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on Environmental Economics |
| By: | Dominique Isabelle Kayser; Song Li; Suiko Yoshijima |
| Keywords: | Environment - Climate Change Mitigation and Green House Gases Water Resources - Wetlands Environment - Environment and Energy Efficiency Energy - Energy and Environment Environmental Economics and Policies |
| Date: | 2013–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wboper:20559&r=env |
| By: | Greaker, Mads (Statstics Norway); Hoel, Michael (Dept. of Economics, University of Oslo); Rosendahl, Knut Einar (Norwegian Univeristy of Life Sciences) |
| Abstract: | Recent literature on biofuels has questioned whether biofuels policies are likely to reduce the negative effects of climate change. Our analysis explicitly takes into account that oil is a non-renewable natural resource. A blending mandate has no effect on total cumulative oil extraction. However, extraction of oil is postponed as a consequence of the renewable fuel standard. Thus, if emissions from biofuels are negligible, the standard will have beneficial climate effects. The standard also reduces total fuel (i.e., oil plus biofuels) consumption initially. Hence, even if emissions from biofuels are non-negligible, a renewable fuel standard may still reduce climate costs. In fact our simulations show that even for biofuels that are almost as emissions-intensive as oil, a renewable fuel standard has beneficial climate effects. |
| Keywords: | Renewable fuel standard; Blending mandate; Biofuels; Climate costs; Petroleum extraction profi…le |
| JEL: | Q30 Q40 Q50 |
| Date: | 2014–04–23 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hhs:osloec:2014_009&r=env |
| By: | Brita Bye; Marit E. Klemetsen (Statistics Norway) |
| Abstract: | We study the effects of various environmental regulations on environmental performance measured as emission intensity. Moreover, we aim to test whether any such effects are persistent or only temporary. Conventional theory predicts that indirect regulations as opposed to direct regulations provide continuous dynamic incentives for emission reductions. Our unique Norwegian firm level panel data set allow us to identify effects from different types of regulations such as environmental taxes, non-tradable emission quotas and technology standards. The data includes information of different environmental regulations, all kinds of polluting emissions, and a large number of control variables for all polluting incorporated firms. Empirically we identify positive and significant effects from both direct and indirect policy instruments. We also investigate whether the regulations provide continuous dynamic incentives that lead to persistent effects. In contrast to what the literature suggests, we find evidence that direct regulations promote persistent effects. Indirect regulations will, on the other hand, only have potential persistent effects if environmental taxes are increasing over time. |
| Keywords: | environmental performance; emission intensity; environmental regulations; command-and-control; environmental taxes; long-run effects |
| JEL: | C01 C23 D04 D22 H23 L51 Q51 Q58 |
| Date: | 2014–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ssb:dispap:788&r=env |
| By: | E. Agliardi; M. Pinar; T. Stengos |
| Abstract: | We employ a stochastic dominance (SD) approach to analyze the components that contribute to environmental degradation over time. The variables that are considered include countries’ greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and water pollution. Our approach is based on pair-wise SD tests. First, we study the dynamic progress of each separate variable over time, from 1990 to 2005, within 5-year horizons. Then, pair-wise SD tests are used to study the major industry contributors to the overall GHG emissions and water pollution at any given time, to uncover the industry which contributes the most to total emissions and water pollution. We find that CO2 emissions not only contribute the most to the GHG emissions over time, but also increased within 15 year in the first-order SD sense. On the other hand, water pollution increased in a second-order SD sense. Pair-wise industry comparisons suggest that the major industry contributors to the CO2 emissions have always been the electricity and heat production sectors, while the transport sector has been the second contributor between 1990 and 2005. Finally, the food industry gradually became the major contributing industry for water pollution over time. |
| JEL: | C4 C5 C14 Q01 Q5 Q51 |
| Date: | 2014–12 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:bol:bodewp:wp981&r=env |
| By: | Nicholas Apergis (Department of Economics and Property, Curtin University, Australia and Department of Banking and Financial Management, University of Piraeus, Greece); Christina Christou (Department of Banking and Financial Management, University of Piraeus, Greece); Rangan Gupta (Department of Economics, University of Pretoria) |
| Abstract: | The paper assesses the existence of the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis, across 48 contiguous states of the US, using recent advances in panel data techniques, given the existence of cross-sectional dependence, which in turn, makes reliance on time-series evidence biased. The Common Correlated Effects (CCE) estimation procedure of Pesaran,(2006), allows us to obtain state-level results, while staying in a panel set-up to accommodate for cross-sectional dependence, in the presence of cointegration in the relationship between emissions and a measure of output, and its squared value – a function that captures the inverted u-shaped relationship postulated by the EKC. Our results show that, the EKC hypothesis holds for only 10 of the 48 states, and hence implies that, the remaining 38 states should reform a number of their environmental regulatory policies to prevent environmental degradation, since otherwise, lower levels of emissions would only be possible at the expense of production. |
| Keywords: | ECO2 Emissions; Environmental Kuznets Curve; US States |
| JEL: | C33 Q53 Q56 |
| Date: | 2014–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pre:wpaper:201474&r=env |
| By: | Kurt Kratena; Mark Sommer |
| Abstract: | It is expected that binding biophysical constraints have the potential to slow growth and impede the improvement of other key macroeconomic variables. Using a DYNK (Dynamic New Keynesian) model of the EU27, we study two different environmental policy options and evaluate their impact on environmental as well as socio-economic targets (equity and employment). Macroeconomic simulation models are very useful to discuss alternatives to the status quo in economic theory and policy in the face of increasing resource scarcities and impacts. Scenarios of possible economic futures until 2050 generated on the basis of these models can provide very useful insights. Any feasible scenario that allows for achieving policy targets for resource use without completely failing on economic and social targets requires absolute decoupling of resource use from income or GDP. Therefore, a modelling approach that takes into account the full feedback between the physical flows that are to be reduced and the flows in the economic system needs to be applied. For Europe the reduction of resource use is linked to different policy goals. First of all, the European consumer is embedded into global value chains and thereby directly and indirectly contributes to global resource use. GHG emissions of Europe are still an important part of global emissions and emissions per capita are far beyond a sustainable global level. Security of supply and the risks attached to that are a further issue for a European resource policy. The political targets, formulated in roadmaps for GHG emission reduction and resource efficiency therefore describe significant reductions in resource use linked to domestic production (GHG emissions), as well as to domestic consumption (domestic material consumption, DMC). The main instrument discussed in this context is the introduction of prices/taxes for GHG emissions and for resources like construction minerals and metal ores. At the same time, the problem of 'leakage' is identified in a scenario of an isolated European policy. Higher costs for European producers due to these taxes may lead to relocation of energy and material intensive production. This in turn can hurt labour in Europe and on a global scale lead to the same or even higher resource use and GHG emissions. In the end, the genuine source of leakage is the consumers' demand in Europe. Given this demand, producers outside Europe increase their resource use, if the European producer of energy and material intensive products is not competitive. The socio-economic impact of two alternative policies ('classical green tax' reform, 'environmental fiscal devaluation') is analysed and compared. |
