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on Environmental Economics |
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Issue of 2018‒07‒09
thirty-one papers chosen by Francisco S. Ramos Universidade Federal de Pernambuco |
| By: | Gu, Yewen (Dept. of Business and Management Science, Norwegian School of Economics); Wallace, Stein W. (Dept. of Business and Management Science, Norwegian School of Economics); Wang, Xin (Dept. of Industrial Economics and Technology Management, Norwegian University of Science and Technology) |
| Abstract: | Global warming has become one of the most popular topics on this planet in the past decades, since it is the challenge that needs the efforts from the whole mankind. Maritime transportation, which carries more than 90% of the global trade, plays a critical role in the contribution of green house gases (GHGs) emission. Unfortunately, the GHGs emitted by the global fleet still falls outside the emission reduction scheme established by the Kyoto Protocol. Alternative solutions are therefore strongly desired. Several market-based measures are proposed and submitted to IMO for discussion and evaluation. In this paper, we choose to focus on one of these measures, namely Maritime Emissions Trading Scheme (METS). An optimization model integrating the classical fleet composition and deployment problem with the application of ETS (global or regional) is proposed. This model is used as a tool to study the actual impact of METS on fleet operation and corresponding CO2 emission. The results of the computational study suggest that in the short term the implementation of METS may not guarantee further emission reduction in certain scenarios. However, in other scenarios with low bunker price, high allowance cost or global METS coverage, a more significant CO2 decrease in the short term can be expected. |
| Keywords: | Maritime Emissions Trading Scheme; CO2 emissions; maritime fleet composition; deployment model |
| JEL: | C44 C60 Q50 |
| Date: | 2018–06–27 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hhs:nhhfms:2018_010&r=env |
| By: | Effrosyni Diamantousi (Department of Economics, Concordia University); Eftichios Sartzetakis (Department of Economics, University of Macedonia); Stefania Strantza (Department of Economics, Concordia University) |
| Abstract: | This paper examines the stability of International Environmental Agreements (IEAs) in an economy with trade. We extent the basic model of the IEAs by letting countries choose emission taxes and import tariffs as their policy instruments in order to manage climate change and control trade. We define the equilibrium of a three-stage emission game. In the first stage, each country decides whether or not to join the agreement. In the second stage, countries choose simultaneously - cooperatively or non-cooperatively - tariff and tax levels. In the third stage, taking countries’ decisions as given, firms compete a la Cournot in the product markets. Numerical analysis illustrates that the interaction between trade and environment policies is essential in enhancing cooperation. Contrary to the IEA model, stable agreements are larger and more efficient in reducing aggregate emissions and improving welfare. Moreover, the analysis shows that the size of a stable agreement increases in the number of countries affected by the externalities. |
| Keywords: | Environmental Agreements. |
| JEL: | D6 Q5 C7 |
| Date: | 2018–06 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:mcd:mcddps:2018_07&r=env |
| By: | Gibbs, David; O'Neill, Kirstie |
| Abstract: | The past thirty years have seen an explosion of interest and concern over the detrimental impacts of economic and industrial development. Despite this, the environmental agenda has not featured substantially in the regional studies literature. This paper explores a range of options for regional futures from a ‘clean tech’ economy and the promise of renewed accumulation, through to more radical degrowth concepts focused on altering existing modes of production and consumption, ecological sustainability and social justice. In so doing, we investigate the potential role of regions as drivers of the new green economy, drawing on research into sustainability transitions. |
| Keywords: | Green economy; Transitions research; Clean tech; Degrowth; Regional Development |
| JEL: | Q5 Q58 |
| Date: | 2017–01–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ehl:lserod:68392&r=env |
| By: | Rupayan Pal (Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research); Ada Wossink (University of Manchester); Prasenjit Banerjee (University of Manchester) |
| Abstract: | We examine how endogenous social preferences could affect economic incentive design to encourage biodiversity protection on private land. A 'green' farmer may enjoy esteem from leading by example if there are few farmers who do the right thing. In contrast a farmer without social preferences ('brown' farmer) might merely tick the boxes and is expected to shirk from the desired environmental actions whenever possible unless this affects their reputation. We analyze the design of an incentive scheme that takes into account both types of farmers ('green' or 'brown') under asymmetric information about their true motivation. It follows that under perfect Bayesian equilibrium, the regulator can separate out the farmer types in a two-period setting by monitoring their voluntary conservation actions in response to payment in the first period. The optimal mechanism would be a mixture of a facilitation contract with small monetary incentive but high visibility to keep 'green' farmers interested and a higher monetary-incentive contract to attract the brown farmers. |
| Keywords: | Mechanism Design, Social Norm, Esteem, Motivation Crowding, Signalling, Public goods, Agriculture |
| JEL: | D03 Q57 Q58 D82 |
| Date: | 2018–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ind:igiwpp:2018-006&r=env |
