges, including : energy sector reform, economic reform, strengthening institutional capacity, and securing international support. The principal conclusion of this analysis is that the task facing Asia’s policymakers is not simply one of setting targets and pursuing narrowly focused policies to reach them. Rather, a broad–scale approach involving all sections of the economy and government will be required to achieve the shift to a sustainable, low-emissions development trajectory. |
| Keywords: | Climate change, Green growth, mitigation, developing Asia, emerging economies, carbon emissions |
| JEL: | O44 Q54 Q58 Q40 Q42 Q53 Q56 O10 |
| Date: | 2012–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:eab:govern:23308&r=env |
| By: | M.ª Maurícia Rosado (University of Évora, Department of Animal Science, ICAAM); Carlos Marques (University of Évora, Department of Management, CEFAGE); Rui Fragoso (University of Évora, Department of Management, CEFAGE) |
| Abstract: | This paper presents a case study in which the effects of traditional Mediterranean crop farming system of the Alentejo region of Portugal on environment are evaluated and benchmarked. With this objective a typical farm of the region using that traditional system based on a crop-rotation of durum wheat with sunflower and peas was selected. Environmental indicators were used to evaluate production activities environmental effects. These include nitrogen balance and energy input determined using input and output processes analysis, and greenhouse gas emissions, acidification and eutrophication impacts and an aggregate eco-indicator evaluated using life cycle analysis. Results show the relevance of rotating other crops with cereals to control environmental effects and promote typical Mediterranean crop farming system sustainability. Green peas and sunflower estimated contribution is a 40% decrease of overall composite indicator system impact. Energetic input and nitrogen balance levels of these crops also allow for a substantial reduction (34 and 24 %) of magnitude of average environmental effects of crop system due to their lower intensification energy and nitrogen input levels. Benchmarking of environmental indicators for Mediterranean traditional crop farming system of the Alentejo indicates that results are within bounds reported in the environmental scientific literature interval at levels below average, indicating relatively low environmental impacts relatively to other farming systems. |
| Keywords: | environment, evaluation, benchmarking, Alentejo. |
| JEL: | Q51 Q18 Q29 Q49 Q59 |
| Date: | 2012 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cfe:wpcefa:2012_14&r=env |
| By: | Maystadt, Jean-François; Mueller, Valerie |
| Abstract: | Environmental migration has been the subject of lively debate in recent years. The conundrum over why experts’ global predictions of 50 million environmental refugees were not met in 2010 best captures how messages from advocacy and research can conflict with one another (Bojanowski 2011). |
| Keywords: | Climate change, Migration, |
| Date: | 2012 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:resbrf:18&r=env |
| By: | Mireille Chiroleu-Assouline (EEP-PSE - Ecole d'Économie de Paris - Paris School of Economics - Ecole d'Économie de Paris, CES - Centre d'économie de la Sorbonne - CNRS : UMR8174 - Université Paris I - Panthéon Sorbonne); Mouez Fodha (EEP-PSE - Ecole d'Économie de Paris - Paris School of Economics - Ecole d'Économie de Paris, LEO - Université d'Orléans) |
| Abstract: | European countries have increased their use of environmental tax instruments by designing new tax bases. But, many countries have to face the opposition of the public opinion, for fear of the distributive consequences of these environmental tax reforms. This paper sheds light on the distributive consequences of environmental tax policies when households are heterogeneous. The objective is to assess whether an environmental tax reform could be Pareto improving, when the revenue of the pollution tax is recycled by a change in the labor tax properties. We show that, whatever the degree of regressivity of the environmental tax alone, it is possible to design a recycling mechanism that renders the tax reform Pareto improving, by simultaneously decreasing the average rate of the wage tax and increasing its progressivity. |
| Keywords: | Environmental tax reform; heterogeneity; welfare analysis; tax progressivity |
| Date: | 2012–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:cesptp:halshs-00719762&r=env |
| By: | Robert S. Pindyck |
| Abstract: | I examine the risk/return tradeoff for environmental investments, and its implications for policy choice. Consider a policy to reduce carbon emissions. To what extent does the value of such a policy depend on the expected future damages from global warming versus uncertainty over those damages, i.e., on the expected benefits from the policy versus their riskiness? And to what extent should the policy objective be a reduction in the expected temperature increase versus a reduction in risk? Using a simple model of a stock externality (e.g., temperature) that evolves stochastically, I examine the ``willingness to pay" (WTP) for alternative policies that would reduce the expected damages under ``business as usual" (BAU) versus the variance of those damages. I also show how one can compute ``iso-WTP" curves (social indifference curves) for combinations of risk and expected returns as policy objectives. Given cost estimates for reducing risk and increasing expected returns, one can compute the optimal risk-return mix for a policy, and the policy's social surplus. I illustrate these results by calibrating the model to data for global warming. |
| JEL: | D81 Q5 Q54 |
| Date: | 2012–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:18262&r=env |
| By: | Halkos, George; Tzeremes, Nickolaos |
| Abstract: | This paper applies nonparametric estimators to examine countries’ carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and governance relationship. By using data for the time period 1996-2010 of the twenty largest economies (Group of twenty, G-20) the dynamics of the considered relationship are analyzed. Six governance measures are included in our analysis (Voice and Accountability, Political Stability and Absence of Violence, Government Effectiveness, Regulatory Quality, Rule of Law and Control of Corruption) as have been defined in World Governance Indicators from the World Bank. The empirical findings reveal a nonmonotonic relationship between countries’ CO2 emissions and the examined governance measures. In addition and with respect to the environmental policy makers, a significant difference on the number of governance measures influencing countries’ carbon dioxide emissions which is subject to countries’ specific regional and development variations is recorded. Finally, the carbon dioxide emissions-governance relationship is highly nonlinear and appears that countries’ higher governance quality does not always result to lower carbon dioxide emission levels. |
| Keywords: | Carbon dioxide emissions; Governance; G-20 countries; Nonparametric analysis |
| JEL: | Q50 C14 H11 C50 |
| Date: | 2012–08–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:40387&r=env |
| By: | Marion Allet |
| Abstract: | Small-scale activities in developing countries face environmental risks that represent direct threats to populations’ health and livelihoods. Recently, some donors and experts have claimed that microfinance institutions (MFIs) could play a role in fostering pro-environmental behaviours among their client microentrepreneurs. This paper seeks to identify the challenges that an MFI can face when implementing an environmental risk management program. We based our analysis on a case study of a pilot program in El Salvador, where we conducted 95 semi-structured interviews with microfinance clients, loan officers and managers. Our study first revealed that, despite a real interest from its staff, the MFI had some difficulties in building internal skills and conciliating its environmental and performance objectives, which compromised the effective implementation of the program. Furthermore, we identified that the pilot program, as it was designed, did not sufficiently take into account the psychological and economic barriers to behaviour change. Finally, we found that the effort of the microfinance institution was in some cases countered by external factors out of its reach, such as inadequate national regulations. |
| Keywords: | Microfinance; Microenterprises; Small Enterprises; Environmental Behaviour; Behaviour Change; Environmental Management; Environmental Risks; Pollution |
| JEL: | D30 G21 O17 Q53 Q56 |
| Date: | 2012–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:sol:wpaper:2013/123289&r=env |
| By: | Yu-Fu Chen; Michael Funke |
| Abstract: | The possibility of low-probability extreme natural events has reignited the debate over the optimal intensity and timing of climate policy. In this paper, we contribute to the literature by assessing the implications of low-probability extreme events on environmental policy in a continuous-time real options model with “tail risk”. In a nutshell, our results indicate the importance of tail risk and call for foresighted pre-emptive climate policies. |
| Keywords: | Climate Policy, Extreme Events, Real Options, Levy process |
| JEL: | D81 Q54 Q58 |
| Date: | 2012–06 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:dun:dpaper:267&r=env |
| By: | Carillo, Felicetta; Maietta, Ornella Wanda |
| Abstract: | Objectives of this paper is to verify whether the relationship between the level of per capita income and the environment quality, for the Italian regions, follows the prescription of an Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC), taking into account the contribution of agriculture and rural areas. The Arellano-Bond two-step dynamic panel data GMM estimator has been applied to a data set of the 20 Italian administrative regions referred to the 2000-‘06 years. The quality of environment is represented by the level of per capita CO2 emissions from the whole economy and the level of per capita CO2 emissions from agriculture. The regression results show that i) the EKC prescription holds for the Italian regions, ii) the more agricultural regions are found on the rising section of the curve; iii) a greater intensity of expenditure under the RDP regional agro-environmental and forestry measures is positively associated to a more degraded environment. |
| Keywords: | Environmental Kuznets Curve, Agriculture, Agricultural Policy, Regional panel data, Community/Rural/Urban Development, Environmental Economics and Policy, Q01, Q15, R11, |
| Date: | 2012–06 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaa126:128206&r=env |
| By: | Kanbur, Ravi; Bento, Antonio M.; Leard, Benjamin |
| Keywords: | Environmental Economics and Policy, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies, |
| Date: | 2012–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:cudawp:128811&r=env |
| By: | Hottenrott, Hanna; Rexhäuser, Sascha; Veugelers, Reinhilde |
| Abstract: | The literature on within-firm organizational change and productivity suggests that firms can make more efficient use of certain technologies if complementary forms of organization are adopted. This issue may be of even greater importance for the case of greenhouse gas (GHG) abatement technologies imposed by public authority as to reduce social costs of climate change while they are not necessarily expected to increase private returns. Previous research, however, has largely neglected this aspect. Using German firm-level data, we find that organizational change increases the returns to he use of CO2 reducing technologies and that joint adoption leads to higher productivity. Without having introduced complementary organizational innovations, the adoption of CO2 reducing technologies is associated with lower productivity. -- |
| Keywords: | firm behavior,technical change,innovation,environmental innovation,organizational change,productivity |
| JEL: | D23 O33 O32 Q55 L23 D24 |