| Keywords: | Beyond GDP, Biophysical constraints, CGE models, Ecological innovation, Macroeconomic disequilibrium, Socio-ecological transition, Sustainable growth, Wealth |
| JEL: | H J68 O38 O44 Q48 Q54 Q58 |
| Date: | 2014–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:feu:wfepbr:y:2014:m:11:d:0:i:6&r=env |
| By: | Christoph Böhringer (Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Institut für Volkswirtschaftslehre & ZenTra); Nicholas Rivers (Graduate School of Public and International Affairs and Institute of the Environment, University of Ottawa); Hidemichi Yonezawa (University of Ottawa, Institute of the Environment) |
| Abstract: | We show that imposition of a state-level environmental tax in a federation crowds out preexisting federal taxes. We explain how this vertical fiscal externality can lead unilateral statelevel environmental policy to generate a welfare gain in the implementing state, at the expense of other states. Using a computable general equilibrium model of the Canadian federation, we show that vertical fiscal externalities can be the major determinant of the welfare change following environmental policy implementation by a state government. Our numerical simulations indicate that - as a consequence of vertical fiscal externalities - state governments can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by over 20 percent without any net cost to themselves.Length: 47 pages |
| Keywords: | fiscal externality, climate policy, federalism, computable general equilibrium |
| Date: | 2014–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zen:wpaper:43&r=env |
| By: | Enrico Botta; Tomasz Koźluk |
| Abstract: | Cross-country analysis of the economic effects of environmental policies is limited by the lack of reliable, comparable measures of the stringency of environmental policies. This paper attempts to fill this gap, by constructing new quantitative indexes of environmental policy stringency (EPS). Selected environmental policy instruments, primarily related to climate and air pollution, are scored and aggregated into composite EPS indexes. Two EPS indexes are proposed – one for the energy sector, and an extended one to proxy for the broader economy (“economy-wide”). They cover most OECD countries over 1990s-2012. While a simplification of the multidimensional reality of environmental policies, the EPS indicators are a first tangible effort to measure environmental policy stringency internationally over a relatively long time horizon. They show relatively high and significant correlations with alternative proxies of EPS used in the literature, such as measures of perceived stringency based on surveys, measures based on environmental outcomes and a composite policy-based measure with no time series. The paper describes some additional features of the EPS indicators and sketches out possible future extensions.<P>Mesurer la sévérité des politiques environnementales dans les pays de l'OCDE : Approche fondée sur des indices composites<BR>L’analyse des effets économiques des politiques environnementales dans une optique internationale est entravée par le manque de mesures fiables et comparables de la sévérité de ces politiques. Ce document vise à combler cette lacune en construisant de nouveaux indices quantitatifs de la sévérité des politiques environnementales (SPE). En l’occurrence, une note est attribuée à certains instruments de la politique de l’environnement – liés principalement au climat et à la pollution atmosphérique – et les notes sont agrégées sous forme d’indices composites de la SPE. Deux indices de SPE sont proposés : un pour le secteur de l’énergie et un, élargi, destiné à couvrir l’économie dans son ensemble (« macro-économique »). Ces indices couvrent la plupart des pays de l’OCDE pour la période allant des années 90 à 2012. Même s’ils dressent un tableau simplifié de la réalité protéiforme des politiques environnementales, les indicateurs de SPE sont l’aboutissement d’un premier effort tangible visant à mesurer la sévérité de ces politiques dans une optique internationale sur une période relativement longue. Ils laissent apparaître des corrélations relativement fortes et significatives avec d’autres mesures indirectes de la SPE employées dans les travaux publiés, comme celles issues d’enquêtes sur la sévérité perçue, celles reposant sur les résultats environnementaux et une mesure composite fondée sur les politiques pour laquelle il n’existe pas de série temporelle. Le document décrit plusieurs autres caractéristiques des indicateurs de SPE et esquisse de possibles prolongements à venir. |
| Keywords: | composite indicators, environmental regulations, environmental policies, environmental policy stringency, sévérité des politiques environnementales, politiques environnementales, réglementation environnementale, indicateurs composites |
| JEL: | Q48 Q50 Q58 |
| Date: | 2014–12–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:oec:ecoaaa:1177-en&r=env |
| By: | Naoki Sakamoto; Kazunori Nakajima |
| Abstract: | This paper proposes the consistent method with general equilibrium models to measure use value and non-use value of large-scale change in environmental quality. First, we develop a general equilibrium model that parameters of the utility function with environmental quality as a dependent variable can be estimated on the basis of the travel cost method and the contingent variation method. Second, we examine to identify the general equilibrium impact of environmental quality by a comparative static analysis. Third, considering change in prices and income, we decompose the benefits from change in environmental quality into use value and non-use value. JEL Classifications: C68, Q51, Q54 Keywords: Computable general equilibrium models;Use value; Non-use value |
| JEL: | C68 Q51 Q54 |
| Date: | 2014–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa14p1105&r=env |
| By: | Sonja Peterson; Matthias Weitzel |
| Abstract: | Because of large economic and environmental asymmetries among world regions and the incentive to free ride, an international climate Regime with broad participation is hard to reach. Most of the so far proposed Regimes base on an allocation of emission rights that is to be perceived as fair. Yet, there are also some arguments to focus more on the actual welfare implications of different Regimes and to aim for a "fair" Distribution of resulting costs. Using the Cpmputable General Equilibrium model DART, we analyze the driving Forces of welfare implications in different Scenarios where a global Emission target derived from the 2 degree target is reached. These include two Regimes that are often presumed to be "fair", namely a harmonized international carbon tax and a cap and trade System based on the convergence of per capita Emission rights, and additionally an "equal loss" Scenario where welfare losses relative to a Business as usual Scenario are equal for all Major world regions. We show that "eqaual losses" would mean in particular to compensate for the effects of climate policy on energy markets and e.g. to compensate for the loss of oil revenues as the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) argues for |
| Keywords: | International climate Regime, Emission Targets, Emission trading, taxes, Distribution |
| JEL: | H22 H23 H87 D58 Q48 Q52 |
| Date: | 2014–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:kie:kieliw:1965&r=env |
| By: | Shahzad, Syed Jawad Hussain; Rehman, Mobeen Ur; Hurr, Maryam; Zakaria, Muhammad |