| By: | Richard S.J. Tol (Department of Economics, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK; Department of Spatial Economics, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam; Institute for Environmental Studies, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam; Tinbergen Institute, Amsterdam; CESifo, Munich; Payne Institute for Earth Resources, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado) |
| Abstract: | The social cost of carbon is the marginal impact of climate change. Estimates of the total impact of climate change show that a century of climate change is about as bad as losing a decade of economic growth. Poorer countries are more vulnerable. The uncertainties are vast and skewed the wrong way. The many published estimates of the social cost of carbon span six orders of magnitude, and some studies find support for a carbon subsidy. There is mixed evidence for publication bias. Matlab code is used to illustrate key sensitivities of the social cost of carbon; readers can readily run their own analyses. The bulk of the published estimates suggests that carbon dioxide should be taxed somewhere between $20/tC and $400/tC, depending on the preferred rates of discount and risk aversion. Revealed preferences on carbon pricing are at the lower end of this range. The social cost of carbon rises at around 2% per year. The central estimate of the social cost of carbon has not moved much over the last two decades, but the range of estimates is tightening slowly. |
| Keywords: | climate change; Pigou tax; climate policy |
| JEL: | Q54 |
| Date: | 2018–06 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:sus:susewp:1318&r=env |
| By: | Mavisakalyan, Astghik; Tarverdi, Yashar |
| Abstract: | This paper investigates whether female political representation in national parliaments influences climate change policy outcomes. Based on data from a large sample of countries, we demonstrate that female representation leads countries to adopt more stringent climate change policies. We exploit a combination of full and partial identification approaches to suggest that this relationship is likely to be causal. Moreover, we show that through its effect on the stringency of climate change policies, the representation of females in parliament results in lower carbon dioxide emissions. Female political representation may be an underutilized tool for addressing climate change. |
| Keywords: | gender,political representation,climate change,environmental policy |
| JEL: | D70 J16 Q54 Q58 |
| Date: | 2018 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:glodps:221&r=env |
| By: | Effrosyni Diamantousi (Department of Economics, Concordia University); Eftichios Sartzetakis (Department of Economics, University of Macedonia); Stefania Strantza (Department of Economics, Concordia University) |
| Abstract: | The present paper examines the stability of self-enforcing International Environmental Agreements (IEAs) among heterogeneous countries in a two stage emission game. In the first stage each country decides whether or not to join the agreement, while in the second stage the quantity of emissions is chosen simultaneously by all countries. We use quadratic benefit and environmental damage functions and assume k types of countries that differ in their sensitivity to the global pollutant. We find that the introduction of heterogeneity does not yield larger stable coalitions. In particular, we show that, in the case of two types, when stable coalitions exist their size is very small, and, if the asymmetry is strong enough, they include only one type of countries. Moreover, heterogeneity can reduce the scope of cooperation relative to the homogeneous case. We demostrated that introducing asymmetry into a stable, under symmetry, agreement can disturb stability. |
| Keywords: | Environmental Agreements. |
| JEL: | D6 Q5 C7 |
| Date: | 2018–06 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:mcd:mcddps:2018_08&r=env |
| By: | Diaz-Rainey, Ivan (Asian Development Bank Institute); Sise, Greg (Asian Development Bank Institute) |
| Abstract: | We explore the history and current status of green energy finance in Australia and New Zealand. Although both countries have enviable renewable energy resources with a 100% renewable mix considered feasible, the two countries present highly contrasting contexts for energy finance. Currently, and largely for historical reasons, renewables make up over 80% of the electricity capacity in New Zealand, whereas in Australia this is 17%. Interestingly, between them and over time, the two countries have employed most of the important policy tools available to incentivize renewables and green energy finance (e.g., carbon taxes, carbon trading, a green investment bank, a green certification market, and feed-in-tariffs). Despite this, we show that between 2004 and 2017 both countries did not meet their potential in terms of renewables and have lower levels of green energy investment relative to gross domestic product per capita than many other developed countries. The Australian and New Zealand context provides many lessons for other jurisdictions—ranging from the need for cross-party and regulatory commitment to energy transition, to the need for policy stability. Indeed, a key issue in Australia and New Zealand is the challenge of designing electricity markets that support energy transition and the investment that it requires. Incumbents in both jurisdictions are fearful of a “death spiral” induced by distributed power, and in Australia political instability and market design issues contributed to a major energy crisis in 2017. However, the crisis, the Paris Agreement, and the associated impetus of new governments in both countries suggest green energy investment is set to increase in the coming years. |
| Keywords: | energy finance; energy transition; green investment bank; feed-in-tariffs; emissions trading; electricity markets; green certificate market |
| JEL: | F21 G20 H23 O13 Q40 Q42 Q48 Q54 Q55 Q58 |
| Date: | 2018–05–03 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ris:adbiwp:0840&r=env |