| Date: | 2012 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:zewdip:12043&r=env |
| By: | Hill, Elaine L. |
| Keywords: | Environmental Economics and Policy, Health Economics and Policy, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies, |
| Date: | 2012–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:cudawp:128815&r=env |
| By: | Douadia Bougherara; Sandrine Costa; Mario Teisl |
| Abstract: | Firms may voluntary abate pollution using one of two options: internalizing its own external effects and incuring abatement costs ("making") or delegating environmental protection by purchasing offsets ("buying"). We aim to elicit consumers' WTP for producers' use of the "making" option as compared to the "buying" option, controlling for spatial effects (joint local public goods) and level of GHG emissions. Using a stated choice survey with 722 respondents, we find consumers are more willing to pay for a "making" policy. Consumers do not significantly care for the producers' use of offsets when the level of local externalities is controlled for. |
| Keywords: | offsets, willingness to pay, stated choice |
| JEL: | Q53 Q54 Q58 |
| Date: | 2012 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:rae:wpaper:201204&r=env |
| By: | Thierry Bréchet (CORE - Louvain School of Management); Carmen Camacho (CES - Centre d'économie de la Sorbonne - CNRS : UMR8174 - Université Paris I - Panthéon Sorbonne); Vladimir M. Veliov (ORCOS - Institute of Mathematical Methods in Economics) |
| Abstract: | The purpose of this paper is to extend the use of integrated assessment models by defining rational policies based on predictive control and adaptive behavior. The paper begins with an review of the main IAMs and their use. Then the concept of Model Predictive Nash Equilibrium (MPNE) is introduced within a general model involving heterogeneous economic agents operating in (and interfering with) a common environment. This concept captures the fact that agents do not have a perfect foresight for several ingredients of the model, including that of the environment. A version of the canonical IAM (DICE) is developed as a benchmark case. The concept of MPNE is then enhanced with adaptive learning about the environmental dynamics and the damages caused by global warming. The approach is illustrated by some numerical experiments in a two-region setting for several scenarios. |
| Keywords: | Integrated assessment; adaptative behavior; learning; climate change |
| Date: | 2012–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:cesptp:halshs-00718659&r=env |
| By: | Vogt-Schilb, Adrien; Meunier, Guy; Hallegatte, Stephane |
| Abstract: | This paper investigates the optimal timing of greenhouse gas abatement efforts in a multi-sectoral model with economic inertia, each sector having a limited abatement potential. It defines economic inertia as the conjunction of technical inertia -- a social planner chooses investment on persistent abating activities, as opposed to choosing abatement at each time period independently -- and increasing marginal investment costs in abating activities. It shows that in the presence of economic inertia, optimal abatement efforts (in dollars per ton) are bell-shaped and trigger a transition toward a low-carbon economy. The authors prove that optimal marginal abatement costs should differ across sectors: they depend on the global carbon price, but also on sector-specific shadow costs of the sectoral abatement potential. The paper discusses the impact of the convexity of abatement investment costs: more rigid sectors are represented with more convex cost functions and should invest more in early abatement. The conclusion is that overlapping mitigation policies should not be discarded based on the argument that they set different marginal costs (`"different carbon prices"') in different sectors. |
| Keywords: | Climate Change Economics,Climate Change Mitigation and Green House Gases,Transport Economics Policy&Planning,Environment and Energy Efficiency,Energy and Environment |
| Date: | 2012–08–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:6154&r=env |
| By: | Julien Chevallier (EconomiX - CNRS : UMR7166 - Université Paris X - Paris Ouest Nanterre La Défense); Benoît Sévi (GRANEM - Department of Law, Economics, and Management - Université d'Angers) |
| Abstract: | In this paper, we are interested in deriving the stochastic properties of CO2 emission allowance futures prices. First, we review the extant mathematical and environmental economics literatures, and explain the main findings from both continuous- and jump-diffusion models. Second, we derive our own empirical application by means of the activity signature function (Todorov and Tauchen (2010,2011)). The central result is that the evolution of the carbon futures price can be described in terms of a pure jump-diffusion process. For instance, important cases of information shocks leading to allowance price jump can be addressed when modelled as an appropriately sampled, centered Lévy or Poisson process. |
| Keywords: | Carbon Price; Stochastic Modeling; Activity Signature Function |
| Date: | 2012–03 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:wpaper:halshs-00720166&r=env |
| By: | Pearson, Leonie J.; Crean, Jason; Badgery, Warwick; Murphy, Brian; Rawson, Andrew; Capon, Tim; Reeson, Andrew |
| Abstract: | The potential for soil carbon sequestration to play a significant role in meeting Australia’s greenhouse reduction targets has attracted widespread interest. Despite this interest, the economic scope for soil carbon sequestration remains poorly understood and the practical approaches that could be used to capture any opportunities have not been explored. In this paper we present preliminary results on a pilot soil carbon sequestration variable price, reverse tender auction in the mixed (wheat-sheep) farming system of the Lachlan Catchment, NSW. We draw on the results of the pilot to reveal; contract choice, landholders costs of soil carbon sequestration and the extent and impact of transaction costs associated with basic cost-effectiveness of the market mechanism. |
| Keywords: | Contract choice, transaction costs, MBI, Environmental Economics and Policy, |
| Date: | 2012–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aare12:130973&r=env |
| By: | Shaw, Suzanne |
| Abstract: | Le secteur électrique, le plus important du SCEQE (système communautaire d’échange de quotas), aura un rôle déterminant dans les réductions d’émissions relevant du SCEQE. Une compréhension de la réaction de ce secteur face aux prix du quota européen de carbone (ou EUA pour European Union Allowance), à court terme au niveau de la production d’électricité, et à long terme au niveau des investissements du secteur, est essentielle pour appréhender l'impact potentiel du SCEQE en tant qu'instrument de réduction d’émissions. Elle permettra également une analyse du rôle de ce secteur dans la réalisation des objectifs du SCEQE. L’analyse du secteur électrique dans la phase II du SCEQE confirme les prénotions du marché d’un basculement de la production d’électricité à partir du charbon vers une production basée plus sur le gaz et la biomasse, pour un champ de prix de l’EUA donné. En outre, les estimations en termes des émissions au niveau européen corroborent celles des acteurs du marché d'une phase II longue. Toutefois, guidé par une anticipation de long terme et face à des incertitudes, le secteur effectue des réductions d’émissions durant cette Phase. Le potentiel de réduction d’émissions du secteur électrique dans le court terme est limité par l'inertie de la composition du parc électrique. L’analyse du secteur à long terme, d'ici à 2030, montre que le prix des EUA peut jouer un rôle dans l'évolution du mix technologique du parc pour atteindre un parc globalement moins intense en émissions – le prix de l’EUA faciliterait même l'émergence de la CSC (capture et stockage du carbone). Ainsi l’intégration du prix du carbone dans les décisions d’investissement pourrait avoir un rôle significatif dans la décarbonisation du secteur à long-terme. |
| Abstract: | The electricity sector is the single most important EU ETS sector and will have determinant role in EU ETS emissions and emissions reductions. As such, understanding the reaction of the sector to EUA or carbon permit prices, both in the short-term (production) and in the long-term (investment) is important to analyse the potential impact of EU ETS policy and implications for achieving policy objectives. Analysis of the electricity sector for Phase II of the EU ETS confirms the general market expectation of switching from coal-based to gas-based, but also biomass-based, technologies with increasing EUA prices. Moreover, the emissions results of the model for the short-term corroborate market estimations of a long Phase II, but indicate that abatement occurs in spite of this, as actors are guided by longer term anticipations of stricter targets and hedge against uncertainty. However, the abatement potential of the power sector in the short-term is limited by the inertia of the park technology mix. Analysis of the sector over the longer term, to 2030, shows that the EUA price can play a role in changing the technology mix of the park towards less emissions-intensive one – even facilitating the emergence of CCS (carbon capture and storage) – and thus increase the potential for achievable emissions reductions compared to a situation where no consideration is given to EUA prices in investment. |
| Keywords: | secteur électrique; SCEQE; changement climatique; mixe technologique; émissions; Electricity sector; EU ETS; climate change; technology mix; emissions; |
| JEL: | Q54 Q51 Q42 Q43 |
| Date: | 2012–06 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ner:dauphi:urn:hdl:123456789/9790&r=env |
| By: | Heinrich-Wilhelm Wyes (Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI)); Michael Lewandowski |
| Abstract: | Regional governance systems and national frameworks to address climate change and accelerate green growth in Asia are reviewed and tools to address climate change are outlined. Options for regional level political institutions and financial architecture needed to fulfill voluntary pledges and programs are suggested and potentials, options, and challenges regarding monitoring, reporting, and verification systems are analyzed. In conclusion, policy measures for adaption and mitigation to climate change are provided. |
| Keywords: | regional cooperation, regional governance systems, regional institutions, financial architecture, Climate change |
| JEL: | H87 |
| Date: | 2012–05 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:eab:develo:23318&r=env |
| By: | Heinrich-Wilhelm Wyes (Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI)); Michael Lewandowski |
| Abstract: | Regional governance systems and national frameworks to address climate change and accelerate green growth in Asia are reviewed and tools to address climate change are outlined. Options for regional level political institutions and financial architecture needed to fulfill voluntary pledges and programs are suggested and potentials, options, and challenges regarding monitoring, reporting, and verification systems are analyzed. In conclusion, policy measures for adaption and mitigation to climate change are provided. |
| Keywords: | regional cooperation, regional governance systems, regional institutions, financial architecture, Climate change |
| JEL: | H87 |
| Date: | 2012–05 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:eab:govern:23318&r=env |
| By: | Ana Espinola-Arredondo; Felix Munoz-Garcia (School of Economic Sciences, Washington State University) |
| Abstract: | This paper examines firms? incentives to develop a new (green) product,which might compete against the traditional pollutant (brown) product that the? firm sells. We show that in equilibrium more than one?firm might develop the green good, but such an equilibrium outcome is not necessarily efficient. In particular, we predict an excessive amount of green products under certain conditions, since fi?rms do not internalize the pro?fit loss that green goods entails on incumbent fi?rms.We? finally provide policies that help regulatory authorities promote socially optimal equilibrium outcomes. |