| Abstract: | This empirical study is an effort to establish cointegration and causality between carbon emissions, economic growth, energy consumption, financial development and trade openness in Pakistan. Lack of environmental protection laws, energy crises and resulting lower economic growth make Pakistan a unique setting to study the country specific reactions among the variables. The annual data after the separation of Bangladesh from 1973 to 2011 is used for the empirical work. The stationarity of the variables with structural breaks is analyzed. The Auto-regressive Bound Testing (ARDL) approach to cointegration is used to determine the cointegration relation. Fully Modified Ordinary Least Square (FMOLS) and Dynamic OLS (DLOS) cointegration equations are applied to estimate long run co-efficients. Short run relationship is determined through Vector Error Correction (VEC) based Granger causality, Variance Decomposition Analysis (VDA) and Impulse Response Function (IRF). After confirmation of cointegration between the variables, long term estimations confirm that economic growth and energy consumption increase the carbon emissions. Economic growth, energy consumption and trade openness Granger cause carbon emission in short run. There is unidirectional causality running from financial development and energy consumption to economic growth. Financial development is caused by carbon emissions and trade openness. Trade openness also Granger causes energy consumption. There is a bi-directional causality between financial development and energy consumption in Pakistan. Hence, the efforts to overcome energy crises and foster the economic growth require considerable attention to the carbon emissions; the best policy is to improve the situation through alternate energy resources i.e. Coal, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). There is a need to introduce conservation policies so that wastage and spillovers of energy resources can be minimize. Efficient use of scarce energy resources will not only reduce the environment degradation but will also help to foster the economic growth. The environmental protection laws require proper enforcement. |
| Keywords: | Carbon emission, economic growth, financial development, Pakistan |
| JEL: | Q43 Q53 Q58 |
| Date: | 2014–11–30 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:60310&r=env |
| By: | Paul David (Stanford University); Adriaan van Zon (United Nations University) |
| Abstract: | This paper analyzes the requirements for a social welfare-optimized transition path toward a carbon-free economy, focusing particularly on the deployment of low-carbon technologies, and the roles of engineering upgrading of extant facilities, and directed R&D to enhancing their productivity. The goal in each case is to achieve timely supply-side transformations in the global production regime that will avert catastrophic climate instability, and do so in a manner that minimizes the social welfare costs of stabilizing the level of the atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases (GHG). This “planning-model” approach departs from conventional IAM exercises by dispensing with the need to make (generally dubious) assumptions about the macro-level consequences of behaviors of economic and political actors in response to market incentives and specific public policy instruments, such as a carbon tax. It shifts attention instead to the need for empirical research on critical technical parameters, and problems of inter-temporal coordination of investment and capacity utilization that will be required to achieve a timely, welfare-optimizing transition. A suite of heuristic integrated models is described, in which global macroeconomic growth is constrained by geophysical system with climate feedbacks, including extreme weather damages from global warming driven by greenhouse gas emissions, and the threshold level GHG concentration beyond which the climate system will be “tipped into” catastrophic runaway warming. A variety of technological options are identified, each comprising an array of specific techniques that share a distinctive instrumental role in controlling the concentration level of atmospheric CO2. The development of low-carbon technologies through investment in R&D, and their deployment embodied in new physical capital formation, is explicitly modeled; as is the implementation of known engineering techniques to “upgrade” existing fossil-fueled production facilities. The social-welfare efficient exercise of the available technological options is shown to involve sequencing different investment and production activities in separate temporal “phases” that together form a transition path to a sustainable low-carbon economy— one in which gross CO2-emissions do not exceed the Earth’s “natural” abatement capacity. Parametric variations of the “tipping point” constraint in these models will permit exploration of the corresponding modification in the required sequencing and durations of investment and production in the phases that form the optimal transition path. The preliminary solutions (using mufti-phase optimal control methods) expose important dynamic complementarities among technological options that are often presented as substitutes by current climate policy discussions. |
| Keywords: | global warming, tipping points, catastrophic climate instability, technology fix options, R&D investments, capital-embodied innovations, optimal sequencing, IAM and DIRAM policy design approaches, multi-phase optimal control, sustainable endogenous growth |
| JEL: | Q54 Q55 O31 O32 O33 |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:sip:dpaper:13-039&r=env |
| By: | Sen, S. (Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management) |
| Abstract: | Environmental pollution is among the main problems threatening a global sustainable future, and strongly intertwined with the unprecedented rise in economic prosperity since the industrial revolution. The first three chapters deal with two questions: The first question is: Does economic growth, without any intervention, eventually lead to lower levels of pollution? The second question is: If not, what are the strategies that should be followed? The last chapter focuses on another issue which is democratic transitions. |
| Date: | 2014 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:tiu:tiutis:47ed157b-be18-4e0d-8822-0d4cae816ce6&r=env |
| By: | Maria Teresa Costa (Universitat de Barcelona & IEB); Nestor Duch-Brown (Universitat de Barcelona & IEB) |
| Abstract: | Relevant advances in the mitigation of environmental impact could be obtained by the appropriate diffusion of existing environmental technologies. In this paper, we look at the diffusion of knowledge related to environmental technologies developed within the oil and gas industry. To assess knowledge spillovers from oil and gas inventions as a measure of technology diffusion, we rely on forward patent citations methodology. Results show that there is a strong likelihood that the citing patent will be eventually linked to environmental technologies if the original oil and gas invention has already environmental uses. Moreover, both intra and intersectoral spillovers produce a "turnabout" effect, meaning that citing patents show the opposite quality level of the cited patent. Our results support the idea that more sector-specific environmental policies, with an emphasis on diffusion, would significantly improve the use of environmental technologies developed within the oil and gas industry. |
| Keywords: | Forward patent citations, petroleum industry, environmental and technology policies |
| JEL: | Q4 Q55 O31 |
| Date: | 2014 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ieb:wpaper:2013/6/doc2014-31&r=env |
| By: | Pauline Givord; Céline Grislain-Letrémy; Helene Naegele |
| Abstract: | This study evaluates the impact of fuel prices on new car purchases, using exhaustive individual-level data of monthly registration of new private cars in France from 2003 to 2007. Detailed information on the car holder enables us to account for heterogeneous preferences across purchasers. We identify demand parameters through the large oil price fluctuations of this period. We find that the sensitivity of short-term demand with respect to fuel prices is generally low. Using these estimates, we assess the impact of a policy equalizing diesel and gasoline taxes. Such a policy would reduce the share of diesel in new cars purchases from 69% to 66% in the short-run, without substantially changing the average fuel consumption or CO2 emission levels of new cars. Alternatively, a carbon tax would slightly decrease the CO2 emission levels of new cars in the short-run (by 0.1%) without any significant impact on the share of diesel cars purchased. |
| Keywords: | Fuel prices, automobiles, carbon dioxide emissions, environmental tax |
| JEL: | C25 D12 H23 L62 Q53 |
| Date: | 2014 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:diw:diwwpp:dp1428&r=env |
| By: | Ouraich, Ismail; Tyner, Wallace E. |