| By: | Rivers, Nicholas; Shaffer, Blake |
| Abstract: | This paper examines how climate change will affect both the level and timing of future electricity demand across Canada. Using an original dataset of hourly electricity demand across all Canadian provinces combined with household-level microdata on air conditioner ownership, we estimate temperature responsiveness including both the direct effect of temperature on demand for cooling services, as well as the indirect effect of increasing the stock of temperature-sensitive durables, such as air conditioners. We find only a small increase in total demand by end-century, although the result differs across provinces. The small aggregate result reflects the mitigating effect of rising temperature in a cold country such as Canada, whereby increases in electricity demand for air conditioning as summer temperatures rise is largely offset by reduced winter heating demand. Although we project limited change in overall electricity demand, we do project changes in the timing of demand, both seasonally and diurnally. In particular, we find seasonal peaks shift from winter to summer in most regions, as well as a large increase in intraday ramping requirements—the difference between minimum and maximum demand within a day—suggesting electricity systems of the future will place an even greater value on storage and flexibility. |
| Keywords: | Climate change, future electricity demand, diurnal shape |
| JEL: | Q40 Q47 Q54 |
| Date: | 2018 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:87309&r=env |
| By: | Boskovic, Branko; Chakravorty, Ujjayant; Pelli, Martino; Risch, Anna |
| Abstract: | Fuelwood collection is often cited as the most important cause of deforestation in developing countries. Use of fuelwood in cooking is a leading cause of indoor air pollution. Using household data from India, we show that households located farther away from the forest spend more time collecting. Distant households are likely to sell more fuelwood and buy less. That is, lower access to forests increases fuelwood collection and sale. This counter-intuitive behavior is triggered by two factors: lower access to forests (a) increases the fixed costs of collecting, which in turn leads to more collection; and (b) drives up local fuelwood prices, which makes collection and sale more profitable. We quantify both these effects. Using our estimates we show that a fifth of the fuelwood collected is consumed outside of rural areas, in nearby towns and cities. Our results imply that at the margin, fuelwood scarcity may lead to increased collection and sale, and exacerbate forest degradation. |
| Keywords: | energy access; cooking fuels; deforestation; forest cover; fuelwood collection |
| JEL: | D10 O13 Q42 |
| Date: | 2018–05 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:tse:wpaper:32692&r=env |
| By: | Montt, Guillermo E.; Maître, Nicolas.; Amo-Agyei, Silas. |
| Abstract: | Electricity generation from renewable sources has been touted as a win-win solution for the advancement towards both environmental sustainability and decent work for all. This paper analyses the employment effects of electricity generation by different sources on a worldwide scale as observed since the year 2000. It finds that the additional generation from renewable, non-hydro, energy sources has been related to higher job creation in the electricity sector when compared to other energy sources, notably fossil fuel- based technologies. As predicted, renewables also help reduce GHG emissions. Estimating the economy-wide effects through employment multipliers provide more evidence that developing renewable energy has positive environmental and employment impact throughout the entire economy. |
| Date: | 2018 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ilo:ilowps:994987492402676&r=env |
| By: | Mario Cunha (Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto and Centro de Investigação em Ciências Geo-Espaciais); Christian Richter (Faculty of Management Technology, German University in Cairo) |
| Abstract: | In this paper we model the impact of climate dynamics on wine production temporal cycles for the period 1933 to 2013 in the Douro wine region. We identify the cyclical properties of wine production and which cycles are de-termined by spring temperature and soil water levels during summer. We find that the in-season spring temperature as well as the temperatures of two and three years ago explain about 65% of the variability of wine pro-duction. When the soil water level in summer is incorporated, the R2 in-creases to 83% minimizing the Akaike criterion. The effects of soil water in wine production are depending on the timing. The in-season effect of an increase in soil water is negative, whilst soil water from two and three years ago have a positive effect on wine production. There is a stable but non- constant link between production and the spring temperature. The temper-ature is responsible for two long-medium cycles of 5.8 year and 4.2 years as well as a short one of 2.4 years that began since the 80s. The soil water level can explain 60% of the 7 years cycles of wine production as well as a short one of 2.3 years cycle which has been happening since the 90s. We also identify a shift of the relative importance away from temperature to soil water. Despite using a new an extended dataset, our results largely confirm the results of the impact of climate on the wine production in Douro region in our previous research. Modelling the impact of climate on the wine production can be an important instrument contributing for mitigation strategies facing the projected climate conditions in order to remain com-petitive in the market. |
| Keywords: | climate variability, wine production, time-varying spectra, Kalman filter, Douro region |
| JEL: | Q15 Q16 Q25 Q54 Q57 |
| Date: | 2018–03 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:guc:wpaper:47&r=env |
| By: | Cristina Sattarhoff; Marc Gronwald |