| Keywords: | Excessive entry, Product differentiation, Environmental damage |
| JEL: | Q25 C72 C93 H41 |
| Date: | 2012–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wsu:wpaper:espinola-13&r=env |
| By: | Heuson, Clemens; Peters, Wolfgang; Schwarze, Reimund; Topp, Anna-Katharina |
| Abstract: | Funding developing countries' climate policies after Cancun (COP16) has a dual goal: firstly, to support mitigation of developing countries in order to sustain the two-degree pathway of stabilising the global mean temperature; secondly, to empower the vulnerable countries in low-income regions to adapt to and recover from the most adverse impacts of climate change. So far, the political and scientific discussion has mainly concentrated on the appropriate level of funding. Referring to the newly emerging climate finance architecture under the post-Kyoto framework, this paper argues that a stronger focus must be put on the question: which mode of funding to choose? This is for the reason that the currently discussed funding instruments, such as earmarking of industrialised countries' transfer payments to developing countries for reducing loss and damages, mitigation, or adaptation costs, may cause fundamental changes in the countries' strategic behaviour concerning mitigation and adaptation efforts. Moreover, some of the instruments fall short of a minimum requirement for the donors to voluntarily provide means, and thus cannot guarantee sustained funding. We develop our results in a non-cooperative two-country framework in which donor and recipient decide on mitigation in the first, and on adaptation in the second stage of the game. -- |
| Keywords: | adaptation,climate policy,funding,mitigation,non-cooperative behaviour |
| JEL: | C72 D61 F35 Q54 |
| Date: | 2012 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:ufzdps:102012&r=env |
| By: | Breen, James P.; Donnellan, Trevor; Westhoff, Patrick C. |
| Abstract: | To date within Europe, a regulatory approach has been favoured when trying to curtail emissions from agriculture, the Nitrates Directive being a recent example. Economic theory indicates that market based solutions such as tradable emissions permits are the least cost means of achieving desired reductions in emissions. This paper compares the impact on farm incomes of a regulatory approach to emissions abatement with an emissions trading approach. A farm-level linear programming model for the Irish agriculture sector is constructed. A 20 percent reduction in Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions is introduced and the impact on farm incomes is measured. The linear programming model is then used to determine each farmer’s shadow value for an emissions permit. These shadow values are then weighted to estimate supply and demand curves and used to simulate a market for emissions permits and the farm incomes are re-estimated. Finally, the implications for farm incomes of both abatement strategies are compared with a scenario where no constraint is placed on GHG emissions. |
| Keywords: | Farm-level modelling, greenhouse gas emissions, tradable emissions permits, Agricultural and Food Policy, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy, |
| Date: | 2012 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae12:130555&r=env |
| By: | Gerard van der Laan (VU University Amsterdam); Nigel Moes (VU University Amsterdam) |
| Abstract: | In this paper we study international river pollution problems. We introduce a model in which the agents (countries) located along a river derive benefit while causing pollution, but also incur environmental costs of experiencing pollution from all upstream agents. We find that total pollution in the model decreases when the agents decide to cooperate. The resulting gain in social welfare can be distributed among the agents based on the property rights over the river. Using principles from international water law we suggest 'fair' ways of distributing the property rights and therefore the cooperative gain. |
| Keywords: | international river; pollution; externality; property rights; value |
| JEL: | C70 D60 Q53 |
| Date: | 2012–01–19 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:dgr:uvatin:20120006&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); Guy Meunier (ALISS - Alimentation et sciences sociales - INRA : UR1303); Stéphane Hallegatte (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, CNRM-GAME - Groupe d'étude de l'atmosphère météorologique - CNRS : URA1357 - INSU - Météo France) |
| Abstract: | This paper investigates the optimal timing of greenhouse gas abatement efforts in a multi-sectoral model with economic inertia, each sector having a limited abatement potential. It defines economic inertia as the conjunction of technical inertia --- a social planner chooses investment on persistent abating activities, as opposed to choosing abatement at each time period independently --- and increasing marginal investment costs in abating activities. It shows that in the presence of economic inertia, optimal abatement efforts (in dollars per ton) are bell-shaped and trigger a transition toward a low-carbon economy. The authors prove that optimal marginal abatement costs should differ across sectors: they depend on the global carbon price, but also on sector-specific shadow costs of the sectoral abatement potential. The paper discusses the impact of the convexity of abatement investment costs: more rigid sectors are represented with more convex cost functions and should invest more in early abatement. The conclusion is that overlapping mitigation policies should not be discarded based on the argument that they set different marginal costs (''different carbon prices'') in different sectors. |
| Keywords: | climate change mitigation; sectoral policies; optimal policies; optimal timing; inertia; when-flexibility; how-flexibility; overlapping policies |
| Date: | 2012–08–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-00722574&r=env |
| By: | John Foster (Department of Economics, University of Queensland); William Paul Bell (Department of Economics, University of Queensland); Craig Froome; Phil Wild (Department of Economics, University of Queensland); Liam Wagner (Department of Economics, University of Queensland); Deepak Sharma (Centre for Energy Policy, University of Technology, Sydney); Suwin Sandu (Centre for Energy Policy, University of Technology, Sydney); Suchi Misra (Centre for Energy Policy, University of Technology, Sydney); Ravindra Bagia (Centre for Energy Policy, University of Technology, Sydney) |
| Abstract: | The objectives of this project are to examine the adaptive capacity of existing institutional arrangements in the National Electricity Market (NEM) to existing and predicted climate change conditions. Specifically the project aims to: 1. identify climate change adaptation issues in the NEM; 1. analyse climate change impacts on reliability in the NEM under alternative climate change scenarios to 2030, particularly what adaptation strategies the power generation and supply network infrastructure will need; and 3. assess the robustness of the institutional arrangements that supports effective adaptation. This report provides an extensive literature review to inform and to develop research questions for the project’s four forthcoming reports: 1. the impact of climate change on electricity demand; 2. the impact of climate change on electricity generation capacity and transmission networks; 3. analysing the effects of changes in water availability on electricity demand-supply; and 4. assessing the current institutional arrangements for the development of electricity infrastructure to inform more flexible arrangements for effective adaptation. The review finds that four factors are hindering or required for adaptation to climate change: 1. fragmentation of the NEM both politically and economically; 2. accelerated deterioration of the transmission and distribution infrastructure due to climate change requiring the deployment of technology to defer investment in transmission and distribution; 3. lacking mechanisms to develop a diversified portfolio of generation technologies and energy sources to reduce supply risk; and 4. failing to model and to treat the NEM as a node based entity rather than state based. Section 2 reviews the literature. Section 3 recommends solutions to the four factors of maladaption. Section 4 discusses research questions to test these solutions, which the forthcoming reports will address. |
| Keywords: | Electricity Markets, Climate Change, Australian National Electricity Market (NEM) |
| JEL: | Q40 |
| Date: | 2012–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:qld:uqeemg:8-2012&r=env |
| By: | John Foster (Department of Economics, University of Queensland); William Paul Bell (Department of Economics, University of Queensland); Craig Froome; Phil Wild (Department of Economics, University of Queensland); Liam Wagner (Department of Economics, University of Queensland); Deepak Sharma (Centre for Energy Policy, University of Technology, Sydney); Suwin Sandu (Centre for Energy Policy, University of Technology, Sydney); Suchi Misra (Centre for Energy Policy, University of Technology, Sydney); Ravindra Bagia (Centre for Energy Policy, University of Technology, Sydney) |
| Abstract: | The objectives of this project are to examine the adaptive capacity of existing institutional arrangements in the National Electricity Market (NEM) to existing and predicted climate change conditions. Specifically the project aims to: 1. identify climate change adaptation issues in the NEM; 1. analyse climate change impacts on reliability in the NEM under alternative climate change scenarios to 2030, particularly what adaptation strategies the power generation and supply network infrastructure will need; and 3. assess the robustness of the institutional arrangements that supports effective adaptation. This report provides an extensive literature review to inform and to develop research questions for the project’s four forthcoming reports: 1. the impact of climate change on electricity demand; 2. the impact of climate change on electricity generation capacity and transmission networks; 3. analysing the effects of changes in water availability on electricity demand-supply; and 4. assessing the current institutional arrangements for the development of electricity infrastructure to inform more flexible arrangements for effective adaptation. The review finds that four factors are hindering or required for adaptation to climate change: 1. fragmentation of the NEM both politically and economically; 2. accelerated deterioration of the transmission and distribution infrastructure due to climate change requiring the deployment of technology to defer investment in transmission and distribution; 3. lacking mechanisms to develop a diversified portfolio of generation technologies and energy sources to reduce supply risk; and 4. failing to model and to treat the NEM as a node based entity rather than state based. Section 2 reviews the literature. Section 3 recommends solutions to the four factors of maladaption. Section 4 discusses research questions to test these solutions, which the forthcoming reports will address. |
| Keywords: | Electricity Markets, Climate Change, Australian National Electricity Market (NEM) |
| JEL: | Q40 |
| Date: | 2012–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:qld:uqeemg:7-2012&r=env |
| By: | Phil Wild (Department of Economics, University of Queensland); William Paul Bell (Department of Economics, University of Queensland); John Foster (Department of Economics, University of Queensland) |