| Abstract: | Alterations in rainfall patterns and increasing temperatures due to climate change will most likely translate into yield reductions in desirable crops. In this particular context, the object of this paper is to lay down findings and results for projected |
| Keywords: | Morocco, climate change, CliCrop, agriculture, uncertainty |
| Date: | 2014 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp2014-088&r=env |
| By: | Eiji Ohno; Ryuta Mori; Masafumi Morisugi; Hiroshi Sao |
| Abstract: | Based on the international agreements after the Kyoto Protocol, some projects to reduce the greenhouse gas emission have been promoted even in Japan. Therefore, policies such as various regulations and introduction of the environmental tax have been discussed, so people will be asked for big burden. However, in many local cities, problems such as falling birth rate, aging, and stagnation of regional economy are important subjects, so it is hard to give the priority to the global warming prevention policy. In addition, in spite of abundance of natural resources such as forest, wind, water, and sunlight, the local city has a problem that the fund for the global warming prevention policy which utilizes these resources cannot be procured by financial difficulties. On the other hand, the renewable energy business with citizen participation will give the local community some effects. On the environment aspect, the carbon dioxide emission will be reduced by introducing the renewable energy. On the economy aspect, the local employment will be stimulated if the local contractor will construct the renewable energy system and maintain it. Therefore, there should be the renewable energy business which would achieve both the global warming prevention and the regional economic revitalization. Furthermore, through such business with citizen participation, the environmental activity of the local residents will be activated, and we can expect that the semi-public service will be improved and the satisfaction of the local residents will rise. In this paper, we propose a small hydroelectric generation project with citizen participation which includes not only donation to the project but also cooperation in the activity such as cleaning and patrols. And the project is evaluated economically based on the willingness to work (WTW) by using the contingent valuation method and the general equilibrium analysis. As a result, the WTW for the project has been estimated as a function of its various attributes; the revenue, the profit to the local community, and the reward to contributors. On the other hand, the revenue should vary with the number of contributors; where the number means the WTW. As for the profit to the local community and the reward to contributors, these are positioned as the policy variables. Therefore, by using our evaluation model, we will be able to evaluate various policies for the renewable energy business; for example, policies which make the revenue maximize, policies which make the social utility maximize, and so on. |
| Keywords: | small hydro-electric generation; global warming prevention; regional economic revitalization; contingent valuation method; general equilibrium analysis; |
| JEL: | Q42 Q51 R13 |
| Date: | 2014–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa14p668&r=env |
| By: | Zoi Vrontisi (JRC IPTS , European Commission); Jan Abrell (ETH Zurich); Frederik Neuwahl (DG ENV, European Commission); Bert Saveyn (JRC IPTS, European Commission; JRC IPTS , European Commission); Fabian Wagner (IIASA) |
| Abstract: | In March 2014 the UN World Health Organization (World Health Organization, 2014), released a study reporting that in 2012 one in eight of global deaths were a result of air pollution exposure. As part of a long-term effort, in late 2013, the European Commission (EC) adopted the "The Clean Air Policy Package", where it proposes new air pollution reduction objectives for the period up to 2030, as well as instruments to deliver those objectives. This paper explains in detail the modelling conducted with a Computable General Equilibrium model, GEM-E3, for the EC Impact Assessment of this recent EU policy proposal along with an additional analysis of the benefits deriving from the proposed policies. We show that the expenditure on pollution abatement represents a cost for the abating sectors but also that the expenditure in abatement technologies is an economic opportunity for the sectors that produce these technologies. Moreover, we find that the inclusion of benefits in our analysis, especially those related to health, can offset the resource costs and yield overall marginally positive macro-economic impacts on the European economy. |
| Keywords: | The Clean Air Policy Package, environmental policy, health, general equilibrium |
| JEL: | Q53 Q58 C68 H51 |
| Date: | 2014–12 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ipt:iptwpa:jrc92553&r=env |
| By: | Matthew E. Kahn |
| Abstract: | In an urbanizing world economy featuring thousands of cities, households and firms have strong incentives to make locational investments and self protection choices to reduce their exposure to new climate change induced risks. This pursuit of self interest reduces the costs imposed by climate change. This paper develops a dynamic compensating differentials model to explore how the “menu” offered by a system of cities insures us against emerging risks. Insights from urban economics offer a series of testable hypotheses concerning the economic incidence of spatially tied climate change risk. |
| JEL: | H41 Q5 R23 R3 |
| Date: | 2014–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:20716&r=env |
| By: | Giulio Guarini (University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy); Giuseppe Garofalo (University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy); Alessandro Federici (ENEA, Italy) |
| Abstract: | The Europe 2020 Strategy has been built on three pillars: smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. The aim of the paper is to provide, thanks to Dynamic Panel data models, an econometric analysis of the potential cumulative circle among the abovementioned three pillars, with a specific focus on how labour productivity and environmental intensity interact with each other, and how they may help improving employment. With reference to the effect of sustainable factors on smart factors, main results of this paper confirm the 'dual externality principle': eco-innovations may both provide R&D spillovers and reduce environmental negative externalities; depending on the Porter’s hypothesis, environmental regulations may stimulate eco-innovation in order to reduce regulation costs. Furthermore, an increase of energy intensity tends to stimulate cost-saving innovations. Concerning the effect of smart factors on sustainable factors, the 'pollution haven hypothesis' is confirmed: trade openness increases pollution because of more relaxed environmental regulation, delocalization and specialization. Finally, the positive impact of smart and sustainability factors on employment depends on the complementarity between the first two pillars. Europe 2020 goals are essential in order to overcome the current economic, social, and ecological crisis: this paper highlights how this implies to go beyond the widely adopted 'austerity policy framework' and to implement some proposals able to generate, stimulate and sustain the abovementioned cumulative circle. Main political points are: the proactive role of public institutions, to avoid innovation market failures and to generate an 'innovation multiplier' starting from public investments; the territorial perspective of strategy; the coordination among macroeconomic policies on the one hand, and industrial, innovation, environmental, and trade policies on the other. |
| Keywords: | inclusion, innovation, sustainability, Europe 2020 Strategy |
| JEL: | O3 O4 Q5 |
| Date: | 2014–12 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:gre:wpaper:2014-39&r=env |
| By: | Lucas Bretschger; Lin Zhang |