| Abstract: | This paper proposes a new measure for the evaluation of financial market efficiency, the so-called intermittency coefficient. This is a multifractality measure that can quantify the deviation from a random walk within the framework of the multifractal random walk model by Bacry et al. (2001b). While the random walk corresponds to the most genuine form of market efficiency, the larger the value of the intermittency coefficient is, the more inefficient a market would be. In contrast to commonly used methods based on Hurst exponents, the intermittency coefficient is a more powerful tool due to its well-established inference apparatus based on the generalised method of moments estimation technique. In an empirical application using data from the largest currently existing market for tradable pollution permits, the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme, we show that this market becomes more efficient over time. In addition, the degree of market efficiency is overall similar to that for the US stock market; for one sub-period, the market efficiency is found to be higher. While the first finding is anticipated, the second finding is noteworthy, as various observers expressed concerns with regard to the information efficiency of this newly established artificial market. |
| Keywords: | market efficiency, multifractality, multifractal random walk, European Union Emissions Trading Scheme |
| JEL: | C58 C53 G14 Q02 Q54 |
| Date: | 2018 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ces:ceswps:_7102&r=env |
| By: | Zoran Sapuric; Sanela Shkrijelj; Blazhe Josifovski |
| Date: | 2018–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ftm:policy:2018-01/12&r=env |
| By: | Montt, Guillermo E. |
| Abstract: | Air pollution affects workers ability to work by damaging their own health, but also by damaging the health of their dependents. This paper draws on 20 years of air pollution and employment data from Santiago, Chile, a highly polluted metropolis, particularly in fall and winter months. The paper finds that though air pollution does not reduce overall hours worked, it does so for women and particularly for women with children. A week with pollution at 100 µg/m3, common for Santiago, doubles the gender difference in working hours. It is hypothesised that children, unable to go to school, must stay home and cared for. Findings do not hold for elderly care, probably reflecting the fact that both sick and healthy dependent elderly are cared for at home and their main family caregiver is generally out of the labour force to begin with. These findings suggest that air pollution may contribute to gender inequality through the gendered-biased distribution of care responsibilities. Pollution brings to evidence gender inequalities in care and, given the gendered nature of care and the geographic distribution of pollution, contributes to enhance gender and geographic labour market inequalities. Environmental policy is agender equality policy as well. |
| Date: | 2018 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ilo:ilowps:994987492302676&r=env |
| By: | Aymeric Ricome (JRC - European Commission - Joint Research Centre [Ispra]); François Affholder (Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement - Université de Lille, Sciences Humaines et Sociales); Françoise Gérard (GREEN - Gestion des ressources renouvelables et environnement - CIRAD - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement); Bertrand Muller (LEPSE - Écophysiologie des Plantes sous Stress environnementaux - INRA - Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique - Montpellier SupAgro - Centre international d'études supérieures en sciences agronomiques - Montpellier SupAgro - Institut national d’études supérieures agronomiques de Montpellier); Charlotte Poeydebat; Philippe Quirion (CIRED - Centre International de Recherche sur l'Environnement et le Développement - CIRAD - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - AgroParisTech - ENPC - École des Ponts ParisTech - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique); Moussa Sall (ISRA - Institut Sénégalais de Recherches Agricoles - ISRA) |
| Abstract: | While crop yields in Sub-Saharan Africa are low compared to most other parts of the world, weather-index insurance is often presented as a promising tool, which could help resource-poor farmers in developing countries to invest and adopt yield-enhancing technologies. Here, we test this hypothesis on two contrasting areas (in terms of rainfall scarcity) of the Senegalese groundnut basin through the use of a bio-economic farm model, coupling the crop growth model CELSIUS with the economic model ANDERS, both specifically designed for this purpose. We introduce a weather-index insurance whose index is currently being used for pilot projects in Senegal and West Africa. Results show that insurance leads to a welfare gain only for those farmers located in the driest area. These farmers respond to insurance mostly by increasing the amount of cow fattening, which leads to higher crop yields thanks to the larger production of manure. We also find that subsidizing insurance is not the best possible use of public funds: for a given level of public funding, reducing credit rates, subsidizing fertilizers, or just transferring cash as a lump-sum generally brings a higher expected utility to farmers and leads to a higher increase in grain production levels. |
| Date: | 2017–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-01679763&r=env |
| By: | Christian A. Vossler (Department of Economics, University of Tennessee); Ewa Zawojska (Faculty of Economic Sciences University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland) |
