|
on Environmental Economics |
| By: | Jose de Oliveira; Celio Andrade |
| Abstract: | This paper examines the political economy aspects, particularly the influence of the Clean Development Mechanism, in clean energy and climate change policies in the states of Bahia and Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil. The different mechanisms for responding to climate change are financing opportunities in some of the .green. industries, but the results show a gap between the initial objectives of global policies and their results.The research identified pitfalls and opportunities for new strategies and mechanisms for boosting clean energy in Brazil and the role that the Clean Development Mechanism and future mechanisms can play in the political economy of clean energy transitions. The paper concludes with a discussion on the lessons learned from experience of the Clean Development Mechanism and its implications for the future of the Paris Agreement. |
| Keywords: | Climatic changes, Renewable energy sources, Sustainable development |
| Date: | 2016 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp2016-050&r=env |
| By: | Chiara Ravetti; Tania Theoduloz; Giulia Valacchi |
| Abstract: | This paper analyses the use of different energy sources in a dynamic trade model with endogenous innovation. We consider two countries, North and South, the first with high environmental concerns and the second endowed with abundant fossil fuel resources. In this asymmetric setting, the South specializes in energy production using fossil fuels, causing local and global environmental damages. The North, instead, specializes in other manufacturing and imports energy inputs from the South. Endogenous innovation reinforces this pattern of specialization over time. We show that the North can unilaterally stop the use of fossil fuels and avoid a global climate disaster with two different strategies: either redirecting the comparative advantage of the South towards manufacturing, relocating the production of energy to the North, or buying fossil fuel deposits in the South. These two policies have different implications in terms of monetary costs and environmental outcomes for the North. The choice between the two depends on the valuation of the environment, the energy requirements of final goods’ production, the starting time of the policy and the time preferences of the North. Overall, however, there is no costless way for the North to stop unilaterally the use of fossil fuels. |
| Keywords: | Energy, technical change, international trade, comparative advantage, fossil fuels. |
| JEL: | F18 O32 O38 |
| Date: | 2016–01–20 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:gii:ciesrp:cies_rp_41&r=env |
| By: | Mu, Jianhong E.; Mihiar, Christopher; Lewis, David J.; Sleeter, Benjamin; Abatzoglou, John T. |
| Abstract: | This paper uses most recent plot-level data from the National Resource Inventory (NRI) over the period 2002 to 2012. Using these data with county-level land-use net returns, we first examine the land-use transitions among crop, pasture, range, forest, urban and Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and find that land-use net returns are the main determinants from land-use transitions and land with low soil quality is more likely to be used for low-productive land activities, such as grazing. Second, we predict land-use changes under future climate projections using projected land-use net returns from hedonic regressions for crop, pasture, range, forest and urban. Our estimation results of the land-use model are consistent to economic theory as well as to previous literature that we have positive coefficients on crop and urban land use net returns and negative coefficients on the transition costs. We also find that crop and pasture land use net returns increase as the mean precipitation increase and pastureland net return is reduced if growing season degree-days are increased, suggesting the substation effects between crop and pasture land use when the temperature is optimal for plant growing. When predict into the future, we find the expansion of urban land with expenses of crop and CRP land. |
| Keywords: | climate change, land-use transition, hedonic regression, uncertainty, Crop Production/Industries, Environmental Economics and Policy, Land Economics/Use, |
| Date: | 2016–06 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aaea16:236643&r=env |
| By: | Timilsina,Govinda R.; Sikharulidze,Anna; Karapoghosyan,Eduard; Shatvoryan,Suren |
| Abstract: | Armenia and Georgia are taking the climate change agenda seriously and contributing to efforts for mitigating global climate change through various ways, including preparation of low-carbon development strategies for their future economic growth. The improvement of energy efficiency is one of the key elements of the low-carbon development strategies. This study develops a methodology to estimate a marginal abatement cost curve for energy efficiency measures and applies it to the building sector in both countries. The study finds that among the various energy efficiency measures considered, the replacement of energy inefficient lightbulbs (incandescent lamps) with efficient lightbulbs is the most cost-effective measure in saving energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the building sector. Most energy efficiency improvement options considered in the study would produce net economic benefits even if the value of reduced carbon is not taken into account. |