| Abstract: | There is widespread concern that an international agreement on stringent climate policies will not be reached because it would imply too high costs for fast growing economies like China. To quantify these costs we develop a general equilibrium model with fully endogenous growth. The framework includes disaggregated industrial and energy sectors, endogenous innovation, and sector-specic investments. We nd that the implementation of Chinese government carbon policies until 2020 causes a welfare reduction of 0.3 percent. For the long run up to 2050 we show that welfare costs of internationally coordinated emission reduction targets lie between 3 and 8 percent. Assuming faster energy technology development, stronger induced innovation, and rising energy prices in the reference case reduces welfare losses signicantly. We argue that increased urbanization raises the costs of carbon policies due to altered consumption patterns. |
| Keywords: | Carbon policy, China, Endogenoous growth, Induced innovation, Urbanization |
| JEL: | Q54 O41 O53 C68 |
| Date: | 2014 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:oxf:oxcrwp:143&r=env |
| By: | Yuzuru Miyata; Hiroyuki Shibusawa; Tomoaki Fujii |
| Abstract: | In this paper we explore economic and environmental impacts of promotion and realization of an electric vehicle society (EVS). More concretely, this paper emphasizes a CGE-modelling approach to evaluate the following issues: entire economic impacts of subsidies for promotion of an EVS, the possibility of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and prices reduction, a change of industrial structure towards an EVS, and a modal shift towards an EVS. Our simulation results demonstrate that after applying 20% subsidies to five industries including electric vehicles (EVs) manufacturing, EV transport, solar power generation, cogeneration and other transport, the total industrial output and municipal GDP increase. A large growth rates are found in industries where subsidies are introduced except non-ferrous metal industry. However, it is motivating that decreasing proportions are found in oil, coal product, mining, heat supply and gasoline vehicles (GVs) transport industries. Moreover all the commodity prices decrease since subsidies are given to some industries. Hence Toyohashi CityÂfs economy shows a direction where the demand for conventional vehicles and energy use are decreased, conversely, the demand for EVs and renewable energy are increased that displays different lifestyles from the current one. For all these reasons, it is our conclusion that EVS can really represent a realistic and alternative society both in terms of economic development and CO2 emissions reduction. In this study therefore it is clear that modal shift will occur to EVS, and thus we suggest for promotion of a new industrial structure to introduce an EVS in Toyohashi City in Japan. The proposed model can even be applied to the other cities in Japan and other countries in the world which are similar to this area. |
| Keywords: | electric vehicle; CGE; Toyohashi; R13; O18 |
| Date: | 2014–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa14p529&r=env |
| By: | Valentina Zhideleva |
| Abstract: | In research of boreal forests conservation and sustainable development mechanism in the climate changes conditions the main aspect is a study of various natural forces and the society, interests of different segments of population, conditions and productivity of forest ecosystems, threats removal dealing with growing of new forest making tree species and spruce stands drying and their interference. To achieve and protect sustainable development of boreal forests there is a need to arrange monitoring of boreal forests conditions. Its goal is to establish the scientific rationale for the required protection level, conservation and regeneration of boreal forests, and their use level. A new synthetic approach to sustainable development of the regional timber cluster evaluation (the Komi republic) is worked out, it considers the system integrity. A new methodology of sustainable development level calculation is introduced; it is based on a synthetic model of the timber cluster duality: forestry ? forest use and basic public relationship indicators. Conditions, opportunities and limits of sustainable development of boreal forests are considered. Methodical and practical schemes of sustainable regional timber cluster development evaluation are approved. Possible mechanisms of results use in the regional forest sector management practice are described, as well as sustainable development planning at the regional and company level. Integrated model of the timber cluster sustainable development and methods of boreal forests changes evaluation, required for its practical implementation are suggested to be used as the basic tool for the solution of a wide range of regional problems in strategic planning and sustainable management in boreal forests. One of important goals of forest planning and sustainable forest management is the evaluation of the resources and ecological potential of boreal forests, provision of balanced use and boreal forests regeneration, their evaluation and forecasting. The basic model of the forest cluster dynamic provides the possibility to achieve that goal, which has certain forest management strategies, forest use regimes and regeneration. By each fixed forest use and regeneration level a potential evaluation of the timber cluster sustainable development might be calculated, it's based on the dual optimization method that is a Cartesian product and ecological and economical limitations system that reflect the timber cluster sustainable development criteria and indicators. |
| Keywords: | Conception; sustainable development evaluation; boreal forests; synthetic model of the timber cluster duality |
| Date: | 2014–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa14p676&r=env |
| By: | Andrei, Jean; Panait, Mirela; Ene, Corina |
| Abstract: | In a well functional and competitive economy all the entrepreneurs are aware of the importance of protecting the environment, development of local communities and the good relations with stakeholders. The necessity imposed by a sustainable development has many influences on the company’s activities because in order to equilibrate their profit`s motivation with their social and environment implications. This article is focused on the way of different investors integrated in their strategies the environment preoccupations. The actions of companies are shaped by different stakeholders like consumers, public authorities, shareholders, international organizations and other entities. |
| Keywords: | Environment, cultural values, stakeholders, consumers, corporate social responsibility, green investment |
| JEL: | A1 M1 Q01 |
| Date: | 2014–11–12 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:60189&r=env |
| By: | Svetlana Ratner |
| Abstract: | The studies of environmental awareness or the so-called people's pro-environmental behaviors (PEBs) became a popular topic in Europe, North America and Asia, but not yet in Russia. Many studies investigated PEBs revealed that monetary saving and health concern are considered to be the most common influential factors for many PEBs. Because of the lowest electric power and heat tariffs in the world as well as abundant natural resources it can be assumed that the level of environmental awareness in Russia is low comparing to EU. Nowadays this problem can became a barrier for innovative development and diffusion of new energy efficient technologies. In this paper we present the results of empirical research aiming evaluation of environmental awareness in one of the southern region of Russia ? Krasnodar region. In research we also evaluate the informational transparency in the field of ecology in Russia and distinguish the most popular sources of information. The method of research is medium-scale face-to-face inquiry. The survey involved 112 respondents from one big city (Krasnodar), it's suburbs, several small cities and rural areas. Data analysis was performed using StatSoft STATISTICA 10.0. The non-parametric Mann-Whitney tests and Kruskal?Wallis one-way analysis of variance were used to reveal the optimal quantification that describes the relationships between the categorical scores of each variable as well as the relationships between the variables themselves. In order to identify relationships between variables, measured in nominal scales, contingency tables (cross tabulation) were used. In some cases (where it was appropriate) correlation analysis and one-way ANOVA were used. |
| Keywords: | environmental awareness; pro-environmental behaviors; informational transparency; sustainable development; regional economy; nonparametric analysis; multiple correspondence analysis |
| JEL: | O13 Q21 Q42 Q51 |