| Abstract: | The aim of this article is to investigate the impact that the introduction of a carbon price signal will have on fuel switching within the electricity generation sector from sources of generation with high carbon footprints to sources of generation with lower carbon footprints. To examine this issue, we assess production trends, inter-state trade and carbon emission outcomes in the states making up the Australian National Electricity Market (NEM). In order to assess this, we employ an agent based model of the NEM called the ANEM model which contains many of the salient features of the NEM: intra-state and inter-state transmission branches, regional location of generators and load centres and accommodation of unit commitment features. A DC OPF algorithm is used to determine optimal dispatch of generation plant within the ANEM model. We utilise ANEM model scenario runs to examine the impact of carbon prices on production trends, inter-state trade and on carbon emission outcomes. |
| Keywords: | carbon price, carbon emission reductions, agent-based model, DC OPF Algorithm, Australian National Electricity Market (NEM) |
| JEL: | C61 C63 D24 L94 |
| Date: | 2012–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:qld:uqeemg:6-2012&r=env |
| By: | Martin Beznoska; Johanna Cludius; Viktor Steiner |
| Abstract: | We calculate the expected incidence of the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU-ETS) using industry and household-level data. By combining data on direct CO2 emissions by production sector from the German Environmental Account with the German Input-Output Accounts, we calculate the CO2 intensity of each sector covered by the EU-ETS. We focus on the impact of price increases in the electricity sector, both directly in the form of higher electricity bills for consumers and indirectly through products that use electricity as an input to production. Taking into account behavioral effects derived from an estimated consumer-demand system, we provide incidence calculations on the basis of the German Income and Expenditure Survey for the year 2008 data updated to 2013. We confirm the ex-ante expected regressive effect, which is, however, both rather small in magnitude and can be offset and even more than offset by revenue recycling, in particular the reduction of social security contributions on labor income. |
| Keywords: | European Union Emissions Trading System, tax incidence, revenue recycling, Almost Ideal Demand System |
| JEL: | D12 H23 Q52 |
| Date: | 2012 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:diw:diwwpp:dp1227&r=env |
| By: | Schmit, Todd M.; Taber, John T.; Rickard, Bradley J. |
| Keywords: | Environmental Economics and Policy, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, |
| Date: | 2012–05 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:cudawp:128813&r=env |
| By: | Koesler, Simon; Achtnicht, Martin; Köhler, Jonathan |
| Abstract: | International shipping is an important emitter of greenhouse gases. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is discussing different approaches to reduce maritime CO2 emissions, in particular market-based mechanisms. In this paper, we assess potential implications of a maritime emission trading scheme (ETS) on the organisation and operations of shipping companies, primarily on the basis of a case study involving ship operators. Our results suggest that there is no knock-out criterion why a cap-andtrade approach should not work in the shipping sector in practice. A maritime ETS has the potential to engage this sector into cost-efficient emission reduction if designed to account for the special characteristics of the international shipping industry. -- |
| Keywords: | emission trading,international shipping,maritime emissions |
| JEL: | L91 Q54 Q58 R48 |
| Date: | 2012 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:zewdip:12044&r=env |
| By: | Shahbaz, Muhammad; Solarin, Sakiru Adebola; Mahmood, Haider |
| Abstract: | This study deals with the question whether financial development reduces CO2 emissions or not in case of Malaysia. For this purpose, we apply the bounds testing approach to cointegration for long run relations between the variables. The study uses annual time series data over the period 1971-2008. Ng-Perron stationarity test is applied to test the unit root properties of the series. Our results validate the presence of cointegration between CO2 emissions, financial development, energy consumption and economic growth. The empirical evidence also indicates that financial development reduces CO2 emissions. Energy consumption and economic growth add in CO2 emissions. The Granger causality analysis reveals the feedback hypothesis between financial development and CO2 emissions, energy consumption and CO2 emissions and, between CO2 emissions and economic growth. The present study provides new sights for policy making authorities to use financial sector as an instrument to decline energy emissions. |
| Keywords: | Financial development; CO2 emissions; Cointegration |
| JEL: | Q5 Q4 |
| Date: | 2012–08–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:40603&r=env |
| By: | Paula Simões (School of Technology and Management, Polytechnic Institute of Leiria and GEMF, Portugal); Luís Cruz (Faculty of Economics of Coimbra University and GEMF, Portugal); Eduardo Barata (Faculty of Economics of Coimbra University and GEMF, Portugal) |
| Abstract: | This paper presents and discusses the main features of a forest recreation survey. The first objective of the survey is the collection of primary data to be used in non-market valuation through the application of the travel cost and contingent behaviour methods. The second is to improve available data regarding people environmental perceptions and recreational preferences. Respondents in the sample were surveyed in Bussaco National Forest during one year period.When compared to the Portuguese population, respondents are younger, have more years of formal education and higher incomes. Expressively, environmental concerns and preferences for open air recreational activities are perceptible. Visits to Bussaco are motivated mainly by the willing to contact with nature and socialize with friends and family. The average annual visit frequency is of 1.9 and the average distance travelled is 80 kilometres. Bussaco national forest is regarded as being a good recreational space, currently not facing serious threats to conservation. The return of only 29.5% of the questionnaires distributed is a demonstration of the difficult balance between the extension of the questionnaire and the response rate. However, the research was successful in the hard task of distinguishing and characterising multiple destination trips and in identifying Bussaco substitutes. |
| Keywords: | Questionnaire Design, Environmental Protection; Recreational Preferences; Trip Frequency; Hypothetical Behaviour. |
| JEL: | Q51 Q26 C83 |
| Date: | 2012–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:gmf:wpaper:2012-09&r=env |
| By: | Anabela Botelho (NIMA, Universidade do Minho) |
| Abstract: | Healthcare units generate substantial amounts of hazardous or potentially hazardous wastes as by-products of their medical services. The inappropriate management of these wastes poses significant risks to people and the environment. Within the countries of the European Union (EU), the management of HCW is strictly regulated by law. Measures pertaining to the collection, storage, treatment and disposal of hazardous waste are construed to ensure that the waste management process takes place in conditions that protect the environment and human health. Despite the growing awareness by legislators that compliance with the applicable regulations is essential to achieve the best environmental protection, little is known about the compliance of the increasingly large numbers of private EU outpatient healthcare facilities with these measures. Using a large survey of over 700 private outpatient healthcare facilities in the EU, this study finds that overall compliance with the law is far from ideal, and identifies important sources of variability in compliance behavior with each of the measures comprising the HCW legislation. |
| Keywords: | Healthcare waste, regulation, management measures, compliance |
| JEL: | I18 Q53 |
| Date: | 2012–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nim:nimawp:46/2012&r=env |
| By: | Satoshi Honma (Faculty of Economics, Kyushu Sangyo University); Yushi Yoshida (Faculty of Economics, Kyushu Sangyo University) |
| Abstract: | Using the world panel dataset for the pollution emission embedded in international trade of 132 countries for the period between 1988 and 2008, we investigate whether the balance of embodied emission in trade (BEET) is consistent with the implication of pollution haven hypothesis. By using two differently constructed datasets, we are able to distinguish between the composition (i.e., changes in industry structure of international trade) effect and the technique (i.e., improvement in emission abatement) effect. We find that the composition effect is neither related with the income level nor the democracy level of countries whereas the technique effect is. The empirical evidence provides a partial support that income level is negatively related with the BEET. |
| Keywords: | Balance of embodied emission in trade; Environment; Industry structure; International trade; Pollution haven hypothesis. |
| JEL: | F18 O13 Q56 |
| Date: | 2012–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:kyu:dpaper:57&r=env |
| By: | Francesco Nicolli (University of Ferrara); Francesco Vona (OFCE Sciences-Po and Skema Business School) |
| Abstract: | This paper proposes different methods to aggregate heterogeneous policies for renewable energy. We compare time-varying indicators built using principal component analysis with average-based indicators. The main goal of the paper is to account for the evolution of both types of policy indicators with a set of common variables. Our empirical results are consistent with predictions of political-economy models of environmental policies as lobbying, income and, to a less extent, inequality have expected effects on policy. The brown lobbying power, proxied by entry barriers in the energy sector, has negative influence on the policy indicators even when taking into account endogeneity in its effect. The results are also robust to dynamic panel specifications and to the exclusion of groups of countries. Interestingly, too, corruption has only an indirect effect on policy mediated by entry |
| Keywords: | Renewable Energy Policy, Political Economy, Product Market Regulation, Lobbying, Policy Indicators |
| JEL: | Q42 Q48 D72 O38 |
| Date: | 2012–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fem:femwpa:2012.51&r=env |
| By: | Julie Rozenberg (CIRED); Céline Guivarch (CIRED); Robert Lempert (RAND Corporation, Santa Monica Office); Stéphane Hallegatte (World Bank and Météo France) |
| Abstract: | The scientific community is now developing a new set of scenarios, referred to as Shared Socio-economic Pathways (SSPs) to replace the SRES scenarios. To be used to investigate adaptation and mitigation, SSPs need to be contrasted along two axes: challenges to mitigation, and challenges to adaptation. This paper proposes a methodology to develop SSPs with a “backward” approach. The methodology is based on (i) an a priori identification of potential drivers of mitigation and adaptation challenges; (ii) a modelling exercise to transform these drivers into a large set of scenarios; (iii) an a posteriori selection of a few SSPs among these scenarios, such that they cover the uncertainty space in terms of challenges to adaptation and mitigation. This methodology is applied to the selection of a few SSPs, but it could also be applied to any specific decisions faced by decision-makers. From a large database of runs built by many models, the methodology would allow selecting the most relevant scenarios for a specific decision, i.e. scenarios that best predict when the analyzed choice performs poorly or well. |
| Keywords: | Socio-Economic Scenarios, Climate Policy, Mitigation, Adaptation, Shared Socio-Economic Pathways, Scenario Elicitation Methodology |
| JEL: | Q42 Q48 D72 O38 |
| Date: | 2012–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fem:femwpa:2012.52&r=env |
| By: | Ariane Manuela AMIN (CERDI - Centre d'études et de recherches sur le developpement international - CNRS : UMR6587 - Université d'Auvergne - Clermont-Ferrand I) |