| Keywords: | Climate Change Economics,Energy Production and Transportation,Environment and Energy Efficiency,Climate Change Mitigation and Green House Gases,Energy and Environment |
| Date: | 2016–06–16 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:7703&r=env |
| By: | Le Coënt, Philippe; Preget, Raphaele; Thoyer, Sophie |
| Abstract: | In the economic literature on the motivations underlying voluntary contributions to environmental public goods, little attention is granted to the way the overall objective of the environmental program is framed. A program which contributes to an increase of environmental quality can be perceived differently from a program designed to bring back the environmental quality to its original level, after it was damaged by human intervention, even if net environmental gain is equivalent in both programs. How does it impact participation rates and contribution levels? This paper addresses this issue in the context of agri-environmental contracts for biodiversity conservation. It compares farmers’ willingness to participate in two equivalent agri-environmental schemes, one being framed as part of a biodiversity offset program, the other one as a biodiversity conservation program. We demonstrate with a discrete choice experiment that biodiversity –offsets programs must offer a greater payment to enroll farmers compared to the latter. This is explained by the sensitivity of farmers to environmental issues. |
| Keywords: | biodiversity offsets, agri-environmental contrcts, choice experiments, behaviour, Agricultural and Food Policy, Environmental Economics and Policy, Q15, Q18, Q57, |
| Date: | 2016–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aesc16:236365&r=env |
| By: | Anna Alberini; Andrea Bigano; Jessica Post; Elisa Lanzi |
| Abstract: | This paper presents a review of existing approaches to estimate the costs of inaction, as well as the benefits of policy action, for air pollution. It focuses primarily on health impacts from air pollution. The paper presents the “impact pathway approach”, which includes various steps in the analysis of the costs of air pollution. These include quantifying emissions, calculating the concentrations of the pollutants, applying epidemiologic studies to calculate the physical health effects and applying valuation methods to calculate the economic costs of the health impacts. The report also reviews applications of the impact pathway approach to applied economic studies that aim at calculating the macroeconomic costs of air pollution. It proposes possible approaches for including the feedbacks from the health impacts of air pollution in an applied economic framework. While ideally this requires serious modifications of the modelling frameworks and an improvement of the available empirical results, some impacts, such as changes in health expenditures and labour productivity, can easily been incorporated, following the literature on the economic costs of the health impacts of climate change. Ce document présente une revue des études existantes qui estiment les coûts de l'inaction, ainsi que les effets bénéfiques de l'action politique, relatif à la pollution de l'air. Il se concentre principalement sur les impacts de la pollution atmosphérique sur la santé. Le document présente l'approche qui se base sur une "analyse de voies d'impact” et ses différentes étapes. Il s’agit notamment de quantifier les émissions, de calculer des concentrations de polluants, d’appliquer les résultats des études épidémiologiques pour calculer les effets sur la santé physique et des méthodes d'évaluation pour calculer les coûts économiques des impacts sur la santé. Le rapport passe également en revue les applications de l'analyse de voies d'impact dans les études économiques appliquées qui calculent les coûts macroéconomiques de la pollution de l'air. Il propose des stratégies possibles pour inclure une évaluation des impacts de la pollution de l'air sur la santé dans un modèle économique appliquée. Bien qu'idéalement cela nécessite des modifications importantes des cadres de modélisation et une plus grande disponibilité des résultats empiriques, certains impacts tels que les changements de dépenses de santé et de productivité du travail peuvent facilement être incorporés en se basant sur la littérature sur les coûts économiques des impacts sur la santé liés au changement climatique. |
| Keywords: | water scarcity, water use, CGE model, economic growth |
| JEL: | C68 O44 Q15 Q25 |
| Date: | 2016–06–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:oec:envaaa:108-en&r=env |
| By: | Blandford, David; Gaasland, Ivar; Vardal, Erling |