| Abstract: | Empirical evidence accumulated over several decades suggests that survey-based welfare measures for public goods can be very sensitive to the format of the value elicitation, e.g., an up-or-down vote or an open-ended willingness-to-pay question. The underlying drivers of these effects remain poorly understood. As myriad formats are employed in practice, this raises concerns for both academics and policymakers. We design and implement a controlled experiment to cleanly test for elicitation effects among a set of four oft-used formats: single binary choice, double-bounded binary choice, payment card, and open-ended. The experiment retains important field context properties (e.g., the funding of a public, environmental good) and varies only the elicitation format, while holding fixed ancillary characteristics of the elicitations (such as framing, decision rule, payment method, and incentive compatibility). We find all formats lead to statistically identical welfare estimates. On one hand, this evidence suggests that variance in design characteristics other than the elicitation format may explain some prior results. On the other, to the extent that characteristics of our elicitations can be mirrored in the field, this offers a pathway for mitigating elicitation effects. |
| Keywords: | contingent valuation; mechanism design; experiment; voting; elicitation effects; convergent validity |
| JEL: | Q51 C92 D82 H41 |
| Date: | 2018–06 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ten:wpaper:2018-01&r=env |
| By: | Shigeru Matsumoto; Viet Ngu Hoang |
| Abstract: | The Great Tohoku Earthquake and massive tsunami disabled the Fukushima Daiichi power plant cooling system, which resulted in a meltdown of the reactor core and hydrogen explosion of the reactor buildings. A large amount of radioactive substances was released into the environment and the agricultural production in surrounding area was severely damaged by the radioactive contamination. Many experimental studies have been conducted after the nuclear accident to understand how consumers evaluate the internal radiation exposure risk associated with the consumption of agricultural food produced in the affected region. The studies have reported that a typical consumer differentiates agricultural foods produced at the contaminated region from those produced at non-contaminated region and then spends non-negligible amounts of money to lower their perceived internal radiation exposure risk. However, only a few studies have examined how internal radiation exposure risk is evaluated at the market level. In this study, we analyze the sales data of Japanese wholesale markets to examine how consumers' valuation about agricultural food has been altered by the nuclear accident. By modifying the Dixit-Stiglitz demand model, we propose an empirical model to quantify the change in consumer's valuation between competitive agricultural products. We then apply the proposed model for the analysis of daily peach sales data obtained from Japanese wholesale markets. Our empirical results demonstrate that consumer valuation of Fukushima peach dropped significantly in the nuclear accident year, but it rapidly recovered in the following year. The result suggests that the measures against radioactive contamination are positively evaluated among Japanese consumers. |
| Date: | 2018–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:tcr:wpaper:e122&r=env |
| By: | Pimpin, L; Retat, L; Fecht, D; De Preux Gallone, LB; Sassi, F; Gulliver, J; Belloni, A; Ferguson, B; Corbould, E; Jaccard, A; Webber, L |
| Date: | 2018–05–22 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:imp:wpaper:60180&r=env |
| By: | Puls, Thomas |
| Abstract: | Die EU hat sich zum Ziel gesetzt, die CO2-Emissionen des Verkehrs im Zeitraum von 2005 bis 2030 um 30 Prozent zu senken. Damit das erreicht werden kann, müssen insbesondere die Emissionen des Pkw-Verkehrs sinken. Ohne weitere Regulierungsschritte wird der Verkehrssektor aber das Klimaziel verfehlen. Aus diesem Grund wird jetzt in Brüssel über die Fortschreibung der Emissionsgrenzwerte für neue Pkw diskutiert. Im Verkehr setzt die EU somit bislang nicht auf Mengen- oder Preissteuerung, sondern auf die Regulierung des Emissionspotenzials von Neuwagen. Der Autofahrer und die am Markt bestehende Nachfrage werden an dieser Stelle nicht adressiert. Eine große Schwäche, da alle Klimaschutzszenarien einen erfolgreichen Markthochlauf von Elektroautos erfordern, was ohne Akzeptanz beim Kunden scheitern muss. Brüssel sollte daher seinen Instrumentenkasten neu gewichten. Die Koppelung von Straßen- und Strom Sektor sollte ins Zentrum der Aufmerksamkeit rücken. Nichtsdestotrotz hat die Kommission einen Vorschlag zur Fortschreibung der Grenzwerte bis 2030 vorgelegt. Dieser ist laut Impact-Assessment zielkonform. Dennoch gibt es in Brüssel Stimmen, die eine deutliche Verschärfung der Vorlage fordern. Das ist aber der falsche Ansatz. Bereits der Kommissionsentwurf erfordert einen Markthochlauf der Elektromobilität. Dies erfordert aber, dass die Nachfrageseite das Zusatzangebot an Elektroautos auch akzeptiert. Das wird aber nur geschehen, wenn die Rahmenbedingungen passen. Insbesondere eine öffentliche Ladeinfrastruktur muss aufgebaut werden, was gerade in Deutschland noch auf Hindernisse stößt, die der Staat eigentlich schnell beseitigen könnte. Hierauf sollte der künftige klimapolitische Fokus gerichtet werden und nicht auf über den Bedarf hinausgehende Grenzwerte. Sonst droht eine Überregulierung des Angebotes und damit negative Auswirkungen auf den Industriestandort, Arbeitsplätze und auch für den Klimaschutz. |
| JEL: | O25 O30 Q54 |
| Date: | 2018 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:iwkrep:212018&r=env |
| By: | Köhler, Jonathan Hugh; Hohmann, Claudia; Dütschke, Elizabeth |