| Date: | 2014–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa14p679&r=env |
| By: | Strunz, Sebastian; Klauer, Bernd; Ring, Irene; Schiller, Johannes |
| Abstract: | Ecological Economics inherently faces a challenge akin to sailing between Scylla and Charybdis. In Greek mythology these are two monsters located on opposite sides of a narrow strait, and falling victim to one or other of them is unavoidable. In the recurring process of establishing and refining its conceptual foundations, Ecological Economics runs the risk of, on the one hand, losing important insights by trying to be radically different from mainstream economics and, on the other hand, becoming a redundant appendix to mainstream environmental economics by routinely applying its concepts and methods. We argue that avoiding both fallacies is possible by using Ecological Economics' orientation towards sustainability as a guiding principle. The scientist's power of judgment supports her decision concerning which methods are suitable for tackling a given sustainability problem. The intersubjective quality of judgment prevents the resulting methodological pluralism from drifting toward arbitrariness. |
| Keywords: | ecological economics,methodological pluralism,power of judgment,ontology,sustainability |
| Date: | 2014 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:ufzdps:262014&r=env |
| By: | Mikolaj Czajkowski (University of Warsaw, Faculty of Economic Sciences, Warsaw Ecological Economics Center, Poland); Anna Barczak (University of Warsaw, Faculty of Economic Sciences, Warsaw Ecological Economics Center, Poland); Wiktor Budzinski (University of Warsaw, Faculty of Economic Sciences, Warsaw Ecological Economics Center, Poland); Marek Giergiczny (University of Warsaw, Faculty of Economic Sciences, Warsaw Ecological Economics Center, Poland); Nick Hanley (School of Geography and Sustainable Development, University of St. Andrews) |
| Abstract: | The assumption of the stability of preferences is a fundamental one in the theory of the consumer. Many papers within the stated preferences literature have tested this assumption, and have found mixed results. Individuals may become more sure of their preferences as they repeat a valuation task or purchase decision; they may also learn more about prices and quantities of substitutes or complements over time, or about other relevant characteristics of both the good being valued and alternatives in their choice sets. In this paper, we test for the stability of preferences and willingness to pay for attributes of forest management both within and between samples. The within-sample test compares a set of responses from individuals over the sequence of a survey; the between-sample test compares responses from the same people over a period of 6 months. We find that respondents’ preferences differ more within a sample (comparing their first 12 with their second 12 choices) than across samples. This may imply that preference learning and/or fatigue effects within choice experiments are more important than changes in preferences over time in this data. |
| Keywords: | preference stability, test-retest, discrete choice experiments, contingent valuation, stated preferences, forestry |
| JEL: | D01 H4 Q23 Q51 |
| Date: | 2014–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:sss:wpaper:2014-06&r=env |
| By: | Baulcomb, Corinne; Böhnke-Henrichs, Anne |
| Abstract: | There is a long history of the application of economic valuation methods to marine environments, changes to marine environments, and changes to marine management. Increasingly, however, there is an interest in analyzing the economic consequences of changes in marine ecosystem service provision resulting from changes in marine management and marine ecosystem state. In turn, this requires either that researchers conduct new, primary valuation studies focused on particular marine ecosystem services, or that researchers use existing studies and transfer values from one research and policy context to another (also known as benefits transfer). This study presents the result of a review of the marine economic valuation literature that was conducted as a part of an EU-FP7 project with the goals of understanding 1) the state of the marine economic valuation literature in certain countries, 2) the potential for this literature to support benefits transfer-based analyses, and 3) gaps in the existing literature. The review was also intended to support the undertaking of new, gap-filling primary non-market valuation studies. The results indicate that there are many gaps in the existing marine valuation literature with respect to the individual ecosystem services valued, the valuation methodologies that have been utilized, and the types of economic value captured. |
| Keywords: | Marine Ecosystem Services, Economics Values, Non-Market Valuation, Environmental Economics and Policy, |
| Date: | 2014–10–17 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:saclwp:190935&r=env |
| By: | Halkos, George; Kevork, Ilias; Tziourtzioumis, Chris |
| Abstract: | In this paper we present for Greece a methodology for predicting emissions and estimating the abatement costs of the transport sector, focusing our analysis on passenger cars. In the first section we estimate for the period 2000-2030 the annual emissions of the most important pollutants using the Tier 2 method. For the application of this method, we forecast the number of passenger cars and the annual average distance driven per car technology, fuel type and displacement category. In particular, the forecasts for the number of cars are obtained by fitting trend and double exponential smoothing models to the available data from 2000 to 2013. Necessary adjustments to the number of cars of the latest technologies are made for each year such that the sum of predictions equals to the estimated total number of cars obtained through an econometric model that relates the changes in the number of cars and the changes in GDP (at current prices). In the second part of the study we estimate the total pollution cost at 2013 prices for four alternative scenarios, where for each scenario we assume changes for the period 2013-2030 to the composition of the fleet of passenger cars for the benefit of either gasoline or diesel or hybrids or LPG cars. The costs analyzed are capital, operation and maintenance and fuel. |
| Keywords: | Transport sector; passenger cars; tier 2 method; abatement costs; emissions. |
| JEL: | C53 M21 Q50 Q53 Q54 Q58 R40 |
| Date: | 2014–11–25 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:60197&r=env |
| By: | Fernández, Francisco J.; Blanco, Maria |
| Abstract: | The economic effects of climate change on agriculture have been widely assessed in the last two decades. Many of these assessments are based on the integration of biophysical and agro-economic models, allowing to understand the physical and socio-economic responses of the agricultural sector to future climate change scenarios. The evolution of the bio-economic approach has gone through different stages.This review analyses its evolution: firstly, framing the bio-economic approach into the context of the assessments of climate change impacts, and secondly, by reviewing empirical studies at the global and European level. Based on this review, common findings emerge in both global and regional assessments. Among them, we show that overall results tend to hide significant disparities on smaller spatial scales. Furthermore, due to the effects of crop prices over yield changes, several authors highlight the need to consider endogenous price models to assess production impacts of climate change. Further, major developments are discussed: the progress made since the last two decades and the recent methods used to provide insights into modeling uncertainties. However, there are still challenges to be met. On this matter, we take these unresolved challenges as guidelines for future research. |
| Keywords: | climate change,bio-economic modelling,agricultural markets,food security,food prices |
| JEL: | C63 Q10 Q11 Q17 Q54 |
| Date: | 2014 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:ifwedp:201448&r=env |
| By: | Cheng, Xiaomei (Dept. of Business and Management Science, Norwegian School of Economics); Bjørndal, Endre (Dept. of Business and Management Science, Norwegian School of Economics); Bjørndal, Mette (Dept. of Business and Management Science, Norwegian School of Economics) |