| Abstract: | We examine how to achieve Norway’s commitment for a 40% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions under the 2015 UN climate change agreement in the agricultural sector. Norway also aims to ensure food security, defined in terms of a target level of calorie availability from domestic food production. Imposing the GHG reduction commitment considerably reduces the policy space, but can be achieved by shifting by shifting production away from ruminant products to vegetable products. Using a detailed sectoral model of Norwegian agriculture we examine the use of a carbon tax to achieve the required GHG reduction. Differentiating between lower emission dairy products and high emission red meat (beef and sheepmeat) we show that the GHG and food security targets can be achieved while substantially maintaining dairy farming – which is a core activity in Norway’s rural areas. The imposition of a carbon tax in agriculture may pose technical and political challenges. We demonstrate that by rebalancing existing domestic support policies, in particular, reducing the subsidies provided to ruminant meat production we can achieve an outcome that is broadly similar to the carbon tax. |
| Keywords: | UN climate agreement, greenhouse gas mitigation, economic model, Norway, ruminants, taxes, subsidies, Environmental Economics and Policy, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy, Q15, Q18, Q54, Q58, |
| Date: | 2016–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aesc16:236330&r=env |
| By: | Sambit Bhattacharyya; Maurizio Intartaglia; Andy McKay |
| Abstract: | We perform an empirical audit of the effectiveness of climate aid in tackling CO2 and SO2 emissions. Using a global panel dataset covering up to 131 countries over the period 1961 to 2011 and estimating a parsimonious model using the Anderson and Hsiao estimator we do not find any evidence of a systematic effect of energy related aid on emissions. We also find that the non-effect is not conditional on institutional quality or level of income. Countries located in Europe and Central Asia does better than others in utilising climate aid to reduce CO2 emissions. Our results are robust after controlling for the Environmental Kuznets Curve, country fixed effects, country specific trends, and time varying common shocks. |
| Keywords: | Climate Aid; Emissions; Energy |
| JEL: | D72 O11 |
| Date: | 2016 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:csa:wpaper:2016-09&r=env |
| By: | Shengyuan Zhang (Division of Social Science, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology); Jimin Zhao (Division of Social Science, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology; Institute for Emerging Market Studies, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology) |
| Abstract: | China has established ambitious CO2 emission reduction targets, and sustainable urban passenger transport is a key to reaching them. Shenzhen, one of China’s leading cities, has the potential to be a model for achieving low-carbon development. Using an Activity Structure–Intensity–Fuel (ASIF) framework and a human-based approach that incorporates individual transport behavior using data from a travel diary survey in Shenzhen in 2014, we model different scenarios for future urban passenger transport energy consumption and CO2 emissions from 2014 to 2050. We find that if Shenzhen successfully constructs urban structures with greater density around the public transportation network, and finds effective ways to restrict vehicle ownership and use (either through mandatory schemes or pricing) while making substantial investments in the walking and cycling environment, it is possible for total urban passenger transport emissions to peak at 4.3 MtCO2 in 2025, and individual emissions would fall by over 65% compared to its 2014 level, reaching 118 kgCO2/person by 2050. |
| Keywords: | ASIF, carbon emissions, energy consumption, urban transportation, scenario analysis, transportation policy |
| Date: | 2016–06 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hku:wpaper:201633&r=env |
| By: | G. Cornelis van Kooten; Rachel Lynch; Jon Duan |
| Abstract: | Mitigating climate change will require reduced use of fossil fuels to generate electricity. To do so and eschewing nuclear power, countries have turned to wind energy. In this study, we discuss how screening curves and load duration can be used to determine the optimal investment in generating assets, and extend this method to include wind and nuclear energy sources. We then use this approach to investigate the effects of carbon taxes and feed-in tariffs (FITs) on the optimal generation mix and the potential for reducing CO2 emissions. We find that a carbon tax is likely more effective than a feed-in tariff for removing fossil fuel assets and incentivizing investment in wind power. The tax leads to the removal of coal-fired capacity that is replaced by combined-cycle gas generation. However, if nuclear energy is permitted to enter the mix, the tax results in coal capacity replaced by nuclear power instead of gas, which leads to a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to any other alternative considered. We also find that, because wind cannot substitute for baseload generation, the additional investment in wind resulting from a carbon tax or FIT is small compared to the absence of any incentives (only 7%). Finally, if the tax and FIT lead to the same mix of generating assets, the income distributional effects can be quite large. It is the distributional effects of policy, and associated rent seeking activities to implement a FIT, that could be the deciding factor in choosing between a carbon tax and feed-in tariff. |
| Keywords: | Electricity; renewable energy and climate change policy; wind power; nuclear energy |