| Abstract: | Biodiversity conservation in low-income economies is a vital issue and hence needs to be addressed for development and poverty eradication. A variety of empirical works exist on the subject, but the focus is often limited on the search for possible causes of biodiversity erosion. Research on the "driving forces" that influence biodiversity conservation effort is still largely missing, especially for developing countries. In this study, we seek to address this gap. We test, using different models, the impact of some domestic and external factors on countries' conservation effort measured by the Ecoregion score. We examine specifically whether strategic interactions matter in conservation policymaking at the country level. The model is tested on a data set comprising 48 sub-Saharan African countries spanning over the period 1990-2009. Through the obtained results, we give empirical evidence that, in the context of underdevelopment especially in Sub-Saharan Africa, strengthening governance is an effective mean to support the promotion of biodiversity conservation. In addition, we find that countries in Sub-Saharan Africa are influenced by their contiguous neighbors in environmental policy for biodiversity management. Finally, the results suggest that tourism development is a valuable incentive to raise governments' dedication to conservation in Sub-Saharan Africa. |
| Keywords: | biodiversity;Ecoregion score;Strategic interactions;Spatial econometrics |
| Date: | 2012–07–31 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:wpaper:halshs-00722081&r=env |
| By: | Ariane Manuela AMIN |
| Abstract: | Biodiversity conservation in low-income economies is a vital issue and hence needs to be addressed for development and poverty eradication. A variety of empirical works exist on the subject, but the focus is often limited on the search for possible causes of biodiversity erosion. Research on the "driving forces" that influence biodiversity conservation effort is still largely missing, especially for developing countries. In this study, we seek to address this gap. We test, using different models, the impact of some domestic and external factors on countries' conservation effort measured by the Ecoregion score. We examine specifically whether strategic interactions matter in conservation policymaking at the country level. The model is tested on a data set comprising 48 sub-Saharan African countries spanning over the period 1990-2009. Through the obtained results, we give empirical evidence that, in the context of underdevelopment especially in Sub-Saharan Africa, strengthening governance is an effective mean to support the promotion of biodiversity conservation. In addition, we find that countries in Sub-Saharan Africa are influenced by their contiguous neighbors in environmental policy for biodiversity management. Finally, the results suggest that tourism development is a valuable incentive to raise governments' dedication to conservation in Sub-Saharan Africa. |
| Keywords: | biodiversity, Ecoregion score, Strategic interactions, Spatial econometrics |
| JEL: | C21 Q57 P48 |
| Date: | 2012 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdi:wpaper:1378&r=env |
| By: | Diana Smallridge; José Juan Gomes Lorenzo; Michael Peter Rattinger |
| Abstract: | Though the need to scale up financing to mitigate climate change and the associated challenges and barriers are well documented, there has been little discussion of the role that can be played by Public Development Banks (PDBs), either national or subnational. These institutions have a privileged position in their local markets, strong knowledge of their countries' development needs, and opportunities and vast experience in long-term investment financing. As a result, they are uniquely positioned to catalyze the supply of financing for and stimulate the demand for investment projects to mitigate climate change within their respective countries. This technical note discusses lessons learned from a number of PDBs within the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region and examples of best practices, processes and products in support of climate change mitigation from PDBs around the world. |
| Keywords: | Financial Sector :: Financial Markets, Financial Sector :: Financial Services, Environment & Natural Resources :: Climate Change, Economics :: Investment, Public Development Banks, Investment financing |
| JEL: | G21 G20 |
| Date: | 2012–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:idb:brikps:75258&r=env |
| By: | Dobroschke, Stephan |
| Abstract: | Die langfristigen Klimaschutzziele sehen bis zum Jahr 2020 im Vergleich zu 2008 eine Senkung des Primärenergieverbrauchs um 20% vor, bis zum Jahr 2050 wird eine Senkung um 50% angestrebt. Zur Erreichung dieser Ziele stehen zunehmend Maßnahmen zur Steigerung nachfrageseitiger Energieeffizienz im Vordergrund. Dies wird zum Anlass genommen, den aktuellen Forschungsstand im Bereich der Energieeffizienz und staatlicher Eingriffslegitimation ausführlich aufzuarbeiten und zunächst zu klären, was eigentlich unter einer Steigerung der Energieeffizienz und einer Energieeffizienzlücke zu verstehen ist. Auf Basis einer theoretisch fundierten Instrumentendiskussion wird schließlich eine zweistufige Instrumentierung vorgeschlagen, bestehend aus einer Anlastung energieträgerspezifischer negativer externer Effekte sowie, in zweiter Instanz, aus Maßnahmen zur Korrektur marktlicher Rahmenbedingungen. -- Long-term environment goals consist of a reduction of primary energy consumption of 20% by 2020 as well as of 50% by 2050, comparing to the year 2008. In order to achieve these goals, an increasing number of political actions are recently being implemented. In this respect, the political attention turns more and more to demand-oriented measures to increase energy efficiency. For this reason, an extensive review of actual research is being undertaken, followed by an elaboration on the actual meanings of energy efficiency and the energy efficiency gap. On these grounds, an instrumental discussion on how to successfully address energy efficiency reduction potentials is being conducted. From a political perspective, this leads to a two-stage strategy: According to environmental impacts of respective primary energy carriers, negative external effects are to be charged at first. Only secondly, market failures may be corrected. |
| Keywords: | Energieeffizienz,Energieeffizienzlücke,Marktversagen,umweltpolitische Markteingriffe,Klimaschutz,energy efficiency,energy efficiency gap,market failure,climate protection,market interventionism |
| JEL: | Q43 Q48 |
| Date: | 2012 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:uoccpe:121&r=env |
| By: | You, Gene J.-Y.; Ringler, Claudia |
| Abstract: | Two factors critical to assuring food security, whether at the local or the global level, are increasing crop productivity and increasing access to sustainable water supplies. These factors are also vital to the economic success of agriculture, which is particuÂlarly important in Ethiopia given that the sector accounts for about 41 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), produces 80 percent of its exports, employs 80 percent of the labor force, and is a major source of income and subsistence for the nation’s poor. |
| Keywords: | hydro-economic modeling, |
| Date: | 2011 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:resbrf:15(19)&r=env |
| By: | Costa, Cinthia Cabral da; Guilhoto, Joaquim José Martins |
| Abstract: | Brazil has more than 23 million rural people with unimproved sanitation, which corresponds to about 75% of rural population. This study aimed to measure the social, environmental and economic impacts caused by implementation of a technological proposal for sanitation: “septic cesspool biodigester”. It was found that, per year, the implementation of this technology in rural homes with unimproved sanitation could: reduce about 250 deaths and 5.5 million infections caused by diarrheal diseases; reduce pollution of waterways by about 250 thousand tons of BOD and; that every R$1.00 invested in the implementation of alternative technology evaluated could cause a return to the society of R$2.55 in GDP. Moreover, the jobs would increase from 51 thousand. |
| Keywords: | Sustainable Development; diarrhea; rural population |
| JEL: | O18 I12 R15 |
| Date: | 2012 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:40399&r=env |
| By: | Richard Schmalensee; Robert Stavins |
| Abstract: | Two decades have passed since the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 launched a grand experiment in market-based environmental policy: the SO2 cap-and-trade system. That system performed well but created four striking ironies. First, this system was put in place to curb acid rain, but the main source of benefits from it was unexpected. Second, a substantial source of this system’s cost-effectiveness was an unanticipated consequence of earlier railroad deregulation. Third, it is ironic that cap-and-trade has come to be demonized by conservative politicians in recent years, since this market-based, cost-effective policy innovation was initially championed and implemented by Republican administrations. Fourth, court decisions and subsequent regulatory responses have led to the collapse of the SO2 market, demonstrating that what the government gives, the government can take away. |
| JEL: | Q40 Q48 Q54 Q58 |
| Date: | 2012–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:18306&r=env |
| By: | Maria Jeus (Técnica Superior de Agricultura, Díli, Timor-Leste); Pedro Henriques (CEFAGE e Departamento de Economia - Universidade de Évora); Pedro Laranjeira (Ministério da Agricultura e Pescas de Timor-Leste); Vanda Narciso (Investigadora independente); Maria Leonor da Silva Carvalho (ICAM e Departamento de Economia - Universidade de Évora) |
| Abstract: | Every year thousands of hectares of forest are destructed as a result of the practice of swidden agriculture, shifting cultivation or "slush and burn" causing changes in forest ecosystems. In Timor-Leste shifting cultivation is still practiced nowadays as a form of subsistence agriculture. The objectives of the research are to characterize and reveal the socio-economic importance of shifting agriculture to rural communities in Timor-Leste, to identify its impacts in the environmental sustainability of the ecosystems, as well as to suggest some solutions to mitigate their negative impacts. A questionnaire survey that characterized shifting cultivation, and asked farmers’ opinion on slash and burning of forest areas and on the importance of forests was applied to farmers of two Sucos of Bobonaro district. According to the results the existing vegetation before the slash was composed of dense forest, the slash is made by the family group, farmers have been doing the “slush and burn” for more than ten years and the size of the plots used is less than 2 hectares. The materials resulting from the slash are used for firewood, building materials and fencing. The burning of vegetable residues is done before planting and soil preparation and sowing is done with a lever. Land and forest, despite having an individual use, have a tenure regime of ownership and access in which its nature of common pool good prevails. |
| Keywords: | shifting cultivation, forest ecosystems, sustainability, Timor-Leste. |
| JEL: | Q23 Q24 Q26 Q57 |
| Date: | 2012 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cfe:wpcefa:2012_16&r=env |
| By: | Christopher Marquis (Harvard Business School, Organizational Behavior Unit); Michael W. Toffel (Harvard Business School, Technology and Operations Management Unit) |