| Abstract: | Sustainability transitions take place across geographical and political levels. Services such as energy supply, water supply and wastewater management or housing are part of daily life have to be provided at the district level within larger urban governance structures or by smaller rural administrations. However, relatively little attention has been given to the analysis of these local structures. This paper reviews case studies of niches in the areas of district heat networks, communal housing projects for the elderly and sustainable water/wastewater management. The paper addresses the following research questions: 1. What are the similarities and differences in the case study's drivers and barriers that have arisen between the fields of action and what conclusions can be drawn from these insights in order to maximize success factors or to minimize obstacles in advance? 2. What are the key factors for transition, also with regard to the synergies of the three fields of action? 3. What is the stage of development of the niches? Are they in a transition process or not? District heat networks are established as a niche, but given the current policy and financial environment are developing very slowly. Communal housing projects are a small part of the overall housing market, but the niche is stable and growing. Waste water separation and new rain water management systems are developing as niches, but the centralised management of decentralised waste water treatment has so far only been adopted in a few cases. These niches are all critically dependent on support from the district authorities. High complexity and inconsistency in legal frameworks, and missing financial re-sources present significant barriers for innovative niche projects. They usually require new, specific financial support to enable the change from conventional systems. These groups face a difficult period of developing their expertise in planning and management and often require financial support and advice. Consultancy networks - if available - have been shown to be important in enabling such pro-jects to establish themselves. As all three case studies rely on infrastructure components, stakeholders need to consider windows of opportunities for innovation. Acceptance and trust are additional factors influencing the projects. Therefore, constructive and goal-oriented "interaction" and communication between the stakeholders on district and project level are key factors for success. It is important to share data and information to guarantee an early integration of important stakeholders, including the public. Projects in all three areas have the ambition of improved sustainability, although data on the actual impact is limited. The housing projects can be argued to contribute to sustainability in all three areas: environmental, social and economic. The district heat networks are supposed to reduce environmental impacts compared to current systems, but there was insufficient monitoring information to be certain that this is the case. The alternative water management systems all make a contribution to environmental sustainability and can be shown to be economically viable. If successful, projects in all three sectors can strengthen local social structures. Economic sustainability is a necessary condition for the success of projects in all three areas and this requires financial support and resources that are not available through the conventional housing, energy or water services market institutions. While projects on district and household level are fundamental to a sustainability transition, efforts for upscaling their impacts (Luederitz et al. 2017) are just as important. The challenges for actors on local to global scale are to learn from different narratives and adapt different perspectives, build unconventional alliances and collaborations to implement innovative, creative and intelligent solutions for a sustainability transition on a larger scale (Luederitz et al. 2017; Wittmayer et al. 2016; Brown et al. 2013). |
| Date: | 2018 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:fisisi:s112018&r=env |
| By: | Sta. Romana, Leonardo L. |
| Abstract: | This study addresses the issue of sustainability reporting by corporations, and the framework(s) and guidelines used in the preparation of those annual reports. It takes as its starting point the UN Sustainable Development Goal 12: “Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns”, with its Target 12.6: “Encourage companies, especially large and transnational companies, to adopt sustainable practices and to integrate sustainability information into their reporting cycle”. And it is the Indicator 12.6.1: “Number of companies publishing sustainability reports” that provides the inspiration for the idea for doing this study. The study provides, firstly, a brief background on the group responsible for the sustainability reporting framework widely used by companies, the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). This is followed with another short background on a second, though newer, group with another framework, the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC). The study presents - to the best of the author's knowledge - the first comparative study of corporate sustainability reports (and the frameworks used) across ten Emerging Asian economies. It proceeds to this core empirical contribution of the paper by explaining the process how the corporations in Emerging Asia were selected for inclusion in the study. It notes that the companies and the economies of origin were not picked directly for inclusion. The first step was to find reputable corporate sustainability rankings and ratings. Seven information sources yielded a list of 150 companies from ten Emerging Asian economies. These economies are: China, Hong Kong, India, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Singapore. It then presents the findings from a survey of the sustainability reports of the 150 corporations. Across the entire sample, almost 90 percent cite the use of the GRI guidelines. In three economies with more than just a handful of companies in the sample -- South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand -- all of their companies cite the GRI framework. However, the picture is not as one-sided in India, where less than half cite the GRI. |