| JEL: | H41 L51 L94 Q42 Q48 Q54 |
| Date: | 2016–06 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:rep:wpaper:2016-02&r=env |
| By: | Gammans, Matthew; Mérel, Pierre; Ortiz-Bobea, Ariel |
| Abstract: | Climate change is predicted to reduce crop productivity in several world regions. A growing literature has examined climate change impacts on crop yields by statistically estimating the historical relationship between weather variables and yield and projecting it into predicted future climate. We estimate a flexible statistical model using panel data from France over the period 1950-2014 to investigate the impacts of climate change on winter wheat, winter barley, and spring barley yields. For winter crops, our model captures the differential impacts of weather on yield growth over cold (fall-winter) and warm (spring-summer) seasons. Temperatures above 33ºC during the warm season appear harmful to all three crops. For winter crops, cold-season temperatures have a negligible effect on crop growth. Cereal yields are predicted to decline due to climate change under a wide range of climate models and emissions scenarios. Impacts are almost exclusively driven by increased heat exposure during the warm season. Under the most rapid warming scenario (RCP8.5) and holding growing areas constant, our model ensemble predicts a 16% decline in winter wheat yield, a 20% decline in winter barley yield, and a 42% decline in spring barley yield by the end of the century. Under this scenario, uncertainty stemming from climate model projections clearly dominates that stemming from the historically estimated climate-yield relationship. A comparison of our results with those from a recent study for Kansas wheat points to the critical role of local climatology on the marginal yield response to extreme temperature exposure. |
| Keywords: | climate change, agriculture, wheat, barley, yield, Crop Production/Industries, Production Economics, |
| Date: | 2016–05 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aaea16:236322&r=env |
| By: | Gissela Landa (OFCE (OFCE)); Frédéric Reynès (Nederlandse Organisatie voor Toegepast Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek); Ivan Islas (Instituto Nacional de Ecología y Cambio Climático (INEC)); François-Xavier Bellock (Agence Française de Développement); Fabio Grazi (Agence Française de Développement (AFD)) |
| Abstract: | This paper simulates the medium- and long-term impact of proposed and expected energy policy on the environment and on the Mexican economy. The analysis has been conducted with a Multi-sector Macroeconomic Model for the Evaluation of Environmental and Energy policy (Three-ME). This model is well suited for policy assessment purposes in the context of developing economies as it indicates the transit ional effects of policy intervention. Three-ME estimates the carbon tax required to meet emissions reduction targets within the Mexican “Climate Change Law”, and assesses alternative policy scenarios, ach reflecting a different strategy for the recycling of tax revenues. With no compensation, the taxation policy if successful will succeed in reducing CO2 e missions by more than 75% by 2050 with respect to Business as Usual (BAU), but at high eco nomic costs. Under full redistribution of carbon tax revenues, a double dividend arises and t he policy is beneficial both in terms of GDP and CO2 emissions reduction |
| Keywords: | Energy; Low carbon emission; Mexican economy |
| JEL: | Q3 Q4 |
| Date: | 2015–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:spo:wpmain:info:hdl:2441/21l76d3ol49hnr6addquaramgh&r=env |
| By: | Paul Pichler; Gerhard Sorger |
| Abstract: | We analyze a stylized model of a world consisting of a large number of countries, which derive utility from energy consumption but suffer both from the emission of greenhouse gases (smog, black carbon, etc.) as well as from the external effects caused by climate change. The countries decide individually on investments in clean (i.e., emission free) technologies for energy production, whereas a supranational environmental authority decides for each country on the maximally permitted amount of emissions of greenhouse gases. We demonstrate that the authority faces a dynamic inconsistency problem that leads to welfare losses. Yet these welfare losses can be kept small if the mandate for the authority penalizes the local cost of emissions very heavily but puts little or no weight at all on the cost of climate change. |
| JEL: | F53 H87 O33 O44 Q43 Q54 |
| Date: | 2016–06 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:vie:viennp:1604&r=env |
| By: | Lynch, John; Donnellan, Trevor; Hanrahan, Kevin |
| Abstract: | The UK and Ireland both have large greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets under the EU Effort Sharing Decision (ESD). The ESD covers non-emission trading sector (Non-ETS) emissions, of which agriculture is an important component, representing 44% of the non-ETS emissions for Ireland. In the UK this figure is lower, at 16%, but the composition varies significantly between the constituent countries. Though the reductions targets and means of achieving them differ, reductions in agricultural emissions will be necessary for both the UK and Ireland, and on-going negotiations setting reductions targets for 2030 are likely to result in even stricter limits for emissions from the non ETS sector. This paper examines the implications of achievement of possible 2020 and 2030 GHG reductions targets in the agriculture sector for the UK and Ireland. The paper considers the achievability of the reduction targets based on technical means alone, suggesting that under current carbon budgets the UK aims to make sufficient agricultural emissions reductions, while Ireland will require a reduction in agricultural activity or alternative policy interventions. The implications for food production in the UK and Ireland and associated trade are then assessed. |