| Abstract: | Under increased pressure to report environmental impacts, some firms selectively disclose relatively benign impacts, creating an impression of transparency while masking their true performance; other firms' disclosures, in contrast, are more representative of their environmental performance. What deters selective disclosure? We hypothesize that selective disclosure, a novel symbolic strategy firms use to manage stakeholder perceptions, is mitigated by two forms of organizational visibility. Firms with greater domain-specific visibility are especially vulnerable to stakeholder criticism and therefore less prone to selective disclosure. In contrast, more generically visible firms are less prone to selective disclosure only when subjected to civil society scrutiny that activates these firms' latent vulnerability. We test our hypotheses using a novel panel dataset of 4,484 public companies in many industries, headquartered in 38 countries, during 2005-2008, when environmental disclosure increased among global corporations. We find that domain-specific visibility mitigates selective disclosure, that it mitigates selective disclosure more so than generic visibility, and that generic visibility mitigates selective disclosure only in the presence of civil society scrutiny. This research contributes to understanding how corporations manage the symbolic use of information and how corporate behavior is influenced by civil society scrutiny embedded in institutional processes. |
| Date: | 2011–05 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hbs:wpaper:11-115&r=env |
| By: | Vanja WESTERBERG; Jette BREDAHL JACOBSEN; Robert LIFRAN |
| Abstract: | There is increasing consensus that NIMBYism is a deficient explanation for widespread resistance to the installation of wind power facilities. This paper addresses this deficiency by examining the determinants of tourist preferences over the position of offshore wind farms at different distances from the shore in the Mediterranean Sea. A principal component analysis is used to retrieve general attitudinal themes, which act as covariates in a choice model. We demonstrate the respective role of respondents’ opinions on energy policy, perceived urgency of tackling climate change, NIMBY objections, nationality and education in explaining preferences for the siting of offshore wind farms. |
| Date: | 2012–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:lam:wpaper:12-22&r=env |
| By: | Luiz Antonio Martinelli |
| Abstract: | Este documento discute el rol dual de América Latina y el Caribe como conservador de recursos naturales y a la vez productor de servicios agropecuarios. El autor se concentra en la expansión e intensificación de la agricultura en América Latina. Este estudio también se enfoca en los impactos medioambientales de esta expansión e intensificación y hace una evaluación de los servicios de los ecosistemas y de la producción agrícola |
| Keywords: | Medio ambiente y recursos naturales :: Cambio climático, Medio ambiente y recursos naturales :: Gestión de la biodiversidad y los recursos naturales, Agricultura y seguridad alimentaria, Energía y minería :: Energía renovable |
| Date: | 2012–03 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:idb:brikps:75458&r=env |
| By: | Patricia Crifo (Department of Economics, Ecole Polytechnique - CNRS : UMR7176 - Polytechnique - X, UP10 - Université Paris 10, Paris Ouest Nanterre La Défense - Université Paris X - Paris Ouest Nanterre La Défense - Ministère de l'Enseignement Supérieur et de la Recherche Scientifique, CIRANO - Montréal); Vanina Forget (Department of Economics, Ecole Polytechnique - CNRS : UMR7176 - Polytechnique - X, AgroParisTech - ENGREF) |
| Abstract: | This article analyzes the economics of Corporate Social Responsible behaviors, namely the voluntary integration of environmental, social and governance factors in firms' strategy. We review theoretical and empirical literature and provide a unified framework of the forces driving corporate social responsibility, relying on three categories of market imperfections: the existence of externalities and public good; consumer heterogeneity; and imperfects contracts. The impacts of corporate social responsibility on corporate performance and society are also surveyed and the lack of knowledge on the latter leads to a research agenda. |
| Keywords: | Corporate Social Responsibility; Business Sustainability; En- vironmental, Social and Governance Criteria; Firm Strategy. |
| Date: | 2012–07–25 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:wpaper:hal-00720640&r=env |
| By: | Lawrence H. Goulder; Roberton C. Williams III |
| Abstract: | Nearly all discussions about the appropriate consumption discount rate for climate-change policy evaluation assume that a single discount rate concept applies. We argue that two distinct concepts and associated rates apply. We distinguish a social-welfare-equivalent discount rate appropriate for determining whether a given policy would augment social welfare (according to a postulated social welfare function) and a finance-equivalent discount rate suitable for determining whether the policy would offer a potential Pareto improvement. Distinguishing the two rates helps resolve arguments as to whether the choice of discount rate should be based on ethical considerations or empirical information (such as market interest rates), and about whether the discount rate should serve a prescriptive or descriptive role. Separating out the two rates also helps clarify disputes about the appropriate stringency of climate change policy. We find that the structure of leading numerical optimization models used for climate policy analysis may have helped contribute to the blurring of the differences between the two rates. In addition, we indicate that uncertainty about underlying ethical parameters or market conditions implies that both rates should decline as the time-horizon increases. |
| JEL: | D61 D63 H43 Q54 |
| Date: | 2012–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:18301&r=env |
| By: | De Rosa, Donato; Iootty, Mariana |
| Abstract: | This paper examines whether natural resource dependence has a negative influence on various indicators of institutional quality when controlling for the potential effects of other geographic, economic and cultural initial conditions. Analysis of a panel of countries from 1996 to 2010 indicates that a high degree of resource dependence, measured as the share of mineral fuel exports in a country's total exports, is associated with worse government effectiveness, as well as with reduced levels of competition across the economy. Furthermore, estimation of long-run elasticities suggests that government effectiveness and the intensity of domestic competition decrease over time as the dependence on natural resources increases. An illustration of the Russian case shows that the negative effects accumulate in the long run, leading to a worse deterioration of government effectiveness in Russia than in Canada, a country with a comparable resource endowment but far better overall institutional quality. This result is corroborated by a significant negative correlation found between regional resource dependence and an indicator of regulatory capture in Russian regions, which indicates that the regulatory environment is more likely to be subverted in regions that are more dependent on extractive industries. Overall, the findings would be consistent with a situation in which a generally weak institutional environment would allow resource interests to wield the bidding power accruing from export revenues to subvert the content of laws and regulations, as well as their enforcement. The fact that this is associated with negative externalities for the rest of the economy, notably by undermining a level playing field across non-resource sectors, sheds light on a potential channel for the resource curse. |
| Keywords: | Environmental Economics&Policies,Governance Indicators,Economic Theory&Research,Emerging Markets,E-Business |
| Date: | 2012–07–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:6151&r=env |
| By: | Tobias Lechtenfeld (Georg-August-University Göttingen) |
| Abstract: | This paper investigates why household connections to piped water supply can increase diarrheal diseases among under-5-year-old children. Using a unique mix of household data, microbiological test results and spatial information from urban Yemen it is possible to distinguish the adverse impacts of malfunctioning water pipes from unhygienic household behavior on water pollution and health outcomes. The analysis consists of three parts: First, exogenous variation of pipe construction is used to quantify the health impact of access to piped water, which is found to increase the risk of child diarrhea by 4.6 percentage points. Second, by exploiting the spatial correlation of pollution among households connected to the same water pipe, it is shown that broken pipes and interruptions of water supply are responsible for most of the water pollution. Third, unhygienic water storage and handling at household level additionally increases water pollution. These results show for the first time that water rationing can jeopardize the intended health benefits of access to clean drinking water. Importantly, these results apply to most urban areas in Africa and the Middle East where water resources are limited and water supply is frequently interrupted. |
| Keywords: | Water and Sanitation; Diarrhea; Child Health; Impact Evaluation; Yemen |
| JEL: | I38 O12 O16 |
| Date: | 2012–08–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:got:gotcrc:119&r=env |
| By: | Singh, Rajesh; Weninger, Quinn |
| Abstract: | We develop a model stochastic fish harvesting technology that incorporates sea-turtle bycatch. In the model, turtle bycatch can be reduced at the cost of sacrificing fish harvest. We examine harvesting behavior, at-sea discards and bio-economic performance under various forms of quota-based fishing regulations. |
| Keywords: | sea-turtles; by-catch |
| Date: | 2012–08–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:isu:genres:35320&r=env |
| By: | Ural Marchand, Beyza (University of Alberta, Department of Economics); Chakravorty, Ujjayant (Tufts University); Hubert, Marie-Helene (University of Rennes) |
| Abstract: | Many countries have adopted energy policies that promote biofuels as a substitute for gasoline in transportation. For instance, 40% of U.S. grain is now used for energy and this share is expected to rise significantly under the current Renewable Fuels Mandate. This paper examines the distributional effects of the U.S. mandate on India. First, we use a model with endogenous land use to estimate the effect of biofuel policy on the world price of food commodities, in particular rice, wheat, sugar and meat and dairy, which provide almost 70% of Indian food calories. We obtain world price increases of the order of 10% for most of these commodities. Using Indian micro-level survey data for consumption and income, we carefully estimate the effect of these price increases on household welfare. We account for negative consumption impacts as well as the positive effects through wages and income. We consider both perfect and imperfect pass-through from world to domestic prices. We show that the net impact on welfare is negative as well as regressive, i.e., U.S. biofuels policy affects the poorest people the most. About 42 million new poor may be created in India alone. Under imperfect pass-through, this number declines to 16 million. The main implication is that U.S. energy policy that mandates the production of fuel from food may lead to a sharp increase in world poverty. |
| Keywords: | clean energy; food prices; household welfare; renewable fuel standards; poverty |
| JEL: | D31 O12 Q24 Q42 |
| Date: | 2012–08–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ris:albaec:2012_017&r=env |
| By: | Ghafele , Roya; D. O’Brien, Robert |
| Abstract: | Despite its rising popularity, open innovation has received relatively limited attention in the discussion of how to implement ‘green’ innovation, a fact which is of particular relevance within the context of the Rio+20 summit 2012. The GreenXchange (GX), which was launched in 2010 by Nike along with nine other organizations, is an important exception to this trend. The GX is a web-based marketplace for intellectual property (IP), which appears not to have lived up entirely to the original expectations set out at its creation. Other than Nike, only one other company – Best Buy – has agreed to place its IP assets on the GX and the vast majority of the posted IP cannot be used in the creation of commercial products. This paper explores in what ways the GX exemplifies both the usefulness and limitations of open innovation for sustainability and discusses the lessons that can be drawn from the GX experience in terms of the broader thinking on innovation, intellectual property and sustainability. It concludes by proposing ways that can help such initiatives be made to function better. |