| Abstract: | Our paper applies data envelopment analysis (DEA) and stochastic non-parametric envelopment of data (StoNED) to measure cost efficiency of electricity distribution companies. The data cover 123 Norwegian electricity distribution companies during 2004-2010, and the performance of these companies is compared across the two models with and without environmental variables, i.e., variables that account for local conditions that affect the companies’ costs. The results indicate that the cost efficiency estimates with the StoNED approach are much higher than with the DEA method when we do not consider environmental variables. It shows that the choice of estimation methods is important with respect to the estimated impact of environmental variables on the performance. In addition, the inclusion of the environmental variables has considerable effect on the classification of companies with respect to local returns to scale. |
| Keywords: | Cost efficiency; DEA; Environmental variables; Regulation; StoNED |
| JEL: | Q00 |
| Date: | 2014–06–26 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hhs:nhhfms:2014_028&r=env |
| By: | J. Scott Holladay; Michael K. Price; Marianne Wanamaker |
| Abstract: | In periods of high energy demand, utilities frequently issue "emergency" appeals for conservation over peak hours to reduce brownout risk. We estimate the impact of such appeals using high-frequency data on actual and forecasted electricity generation, pollutant emission measures, and real-time prices. Our results suggest a perverse impact; while there is no significant reduction in grid stress over superpeak hours, such calls lead to increased off-peak generation, CO2 emissions, and price volatility. We postulate that consumer attempts at load shifting lead to this result. |
| JEL: | D04 Q4 Q5 |
| Date: | 2014–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:20706&r=env |
| By: | Ellefsen, Hans (University of Faroe Islands); Kronbak, Lone Grønbæk (Department of Business and Economics); Ravn-Jonsen, Lars (Department of Environmental and Business Economics) |
| Abstract: | From a game theoretical perspective, a prerequisite for an international fishery agreement (IFA) to be stable is that parties expect their benefits from joining the agreement to exceed the benefits from free riding on the agreement, and parties only comply with the agreement as long as this is true. The agreement, therefore, implicitly builds on an expectation of the ecological integrity of the natural resource. Typically, the game theoretical models assume that all parties have the same (often perfect) information of the resource and that the exploitation is an equilibrium use of the stock. As stated by experts in natural science, the fish ecology still has many open questions, e.g. how to predict population dynamics, migration patterns, food availability, etc. In some cases, parties disagree about the state, abundance, and migration of a stock, which can significantly disturb the possibilities of reaching an agreement for exploitation of the stock. This paper develops a model and applies it to the North-East Atlantic mackerel fishery, in order to analyze IFA under different ecological scenarios, and also combines the model with the economic theory of entry deterrence. The model is empirically used to determine whether the original parties to the agreement have an advantage in that the results from fishing the stock down to a smaller size prevents another party from entering into the fishery. The paper presents a novel method for illustrating the obstacles that have made an agreement for the North-East Atlantic mackerel so difficult to achieve. |
| Keywords: | Cooperative game; Nash game; Entry deterrence; Stability of sharing rule; Bio-economic modeling; Ecological uncertainty |
| JEL: | C62 C71 D74 Q22 |
| Date: | 2014–12–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hhs:sdueko:2014_018&r=env |
| By: | Tatyana Deryugina; Laura Kawano; Steven Levitt |
| Abstract: | Hurricane Katrina destroyed more than 200,000 homes and led to massive economic and physical dislocation. Using a panel of tax return data, we provide one of the first comprehensive analyses of the hurricane’s long-term economic impact on its victims. Katrina had large and persistent impacts on where people live; small and mostly transitory impacts on wage income, employment, total income, and marriage; and no impact on divorce or fertility. Within just a few years, Katrina victims’ incomes fully recover and even surpass that of controls from similar cities that were unaffected by the storm. The strong economic performance of Katrina victims is particularly remarkable given that the hurricane struck with essentially no warning. Our results suggest that, at least in this particular disaster, aid to cover destroyed assets and short-run income declines was sufficient to make victims financially whole. Our results provide some optimism regarding the costs of climate-change driven dislocation, especially when adverse events can be anticipated well in advance. |
| JEL: | Q54 |
| Date: | 2014–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:20713&r=env |
| By: | Katsuhito Nohara |
| Abstract: | Main purpose of this study is to evaluate the lost benefits of tourism by harmful rumors or misinformation proceeded from Higashi Nihon Daishinsai, literally Eastern Japan Great Earthquake Disaster on 11 March 2011. Its great earthquake disaster has done a lot of damages to many people, buildings, key infrastructures, and regional economy. Most regions have recovered from a devastating earthquake, but tourism industry of Tohoku region which include Aomori, Akita Iwate, Yamagata, Miyagi and Fukushima prefecture is still stagnant. There is little famous sight-seeing area at Pacific coast of Tohoku region where was hit by a gigantic earthquake and subsequently by a giant tsunami. Despite most famous tourist spots of Tohoku region, for example Hiraizumi where was registered as a World Heritage Site in 2001, Naruko spring, Aizu and so on, are located an inland area of the northeastern part of Japan, total tourists who visited Tohoku region decreased little by little after that disaster. This main reason is harmful rumors or misinformation brought about serious accidents at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plants No.1 of Tokyo Electric Power Company. Although more than three years have already passed and the number of tourist who visit to Tohoku region recovered the previous level in some area, there still remains significant damage in some area due to the tourist's concern of radioactive pollution despite of the area are not actually polluted at all. This is so called the economical damages caused by harmful rumors or misinformation. In Fukushima, the slump in travel demand is in a terrible state because of harmful rumors or misinformation. Tourism industry is very important for Fukushima because the annual amount of tourism consumption (287,663,000,000yen) exceeds the annual amount of gross agricultural output (233,000,000,000yen) and the shipment value of food (278,200,000,000yen) in 2010. Therefore, this study applies to Travel Cost Method- Contingent Behavior (TCM-CB) which is capable of evaluating impact for benefits by changing environmental quality. Specifically, this study estimates the hypothetical travel demand function if the accident of Fukushima Nuclear Power Plants No.1 is not occurred and calculates lost tourism benefits due to harmful rumors or misinformation by comparing that derived hypothetical demand function with actual travel demand function. Then the author suggests that simplified monetary compensation system which makes up for lost tourism benefits should be introduced to certain areas in Fukushima. |
| JEL: | Q51 Q54 |
| Date: | 2014–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa14p1017&r=env |
| By: | Safaei, Hossein; Keith, David |
| Abstract: | Interest in compressed air energy storage (CAES) technology has been renewed driven by the need to manage variability form rapidly growing wind and solar capacity. Distributed CAES (D-CAES) design aims to improve the efficiency of conventional CAES through locating the compressor near concentrated heating loads so capturing additional revenue through sales of compression waste heat. A pipeline transports compressed air to the storage facility and expander, co-located at some distance from the compressor. The economics of CAES are strongly dependant on electricity and gas markets in which they are embedded. As a case study, we evaluated the economics of two hypothetical merchant CAES and D-CAES facilities performing energy arbitrage in Alberta, Canada using market data from 2002 to 2011. The annual profit of the D-CAES plant was $1.3 million more on average at a distance of 50 km between the heat load and air storage sites. Superior economic and environmental performance of D-CAES led to a negative abatement cost of −$40/tCO2e. We performed a suite of sensitivity analyses to evaluate the impact of size of heat load, size of air storage, ratio of expander to compressor size, and length of pipeline on the economic feasibility of D-CAES. |