| Keywords: | Climate change, agricultural production, agricultural trade, Agricultural and Food Policy, Environmental Economics and Policy, Q100 Agriculture: General, Q54 Global Warming, |
| Date: | 2016–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aesc16:236370&r=env |
| By: | Sabrina McCormick |
| Abstract: | Understanding the political economic drivers of energy planning in the Brazilian Amazon is critical since the forest is increasingly vulnerable to destruction and related, increased poverty. This research investigates how political economy affects biomass and hydroelectricity development in that region. It focuses on political economy as characterized by: 1) the needs and agenda of local communities, 2) economic interests and politics at the national level, and 3) international social actors and financial interests.Findings advance our understanding of the political economy of renewable energy by first, focusing on a critical global resource, and second, by implementing a multi-scalar framework that also considers impacts and drivers of climate change. |
| Keywords: | Climatic changes, Quantitative research, Renewable energy sources, Sustainable development |
| Date: | 2016 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp2016-012&r=env |
| By: | Gregory Briner; Sara Moarif |
| Abstract: | The agreement of an enhanced transparency framework was a key outcome of the COP 21 climate change conference in Paris. This enhanced transparency framework will play an important role in tracking progress towards the individual and collective goals agreed at COP 21 and in understanding achievement of nationally determined contributions under the Paris Agreement. This paper unpacks the transparency-related provisions within the Paris Agreement and Decision 1/CP.21 relating to mitigation and support. It also explores the relationship between the existing and future transparency framework, information required to track progress towards nationally determined contributions for mitigation, and fulfilling reporting provisions on finance provided, mobilised and received. Les dispositions en matière de transparence des mesures d'atténuation et de l'appui dans l'Accord de Paris L’accord sur un cadre renforcé de transparence a constitué un résultat essentiel de la Conférence de Paris sur le climat (COP21). Ce cadre de transparence jouera un rôle important en permettant de suivre les progrès accomplis au regard des objectifs individuels et collectifs convenus lors de la COP21, et en permettant la compréhension des contributions déterminées au niveau national des Parties au titre de l’Accord de Paris. Le présent document éclairci les dispositions de cet accord et de la décision 1/CP.21 en matière de transparence des mesures d’atténuation et de l’appui. Il étudie aussi le rapport entre le cadre de transparence actuel et futur, les informations requises pour suivre les progrès accomplis dans la mise en oeuvre des contributions déterminées au niveau national pour l’atténuation, et le respect des dispositions relatives à la notification des moyens de financement fournis, mobilisés et reçus. |
| Keywords: | transparency, mitigation, UNFCCC, climate change, climate finance |
| JEL: | F53 Q54 Q56 Q58 |
| Date: | 2016–06–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:oec:envaab:2016/2-en&r=env |
| By: | Jonas Sonnenschein |
| Abstract: | Rapid decarbonization of whole countries requires additional research, development, and demonstration of low-carbon energy technologies. Governments support research, development, and demonstration in this area with various financing instruments. These instruments are frequently assessed by carrying out indicator-based evaluations. So far there is no standard set of indicators for this purpose.This study looks at research, development, and demonstration financing in the Nordic countries, which are frequently mentioned as leading countries with respect to eco-innovation. Different indicators are identified, selected, and analysed. The analysis of the indicator-based evaluation method includes the acceptance of an indicator, its ease of monitoring, and its robustness as assessment criteria. No indicator or set of indicators emerges as clearly superior from the analysis. Indicator choice is subject to trade-offs. This means in turn that there is room for directing evaluation results by choosing certain indicators over others.The study concludes by discussing potential policy implications of biases in indicator-based evaluation of low-carbon energy technologies research, development, and demonstration funding. |
| Keywords: | Nonrenewable natural resources |
| Date: | 2016 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp2016-048&r=env |