| Keywords: | Environmental sustainability, Corporate social responsibility (CSR), Environmental economics, Sustainable development, Sustainable development goals (SDGs), Sustainability reporting, Environment and development, Emerging Asia, Environmental, social and governance (ESG), Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC), Integrated reporting, China, Hong Kong, India, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore |
| JEL: | D62 M2 O44 Q5 Q56 |
| Date: | 2018–04–16 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:87318&r=env |
| By: | Sta. Romana, Leonardo L. |
| Abstract: | This study addresses the issue of sustainability reporting by corporations, and the framework(s) and guidelines used in the preparation of those annual reports. It takes as its starting point the UN Sustainable Development Goal 12: “Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns”, with its Target 12.6: “Encourage companies, especially large and transnational companies, to adopt sustainable practices and to integrate sustainability information into their reporting cycle”. And it is the Indicator 12.6.1: “Number of companies publishing sustainability reports” that provides the inspiration for the idea for doing this study. The study provides, firstly, a brief background on the group responsible for the sustainability reporting framework widely used by companies, the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). This is followed with another short background on a second, though newer, group with another framework, the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC). The study presents - to the best of the author's knowledge - the first comparative study of corporate sustainability reports (and the frameworks used) across ten Emerging Asian economies. It proceeds to this core empirical contribution of the paper by explaining the process how the corporations in Emerging Asia were selected for inclusion in the study. It notes that the companies and the economies of origin were not picked directly for inclusion. The first step was to find reputable corporate sustainability rankings and ratings. Seven information sources yielded a list of 150 companies from ten Emerging Asian economies. These economies are: China, Hong Kong, India, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Singapore. It then presents the findings from a survey of the sustainability reports of the 150 corporations. Across the entire sample, almost 90 percent cite the use of the GRI guidelines. In three economies with more than just a handful of companies in the sample -- South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand -- all of their companies cite the GRI framework. However, the picture is not as one-sided in India, where less than half cite the GRI. |
| Keywords: | Environmental sustainability,Corporate social responsibility (CSR),Environmental economics,Sustainable development,Sustainable development goals (SDGs),Sustainable reporting,Environment and development,Emerging Asia,Environmental, social and governance (ESG),Global Reporting Initiative (GRI),International Reporting Council (IIRC),Integrated Reporting,China,Hong Kong,India,South Korea,Taiwan,Thailand,Indonesia,Malaysia,Philippines,Singapore |
| JEL: | D62 M2 O44 Q5 Q56 |
| Date: | 2018 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:esprep:179675&r=env |
| By: | Blankenberg, Ann-Kathrin; Alhusen, Harm |
| Abstract: | Determinants of pro-environmental behavior (PEB) have been studied rigorously in the past decades. Given this spurt, a systematic review of extant research is required to determine factors involved, analyze impact and identify research gaps and new directions. This paper provides a systematic review of current economic and psychological studies regarding the determinants of PEB. As a result, we show that PEB is determined by an interplay of socioeconomic, psychological and further (individual, social, institutional) factors, which need to be considered in its study. In addition, PEB needs to be analyzed with multiple items rather than by focusing on single ones as the impact of the determinants differs depending on the analyzed behavior. To express it in economic terms, the coefficient of each determinant can either be positive or negative, given the specific type of analyzed behavior (low vs high cost behavior). By combining the results from economics and psychology, this work offers a starting point for a more sophisticated understanding of PEB. |
| Keywords: | determinants of pro-environmental behavior,ecological economics,review |
| Date: | 2018 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:cegedp:350&r=env |
| By: | Blankenberg, Ann-Kathrin; Gottschalk, Jonas F. A. |
| Abstract: | In the last few decades, socially responsible investments (SRI) have growingly become a relevant issue. The market size in the United States grew from less than a trillion US Dollars to 8.72 trillion US Dollars in 2016, in the past 20 years (US SIF 2016). Approximately 11 trillion Euro was invested in sustainable investments in Europe (EuroSIF 2016). Previous research focused on SRI mutual funds but rarely on green stocks for different reasons. Investing directly in stocks can have different advantages than investment in mutual funds. This article focus on the risk-adjusted competitiveness of a sustainable portfolio based on stocks. We show that a sustainable portfolio does not perform significantly different than a conventional one. The consideration of sustainable criteria does not influence the investment result negatively and could be applied by investors without the need to sacrifice returns. |
| Keywords: | Socially Responsible Investing,Sharpe Ratio,sustainable portfolios,ethical investing |
| Date: | 2018 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:cegedp:349&r=env |
| By: | Maurice Bernadet (LAET - Laboratoire Aménagement Économie Transports - UL2 - Université Lumière - Lyon 2 - ENTPE - École Nationale des Travaux Publics de l'État - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique); Yves Crozet (LAET - Laboratoire Aménagement Économie Transports - UL2 - Université Lumière - Lyon 2 - ENTPE - École Nationale des Travaux Publics de l'État - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique) |