| Date: | 2014 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hrv:hksfac:13489207&r=env |
| By: | Lirong Liu (Department of Economics, Sam Houston State University); Zhou Yang (Department of Economics and Legal Studies, Robert Morris University) |
| Abstract: | The High Priority Violation (HPV) Policy represents a way to target enforcement in environmental regulations; serious air pollution violators are targeted with timely and appropriate enforcement, and such enforcement usually means high degree of regulatory scrutiny. Despite the importance of enforcement, the empirical literature on the effectiveness and efficiency of targeting enforcement is very limited. This paper provides the first empirical evidence on the effects of HPV policy and the externalities associated with this policy. To examine HPV targeting, dynamic panel models are employed using a rich plant-level dataset consisting of 8,736 major manufacturing facilities nationwide during the period 2001-2010. Our results suggest positive specific deterrence effects of HPV status—a four-month increase on the HPV listing time in the previous year leads to about one extra month of compliance. We also find general deterrence effects of HPV targeting—a typical facility, regardless of its HPV status, increases its compliance rate when there is an increase in the amount of fines imposed on other HPV facilities within the same state. Both the specific and general deterrence effects of enforcement differ by HPV status—HPV facilities on average are less responsive to additional specific or general enforcement actions. Thus the efficiency of HPV targeting is undermined. Potential reasons for the inefficiency include high abatement costs for HPV facilities and the inadequate addressing of the High Priority Violators by the regulators. This paper explores the effectiveness as well as efficiency of HPV policy and has important policy implications. |
| Date: | 2014–12 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:shs:wpaper:1411&r=env |
| By: | Antonio Bliska Jr; Flavia Bliska; Patricia Turco; Paulo Leal |
| Abstract: | This study aimed to validate the Identification Method of Management Degree (MIGG) as a tool for diagnosis and intervention, applicable in various activities of agricultural production. The MIGG aims to provide information to producers to enhance their economic activity and turn it into an organized and profitable business over time. Their design aimed to develop a questionnaire for quick and easy application, able to classify the levels of management of economic activities with varying degrees of organization. This classification provides nine levels of management, from the most elementary to the highest, considered excellent. This classification system allows the establishment comparisons between companies, production processes, technological levels and regions. It can also assist in assessing the competitiveness of local arrangements for sustainable regional development. The method includes parameters of leadership, strategy, planning, customers, society, information, knowledge, people, processes and results. It also lets you point strengths and weaknesses and indicate corrective actions to the constant pursuit of quality in the processes. To validate the MIGG, we used the methodology of focus groups, defined as a special type of group interviews. The focus group participants should be connoisseurs of the subject under review and are free to express their opinions. The purpose of the discussion should be well defined to encourage the effective participation of the group in the validation process. Researchers should record the entire interview so they can extract the maximum information from the discussions. To organize the agenda for discussion a researcher acts as moderator, preventing dispersions. The recommended number of participants in a focus group is 10-12 people. In this work, the group was composed of rural entrepreneurs in the coffee sector. All of them are members of the Association of Coffee Growers of Western Bahia (ABACAFÉ), Brazil. These entrepreneurs form a homogeneous group with regard to the technology used in coffee production, particularly regarding the use of irrigation, mechanization of farming and harvesting, and environmental conditions of cultivation. This uniformity is desirable in the use of the methodology of focus groups. Each group participants responded to the questionnaire MIGG, and evaluated the appropriateness and relevance of the parameters that make up this method. From this focus group discussions, adjustments in the wording of some questions were made, but without any need to change their content, which confirmed the validity of the method. |
| Keywords: | Competitiveness; Regional development; Quality management. |
| JEL: | Q12 |
| Date: | 2014–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa14p1213&r=env |
| By: | Daniel Shefer |
| Abstract: | The challenges facing transportation planners have grown continuously over the years owing to mounting problems of congestion, concerns with environmental degradation and global warming, enhanced awareness of safety, and the increasing complexity of travel behaviour patterns associated with modern life. Modern life has brought about more travel, more leisure time, and more engagement in out-of-home, non-work activities. Modern life, especially in more recent years, has also witnessed rapid population and economic growth in many urban areas and the decentralization of residential, commercial, and work places. It has also seen more women entering the labour market. Accompanying these changes has been the relaxation of some constraints, such as the need to commute at fixed hours, thus providing more degrees of freedom of travel. Because of the significantly increased alternative activities and travel patterns from which households can now choose, travel patterns have become more complicated. In addition, the total number of trips has increased, trip chaining is more frequent, and traffic peaks are becoming smoother. All this has resulted in making the analysis of travel behaviour more complex. Understanding travel behaviour is paramount in the design of various policies towards sustainable transportation development that will on the one hand support economic growth and well-being of the population and on the other hand will minimize adverse transport externalities. These externalities are especially pertinent in metropolitan areas because there the infrastructure networks are most intensively used and development densities are high. Increased externalities from motor vehicles called for the development of new policy and planning objectives toward sustainable transportation. In this regard, travel behaviour lies at the core of procedures for analysing and evaluating transportation-related measures aimed at improving urban mobility, environmental quality, safety, and at achieving a wide variety of social objectives. Policy analysis and planning, then, rely on travel behaviour studies and travel-demand models. Policy-making today requires more sophisticated tools, and these have been developed in terms of advanced models, most of them activity-based, that go into different levels of detail on various scales: spatial, temporal, and social. Together with the development of activity-based models, various specific models have been estimated and implemented in support of sustainable policy analysis, some of them as auxiliary to activity-based models and some of them as stand-alone models. The aim of this paper is to highlight and emphasize the important role of understanding travel behaviour and the complex relations between the various travel externalities to the development of sustainable urban development and transport policies. |
| Date: | 2014–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa14p306&r=env |