| By: | Shrestha, Shailesh; Glenk, Klaus |
| Abstract: | This paper focuses on the economic trade-off space between effects on yield and input costs of management measures aimed at enhancing soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks to maintain soil fertility while providing important ecosystem services. An optimising dynamic farm level model, ScotFarm, was used to investigate the financial impacts of 4 SOC management measures (cover crops, zero tillage, minimum tillage and residue management) for three groups of Scottish crop farms. A sensitivity analysis was carried out to test the robustness of the model results on crop yields and costs of production for each measure. The results suggest that financially, tillage management is the only positive measure for Scottish farms at baseline levels of yield effects and input costs. Residue management is expected to have a negative impact on farm margins for the farms. The projected maximum positive financial impact was less than 10%. Results of the sensitivity analysis indicate that financial impacts of SOC management measures on farm margins are more sensitive to a change in crop yields than to changes in input costs. The findings point to further research needs with respect to the investigated trade-off space, and have implications for agricultural policy design aimed at enhancing SOC stocks under a changing climate. |
| Keywords: | Soil Organic Carbon, Farm level modeling, Scottish crop farms, SOC management measures, Agricultural and Food Policy, Crop Production/Industries, Environmental Economics and Policy, Farm Management, |
| Date: | 2016–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aesc16:236363&r=env |
| By: | Rolfe, John; Windle, Jill |
| Abstract: | Funding programs to improve water quality into the GBR are difficult to evaluate, and administering agencies typically need to allocate funds without a clear assessment of the cost-effectiveness of proposals. This is particularly the case for agri-environmental schemes where policy makers set targets for improvements in water quality from agricultural lands and then need to identify funds and programs to encourage changes in practices. The priorities for actions are often driven by bio-physical assessments of risks on the natural environment with little information about the opportunity costs and challenges in changing land management. The goal of the research reported in this paper is to develop a supply function for water quality improvements in agricultural lands in the Great Barrier Reef catchments. Costs of supply have been estimated from multiple sources, including modelling, expert opinion, and the analysis of water quality tenders and Reef Rescue grant programs. The study addresses challenges in reconciling cost estimates from different sources, dealing with heterogeneity across industries and catchments, and managing different influences on costs from factors such as risks, adoption issues and transaction costs. |
| Keywords: | Supply costs, Agri-environmental schemes, Great Barrier Reef, Water quality, Modelling, Agricultural and Food Policy, Environmental Economics and Policy, |
| Date: | 2016–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aare16:235510&r=env |
| By: | Marmai, Nadin; Franco Villoria, Maria; Guerzoni, Marco (University of Turin) |
| Abstract: | Climate change constitutes a rising challenge to the agricultural base of developing countries. Most of the literature has focused on the impact of changes in the means of weather variables on mean changes in production and has found very little impact of weather upon agricultural production. Instead, a more recent stream of literature showed that we can assess the impact of weather on production by looking at extreme weather events. Based on this evidence, we surmise that there is a missing link in the literature consisting of relating the extreme events in weather with extreme losses in crop production. Indeed, extreme events are of the greatest interest for scholars and policy makers only when they carry extraordinary negative effects. We build on this idea and for the first time, we adapt a conditional dependence model for multivariate extreme values to understand the impact of extreme weather on agricultural production. Specifically, we look at the probability that an extreme event drastically reduces the harvest of any of the major crops. This analysis, which is run on data for six different crops and four different weather variables in a vast array of countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America, shows that extremes in weather and yield losses of major staples are associated events. |
| Date: | 2016–05 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:uto:dipeco:201608&r=env |
| By: | Julien Bueb; Lilian Hanania; Alice Le Clézio |
| Abstract: | This paper examines, from a multidisciplinary perspective, plausible hypotheses for implementation of border carbon adjustment mechanisms, seen as a complement to strong environmental regulation. It highlights economic, legal, and political difficulties raised by border carbon adjustments.After thoroughly reviewing their economic practicability, it analyses these mechanisms from an International Trade Law perspective, particularly vis-à-vis the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, sustainable development, and the principle of shared but differentiated responsibilities. It concludes with an assessment of policy-related implications of such mechanisms and outlines, in particular, how border carbon adjustments may be used as an engine of economic and energy transition, for developed and developing countries equally. |