| Keywords: | open innovation; sustainability; platform technologies; intellectual property commercialization; climate change mitigation |
| JEL: | O34 O32 |
| Date: | 2012–06 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:40440&r=env |
| By: | Olivier Deschenes; Michael Greenstone; Joseph S. Shapiro |
| Abstract: | Willingness to pay for air quality is a function of health and the costly defensive investments that contribute to health, but there is little research assessing the empirical importance of defensive investments. The setting for this paper is a large US emissions cap and trade market – the NOx Budget Trading Program (NBP) – that has greatly reduced NOx emissions since its initiation in 2003. Using rich quasi-experimental variation, we find that the reductions in NOx emissions decreased the number of summer days with high ozone levels by about 25%. The NBP also led to reductions in expenditures on prescription pharmaceutical expenditures of about 1.9%. Additionally, the summer mortality rate declined by approximately 0.5%, indicating that there were about 2,200 fewer premature deaths per summer, mainly among individuals 75 and older. The monetized value of the reductions in pharmaceutical purchases and mortality rates are each roughly $900 million annually, suggesting that defensive investments are a significant portion of willingness to pay for air quality. Finally, we cautiously conclude that the reductions in ozone are the primary channel for these reductions in defensive investments and mortality rates, which indicates that willingness to pay for ozone reductions is larger than previously understood. |
| JEL: | D1 H4 I1 Q4 Q5 |
| Date: | 2012–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:18267&r=env |
| By: | Mia Baumeister (R.E. Millward Associates Ltd.); Cayley Burgess (Ontario Office of the Budget and Treasury Board) |
| Abstract: | (1) Increasingly, compact and sustainable development has become a priority for Canadian municipalities. In order to realize these growth objectives, it is possible to look not only to conventional land use and growth management policies, but also to fiscal instruments to achieve planning goals. Existing literature suggests that development charges, which are financial tools used by municipalities in several Canadian provinces to pay for the growth-related capital costs associated with new development or redevelopment, can influence how land resources are consumed and developments are designed. Drawing on information from the literature and interviews with key informants, this research analyzed how development charges are used in British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario, as well as the Halifax Regional Municipality, to understand how jurisdictions employ development charges and what role these charges currently play in achieving growth objectives. The research found that few municipalities use their development charges proactively to meet planning goals. Moreover, the research revealed a divide among practitioners, with some maintaining that development charges were a revenueraising tool and a poor mechanism by which to achieve planning objectives. Others recognized that development charges could be—and were being—used as a tool to encourage compact growth, but identified several barriers to more effective and widespread use as a planning tool. Suggested recommendations for policy changes include more flexibility within legislation to collect for transit and other services, ongoing support from provincial officials to assist municipalities in designing development charge programs with policy goals in mind, and further exploration of how fiscal tools can best be used as planning tools. (2) This paper reviews the risks to Canadian municipal finance from extreme weather and analyzes the financial tools that cities can use to prepare for extreme weather events: insurance, weather reserves, weather derivatives, and budget provision. Despite the threat of climate change, Canadian cities are not substantially increasing their use of these tools. However, improvements could be made to accounting procedures and disaster assistance regulations, and amalgamating smaller cities could improve their ability to manage risk, all of which will ameliorate the financial impacts of extreme weather. The paper proposes reasons why Canadian cities have failed to fully adapt their infrastructure to extreme weather: lack of information, low fiscal capacity, externalities, moral hazard in disaster assistance arrangements, and poor program design. It concludes by discussing how these arrangements may be overhauled to better prepare Canadian municipalities for extreme weather, including new provincial legislation and the creation of a federal infrastructure fund modelled on the United States’ Pre-Disaster Mitigation program. |
| Keywords: | (1) development charges, smart growth, compact growth, sustainable development, transit (2) climate change, extreme weather, insurance, budgeting, disaster assistance, risk management |
| JEL: | H23 H27 D81 G22 H29 |
| Date: | 2012–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:mfg:wpaper:09&r=env |
| By: | Mutascu, Mihai |
| Abstract: | The paper investigates the effects of clime conditions on collected tax revenues, based on a panel-model approach. The data-set includes 123 countries and covers the period 1996-2010. The main results show that the assumed function is linear, the clime conditions heaving a significant impact on collected tax revenues. Overall, the collected tax revenues tend to increase under cool, polar or boreal climate. The paper extends the literature in the field by focusing on the clime implications in economy and finds new evidences regarding the determinants of collected tax revenues. |
| Keywords: | Climate conditions; Tax revenues; Panel-model; Effects; Tax policy |
| JEL: | H20 C23 Q54 |
| Date: | 2012–06 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:40324&r=env |
| By: | Ersado, Lire |
| Abstract: | Armenia meets about 75 percent of its energy needs through imports, with natural gas imports from Russia accounting for about 80 percent of total energy imports and 60 percent of total primary energy supply. Because of high dependence on imported energy, Armenia is vulnerable to external energy price shocks, which are often beyond the control of its policymakers. A most recent case in point was the 2010 Russian gas tariff increase, which led to a nearly 40 percent increase in the retail gas price for residential consumers. Coming on the heels of the global economic recession that hit Armenia's economy hard, the price hike amplified the impact on households that rely primarily on gas for heating and cooking. Using aggregate energy consumption data and a nationally representative household survey immediately before the crisis, this paper provides an overview of household energy consumption patterns, highlights Armenia's energy vulnerability, and estimates the direct poverty and distributional impacts of the increase in the cost of imported gas. The analysis shows that the gas price hike resulted in a significant increase in energy expenditures, with disproportionately higher impact on the poor and vulnerable households. The paper concludes with a discussion on the effectiveness of the mitigation measures employed by the Government of Armenia. |
| Keywords: | Energy Production and Transportation,Energy and Environment,Environment and Energy Efficiency,Transport and Environment,Water and Industry |
| Date: | 2012–07–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:6150&r=env |
| By: | Béatrice Parguel (DRM - Dauphine Recherches en Management - CNRS : UMR7088 - Université Paris IX - Paris Dauphine); Florence Benoît-Moreau (DRM - Dauphine Recherches en Management - CNRS : UMR7088 - Université Paris IX - Paris Dauphine); Fabrice Larceneux (DRM - Dauphine Recherches en Management - CNRS : UMR7088 - Université Paris IX - Paris Dauphine) |
| Abstract: | Depuis 1994, dans le but d'orienter le choix des consommateurs vers des véhicules plus respectueux de l'environnement, la Commission Européenne impose aux constructeurs automobiles d'afficher, de manière très visible, le taux d'émission de CO2 des véhicules sur les publicités. Cette obligation, si elle paraît a priori pleine de sens, s'accompagne toutefois d'un effet pervers inattendu. En effet, l'affichage du taux d'émission de CO2 semble de nature à générer, chez les consommateurs non-experts en matière d'écologie, l'inférence que le constructeur est sûr du caractère écologique de ses produits, ce qui décuple l'efficacité des éléments d'exécution publicitaires suscitant le greenwashing. Ce papier valide empiriquement cet effet à l'aide d'une expérimentation menée dans le secteur automobile auprès d'un panel de consommateurs français. |
| Keywords: | greenwashing ; directive européenne ; publicité automobile |
| Date: | 2012–06–22 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:halshs-00703983&r=env |
| By: | Guilló, María Dolores (Departamento de Métodos Cuantitativos y Teoría Económica y IUDESP); Pérez-Sebastián, Fidel (Departamento de Fundamentos del Análisis Económico) |
| Abstract: | The traditional view that natural riches increase the wealth of nations has been recently challenged by empirical findings that point out that natural inputs are negatively related to growth. This paper shows, within a two-sector neo-classical growth model with international trade in goods, that these two views can be reconciled. Natural inputs directly affect both long-run income and transitional growth. These two effects can be positive or negative depending on input elasticities. Furthermore, they go in opposite directions, creating a tension that complicates the interpretation of estimated-coefficient signs in growth regressions. Quantitative results show that the two effects can be significant. |
| Keywords: | neoclassical growth; resource curse; convergence |
| JEL: | F11 F43 O11 O13 O41 |
| Date: | 2012–07–26 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ris:qmetal:2012_014&r=env |
| By: | Catherine SIMONET (Centre d'Etudes et de Recherches sur le Développement International); Stéphanie BRUNELIN; Catherine ARAUJO BONJEAN (Centre d'Etudes et de Recherches sur le Développement International) |
| Abstract: | The aim of this paper is to estimate the impact of weather related income shocks on child health in rural Burkina Faso where rain fed agriculture is the dominant production system. We combine health data originating from the 2008 household survey with meteorological data to define shocks at the child level. We first estimate the marginal effect of rainfall at various ages on the child's health in order to identify the critical period during which deprivation has the most severe consequences. Then we look for a different impact of shocks on girls and boys that would reflect a gender bias in intra household resource allocation. We also assess the household ability to smooth consumption by testing for an asymmetric effect of rainfall shocks according to their size and by testing the impact of shocks according to household endowments. Results evidence a strong relationship between rainfall shocks during the prenatal period and child health. Households are not able to dampen small but negative rainfall shocks. Unexpectedly, girls are less severely affected by shocks than boys. The robustness of results is tested by using the sibling and difference-in-differences estimators as well as placebo regressions. |
| Keywords: | Child health, rainfall shock, burkina faso, sibling estimator, treatment-effect model |
| JEL: | C31 Q54 O15 I10 |