| Abstract: | Le décret 2017-639 et son arrêté d’application, datés du 26 et publiés le 28 avril 2017 au Journal officiel modifient sur trois points la réglementation en vigueur pour l’information sur les émissions de CO2 des services de transport. La première modification est logique. Pour se rapprocher de la norme européenne, seront évalués non seulement le CO2, mais aussi d’autres gaz à effet de serre comme le méthane, et à terme les fuites de liquide frigorigène. Second changement, l’obligation d’information ne concerne que les services ayant leur origine et leur destination en France. Dans cet article, nous nous penchons sur la troisième composante du décret, celle qui repousse à 2019 (au lieu du 1er juillet 2016!) l’obligation pour les entreprises de 50 salariés ou plus d’abandonner la méthode dite de «niveau 1 ». Nous pensons que c’est regrettable. En voici l’explication. On notera que .dans cet article les arguments utilisés et les raisonnements développés se réfèrent aux seuls transports routiers de marchandises. Toutefois, il est clair que certains des arguments présentés ont une portée plus générale et pourraient justifier que ses conclusions soient étendues, moyennant éventuellement des adaptations, à d’autres modes. |
| Keywords: | émissions de dioxyde de carbone (CO2),obligation d’information,décret 2017-639,valeurs de niveau 1 |
| Date: | 2017 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:halshs-01792634&r=env |
| By: | Marc Fleurbaey |
| Abstract: | The UN Resolution heralding the Sustainable Development Goals pledges to leave no one behind, and moreover “to reach the furthest behind first”. This priority echoes the priority to the worst-off that is being discussed in philosophy, economics and related disciplines, but also the pleas of many actors who represent or fight for the most disadvantaged populations. This paper argues that serious theories do support such a priority and that the best policies implementing this priority do not necessarily involve the most intuitive anti-poverty targeted measures. |
| JEL: | D63 I38 |
| Date: | 2018–05 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:une:cpaper:042&r=env |
| By: | Görg, Holger |
| Abstract: | Goal 8 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) calls for promoting "sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all". One driver that may help to achieve this goal is foreign direct investment (FDI). It has the potential to foster productivity growth and generate quality employment, and also - though many globalization critics may disagree - to help moving towards more socially and environmentally sustainable business practices (e.g., Görg, Hanley, Hoffmann, Seric, 2015). This short note reviews briefly what we do know from recent work using large scale firm level datasets about the potential benefits or costs of foreign direct investment as regards these aspects. It then sets out what else we would want to know, and how to go about collecting this knowledge. Based on this, some policy conclusions are offered. |
| Date: | 2018 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:kcgpps:3&r=env |
| By: | Cecilia Temponi; Valérie Botta-Genoulaz (DISP - Décision et Information pour les Systèmes de Production - UL2 - Université Lumière - Lyon 2 - UCBL - Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 - Université de Lyon - INSA Lyon - Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon - Université de Lyon - INSA - Institut National des Sciences Appliquées) |
| Date: | 2017–07–28 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-01789167&r=env |
| By: | J. Isaac Miller (Department of Economics, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA) |
| Abstract: | Time series that are observed neither regularly nor contemporaneously pose problems for most multivariate analyses. Common and intuitive solutions to these problems include linear and step interpolation or other types of imputation to a higher, regular frequency. However, interpolation is known to cause serious problems with the size and power of statistical tests. Due to the difficulty in measuring stochastically varying paleoclimate phenomena such as CO2 concentrations and surface temperatures, time series of such measurements are observed neither regularly nor contemporaneously. This paper presents large- and small-sample analyses of the size and power of cointegration tests of time series with these features and confirms the robustness of cointegration of these two series found in the extant literature. Step interpolation is preferred over linear interpolation. |
| Keywords: | cointegration, irregularly time series, non-contemporaneous time series, misaligned time series, paleoclimate data |
| JEL: | C12 C22 C32 Q54 |
| Date: | 2018–06–29 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:umc:wpaper:1809&r=env |
| By: | Andrei P. Kirilyuk (Metallic State Theory Department - Institute of Metal Physics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine) |
| Abstract: | An extended analysis compared to observations shows that modern "globalised" world civilisation has passed through the invisible "complexity threshold" , after which usual "spontaneous" , empirically driven kind of development ("invisible hand" etc.) cannot continue any more without major destructive tendencies. A much deeper, non-simplified understanding of real interaction complexity is necessary in order to cope with such globalised world development problems. Here we introduce the universal definition, fundamental origin, and dynamic equations for a major related quantity of (systemic) risk characterising real complex system development tendencies at any level of dynamics. Practically important conclusions are derived, opening further detailed applications in economy, finance and development practice. |
| Date: | 2017–12–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-01797479&r=env |