| Keywords: | Environmental justice, International trade, Political science, Sustainable development |
| Date: | 2016 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp2016-020&r=env |
| By: | Nomoto, Takaaki |
| Abstract: | The present and emerging climate change highlights the need to understand the impact of weather shocks on the economy in the context of macroeconomic dynamism. In this regard, the present paper develops an empirical framework applicable to macro-data such as GDP to distinguish the impact of weather shocks on agricultural production, the indirect impact on non-agricultural production through its impact on agriculture, and the direct impact on non-agricultural production. For policymakers, distinguishing the direct and indirect impact on non-agriculture is critical in deciding the proper and efficient allocation of limited resources to adaptation and mitigation efforts. The present paper applies the developed framework to assess the impact of rainfall variability on India’s macroeconomic performance during 1952 to 2013 as a case study, finding that rainfall’s impact on non-agriculture is mostly rooted in its impact on agriculture. In this way, the paper contributes to the growing climate-economy literature. |
| Keywords: | Business cycle, Environment and Development, Monsoon, Agriculture, Kalman filter |
| JEL: | E32 O11 O53 Q54 Q56 |
| Date: | 2016–06 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:71976&r=env |
| By: | Michler, Jeffrey; Shively, Gerald |
| Abstract: | We pose the simple question: how large of a role does the weather play in determining variability of agricultural production in India? Despite the long standing interest in agricultural economics of estimating the effect of weather on crop output, few quantitative measures of impact exist. We use a long panel of parcel level data from six villages in India that covers $44$ seasons from 1976 to 2011. Estimation the impact of weather variability on yield is complicated by the role of technological change over this period. In our descriptive analysis we generate several stylized facts about how agricultural production in the subcontinent has changed over the last $40$ years. Most importantly, mean yields have increased and the variance in crop production, measured relative to the mean, has decreased. In a regression context, using a multilevel model, we find strong evidence of technical change and that weather variability makes up only a small share of total variability in yield. We conclude that Green Revolution technologies have reduced the amount of weather related risk faced by farmers, even when we account for greater amounts of variation in weather due to climate change |
| Keywords: | Weather Risk, Agricultural Production, Technical Change, Multilevel Models, Rural India, Agricultural and Food Policy, Crop Production/Industries, International Development, Production Economics, Risk and Uncertainty, C11, D81, O12, O13, Q16, Q12, |
| Date: | 2016 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aaea16:236342&r=env |
| By: | Michele Imbruno; Tobias D Ketterer |
| Abstract: | This paper investigates whether importing intermediate goods improves firm-level environmental performance in a developing country, using data from the Indonesian manufacturing sector. We build a simple theoretical model showing that trade integration of input markets entails energy efficiency improvements within importers relative to nonimporters. To empirically isolate the impact of firm participation in foreign intermediate input markets we use ‘nearest neighbour’ propensity score matching and difference-indifference techniques. Covering the period 1991-2005, we find evidence that becoming an importer of foreign intermediates boosts energy efficiency, implying beneficial effects for the environment. |
| Keywords: | Trade, Intermediate Inputs, Energy Efficiency, Environment, Indonesia. |
| Date: | 2016 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:not:notgep:16/06&r=env |
| By: | José Maria Valenzuela; Isabel Studer |
| Abstract: | Mexico.s low-carbon technology perspectives show lack of coherence with the rising ambition in climate change commitments, for which Mexico is internationally praised. The comparison of two recent energy reforms, corresponding to two administrations, explains this lack of coherence by, on the one hand, the permanence of a strong climate institutional framework devised as a means to increase energy security and, on the other hand, the political commitment to reduce electricity tariffs through the access to low-priced gas in North America. This paper underscores the political economy trade-offs between the need for a strong climate commitment that provides a stable long-term energy transition pathway and the political and economic short-term benefits derived from low electricity tariffs. |
| Keywords: | power sector, climate change, renewable energy, natural gas, market reform, energy transition |