| Date: | 2012 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdi:wpaper:1380&r=env |
| By: | Darian Woods (The Treasury); Andrew Coleman (Motu Economic and Public Policy Research and the Treasury) |
| Abstract: | The average value of a particular class of agricultural exports varies widely across different destinations. This raises the question: in the event of a supply shock, such as the implementation of the Emissions Trading Scheme, can farmers offset higher costs by raising their average prices by contracting exports to lower value destinations? If the difference in value reflects different prices because producers have market power, the answer will be “yes”. If the difference in value reflects differences in the quality of goods exported to different destinations, the answer is “no.” This paper use a variety of trade data and techniques to examine which explanation is most likely to be relevant. While the answers are not definitive, there is little support for the hypothesis that exports are curtailed. |
| Keywords: | Agriculture, exports, emissions trading scheme, price, quality, market power, international trade, New Zealand |
| JEL: | D43 F12 F14 F18 Q17 Q56 |
| Date: | 2012–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:mtu:wpaper:12_08&r=env |
| By: | Kemp, Alexander G.; Kasim, Sola |
| Abstract: | NORTH SEA STUDY OCCASIONAL PAPER No. 123 |
| Date: | 2012 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:edn:sirdps:331&r=env |
| By: | Sunak, Yasin (E.ON Energy Research Center, Future Energy Consumer Needs and Behavior (FCN)); Madlener, Reinhard (E.ON Energy Research Center, Future Energy Consumer Needs and Behavior (FCN)) |
| Abstract: | Wind power is the most important renewable energy source in many countries today, characterized by a rapid and extensive diffusion since the 1990s. However, it has also triggered much debate with regard to the impact on landscape and vista. Therefore, siting processes of wind farm projects are often accompanied by massive public protest, because of visual and aural impacts on the surrounding area. These mostly negative consequences are often reflected in property values and house prices. The aim of this paper is to investigate the impact of wind farms on the surrounding property values by means of a geographically-weighted hedonic pricing model. By comparing the predictive performance of standard Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression models and Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) models, we find that, mainly due to a local clustering bias, global OLS estimation is inadequate for capturing the impacts of wind farm proximity on property prices. GWR reveals spatial non-stationarity of the variables and varying spatial patterns of the coefficient estimates across and within the city areas. Moreover, the GWR findings provide evidence for negative local effects of site proximity and of shadowing caused by wind turbines. The analysis was done for a study area in western Germany. |
| Keywords: | Wind power; Hedonic pricing; Spatial non-stationarity; Geographically Weighted Regression |
| JEL: | C31 Q24 Q42 R31 |
| Date: | 2012–05 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ris:fcnwpa:2012_003&r=env |
| By: | Ramonjy, Dimbi |
| Abstract: | Notre travail s’inscrit dans le cadre d’un programme de recherche portant sur le renouvellement de la discipline du management stratégique des organisations. Les concepts de développement durable et de responsabilité sociale permettraient cette régénération. Nous explorons plus particulièrement le cas des organisations du commerce équitable. Le commerce équitable se trouve en effet inscrit dans le développement durable, soit par la volonté des acteurs du mouvement (déclaration FINE 2001, accord AFNOR 2006), soit par le biais d’un encadrement institutionnel (article 60 de la loi PME 2005). Notre problématique questionne alors de manière réflexive dans quelle mesure les organisations du commerce équitable s’inscrivent dans le développement durable. Notre démarche méthodologique est basée sur une approche exploratoire et une recherche qualitative par l’étude de cas. 47 entretiens ont notamment été menés auprès des organisations et des parties prenantes de la communauté française du commerce équitable. Nous démontrons alors que les modèles radicaux du commerce équitable sont les vecteurs permettant aux organisations d’intégrer le développement durable dans leur management stratégique. Nous caractérisons également le périmètre de responsabilité sociale des organisations du commerce équitable en approfondissant les obligations sociales, environnementales, politiques et économiques qu’elles prennent en charge pour contribuer au développement durable. Au final, nous rendons compte de la diversité des approches des organisations du commerce équitable à s’inscrire dans le développement durable à travers une approche par les configurations. Ces configurations s’expriment à travers quatre archétypes : entreprise éthique, entreprise solidaire, entreprise durable et entreprise sociale. Nous concluons ainsi sur l’existence de plusieurs commerces équitables et sur l’avènement d’une quatrième ère du mouvement, le commerce durable. |
| Abstract: | Our work is part of a research program on the renewal of the discipline of strategic management. The concepts of sustainable development and corporate social responsibility would allow this regeneration. We particularly explore the case of fair trade organizations. The fair trade is indeed included in the sustainable development either by the will of the actors of the movement (FINE’s declaration 2001, AFNOR agreement 2006), or through an institutional framework (article 60 Loi PME 2005). We critically question the extent to which fair trade organizations integrate and contribute to sustainable development. Our research method is based on an exploratory approach and a qualitative research case study. 47 interviews were notably conducted with organizations and stakeholders of the fair trade french community. We demonstrate that radical models of fair trade are the vectors that enable organizations to integrate sustainable development into their strategic management. We also characterize the corporate social responsibility of fair trade organizations by deepening social, ecological, and economic obligations they support to contribute to sustainable development. Finally, we report the diversity of fair trade organizations’approaches to be part of sustainable development project through a configurational approach. These configurations are expressed through four archetypes : ethical organization, solidary organization, sustainable organization and social organization. We therefore conclude on the existence of several fair trades and on the emergence of a fourth age of the movement, the sustainable trade. |
| Keywords: | Strategic management of organizations; Sustainable development; Corporate social responsibility; Fair trade; Qualitative methods; Case study research; Management stratégique des organisations; Développement durable; Responsabilité sociale de l’organisation; Commerce équitable; Méthodes qualitatives; Etude de cas; |
| JEL: | Q56 M14 |
| Date: | 2012–06 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ner:dauphi:urn:hdl:123456789/9784&r=env |
| By: | De Luca, Giacomo; Maystadt, Jean-François; Sekeris, Petros G.; Ulimwengu, John M.; Folledo, Renato |
| Keywords: | Natural resources, Conflict, |
| Date: | 2012 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprid:1193&r=env |
| By: | Rolando Ossowski; Alberto Gonzáles-Castillo |
| Abstract: | This paper examines the impact of the availability of fiscal revenues from nonrenewable resources on other revenues of Latin American and Caribbean resource-exporting countries. It compares the performance of nonresource revenues in these countries to that in other countries in the region. The effect of resource revenue on nonresource revenue is found to be negative and statistically significant, with structural breaks both over time and across countries. Nonresource revenues have risen considerably, but they are still lower on average than in comparator countries, and the wedge between both groups of countries has widened over time. They also tend to be more volatile. The paper also analyzes the composition of nonresource revenues. It finds that the performance of VAT and nonresource income taxes of resource exporters has been similar to that of other countries, but revenues from other taxes (including excises) have been lower. The paper's findings have important policy implications. Especially for resource exporters with fiscal vulnerabilities to shocks and sustainability issues, strengthening nonresource revenues would be important to create adequate fiscal space to meet expenditure needs. Oil exporters should also consider phasing out their costly, inefficient, and poorly targeted petroleum subsidies, with compensating measures to protect vulnerable groups. |
| Keywords: | Economics :: Fiscal Policy, Economics :: Economic Development & Growth, Environment & Natural Resources, Nonrenewable resources, Oil revenues, Mineral revenues, Domestic revenue effort, Nonresource revenues, Value-added tax, Income tax, Petroleum subsidies |
| JEL: | E62 H20 H21 H55 O13 O23 Q30 Q33 |
| Date: | 2012–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:idb:brikps:75558&r=env |
| By: | Helena García Romero; Adriana Hernández Ortiz |
| Abstract: | Este cuaderno presenta los resultados del estudio "Elaboración de una Evaluación Integral de Sostenibilidad (EIS) para Colombia", realizado con el apoyo de la Fundación Konrad Adenauer. El estudio analiza cuáles son las perspectivas para una estrategia de crecimiento verde en el país a partir de tres dimensiones: la existencia de un plan de crecimiento verde, la capacidad institucional para llevarlo a cabo, y la relevancia que tiene el tema en la sociedad. Colombia se encuentra en un momento muy relevante para definir cómo será su estrategia de crecimiento hacia el futuro. Es necesario tomar acciones que aseguren un crecimiento sostenible y equitativo y que no ponga en riesgo los logros alcanzados ni el bienestar de las generaciones futuras. Con esta finalidad se analizan el Plan Nacional de Desarrollo 2010-2014 y las locomotoras de crecimiento para ver qué tanto se acercan a una estrategia de crecimiento verde; se revisa la institucionalidad ambiental vigente y su relación con la institucionalidad económica; y se estudian las opiniones sobre medio ambiente y crecimiento económico de los colombianos captadas en Latinobarómetro. Se encuentra que a pesar de la creciente importancia que se le da al tema en la sociedad y en el discurso público, no podemos hablar hoy de una estrategia de crecimiento verde en Colombia: en parte porque los planes de desarrollo existentes no se apegan del todo al crecimiento verde, y en parte porque hace falta mayor fortaleza institucional. |
| Date: | 2012–06–28 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:col:000439:009897&r=env |
| By: | Ito, Yutaka; Managi, Shunsuke; Matsuda, Akimi |
| Abstract: | The SRI funds performances remain inconclusive. Hence, more studies need to be conducted to determine if SRI funds systematically underperform or outperform conventional funds. This paper has employed dynamic mean-variance model using shortage function approach to evaluate the performance of SRI and Environmentally friendly funds. Unlike the traditional methods, this approach estimate fund performance considering both the return and risk at the same time. The empirical results show that SRI funds outperformed conventional funds in EU and U.S. In addition, the results of EU are among the top-performing categories. Environmentally friendly funds do not perform as well as SRI, but perform in manners equal or superior to conventional funds. These results show statistically significant in some cases. |
| Keywords: | Socially responsible investment fund; Environmentally friendly fund; Fund performance; Mean-variance model |
| JEL: | G14 G11 G15 Q56 |
| Date: | 2012–08–15 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:40654&r=env |