| Date: | 2016 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp2016-033&r=env |
| By: | Zinngrebe, Yves |
| Abstract: | Conservation movements in developing countries, such as Peru, arise in relation to predominant perceptions concerning development and progress. In the 1960s and 1970s, the Peruvian government adopted a development vision that promoted the colonisation of the Amazon region, which led to the expansion of agricultural, infrastructural and extractive projects. As reaction to this development paradigm, citizens formed various conservationist groups to push the protection of biodiversity onto the political agenda. This article analyses how these different groups emerged and started to develop a discourse on biodiversity conservation. After conducting qualitative interviews with stakeholders, discourse groups were identified and described with regard to their historical appearance. For example, in the 1980s, a group of mainly biologists started forming NGOs and supporting projects in and around protected areas. Contrastingly, another group is looking at conservation as a traditional, cultural activity of indigenous people. With the ratification of the Convention for Biological Diversity (CBD) in the early 1990s, a new political momentum led to important legislative and institutional changes, which stood in contrast to the general development agenda of resource based growth. A new perspective started to enter the discourse with the creation of regional governments in 2002, which led to new practical questions about local biodiversity management. After studies like the Millennium Ecosystem report and the TEEB assessment (The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity), economic approaches to biodiversity conservation initiated a new perspective on biodiversity policy. While those different discourse groups do not automatically contradict or exclude each other, this article sheds light on the different historical situations and motivations underlying these discourses. |
| Keywords: | Environmental discourse, natural capital, megadiverse country, Peru, Community/Rural/Urban Development, Environmental Economics and Policy, |
| Date: | 2016–05–26 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:gadadp:236243&r=env |
| By: | Zinngrebe, Yves |
| Abstract: | Conservation movements in developing countries, such as Peru, arise in relation to predominant perceptions concerning development and progress. In the 1960s and 1970s, the Peruvian government adopted a development vision that promoted the colonisation of the Amazon region, which led to the expansion of agricultural, infrastructural and extractive projects. As a reaction to this development paradigm, citizens formed various conservationist groups to push the protection of biodiversity onto the political agenda. This article analyses how these different groups emerged and started to develop a discourse on biodiversity conservation. After conducting qualitative interviews with stakeholders, discourse groups were identified and described with regard to their historical appearance. For example, in the 1980s, a group of mainly biologists started forming NGOs and supporting projects in and around protected areas. Contrastingly, another group is looking at conservation as a traditional, cultural activity of indigenous people. With the ratification of the Convention for Biological Diversity (CBD) in the early 1990s, a new political momentum led to important legislative and institutional changes, which stood in contrast to the general development agenda of resource based growth. A new perspective started to enter the discourse with the creation of regional governments in 2002, which led to new practical questions about local biodiversity management. After studies like the Millennium Ecosystem report and the TEEB assessment (The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity), economic approaches to biodiversity conservation initiated a new perspective on biodiversity policy. While those different discourse groups do not automatically contradict or exclude each other, this article sheds light on the different historical situations and motivations underlying these discourses. |
| Date: | 2016 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:daredp:1606&r=env |
| By: | Philippe Polomé (Université de Lyon, Lyon, F-69007, France ; CNRS, GATE Lyon St Etienne,F-69130 Ecully, France) |
| Abstract: | The results of a survey of private forest owners on adoption of a number of current programs, that include biodiversity protection to some degree, are presented. Adoption amounts to 22% for all the programs jointly, and is shown to depend on economic, social and ethical motives, with significant crowding-out between the economic and ethical motives, but not with social motives. Adoption of each program is strongly negatively correlated to each other. Nearly no respondent adopted the Natura 2000 program. The results constitute a test of the “reputational crowding-out” theory of Bénabou and Tirole (2006) |
| Keywords: | Non-indutrial private forest owner, biodiversity program, motivation crowding-out, adoption decision |
| JEL: | D64 H41 Q23 Q28 Z13 |
| Date: | 2016 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:gat:wpaper:1619&r=env |
| By: | Giovanni Marin (IRCrES-CNR); Francesca Lotti (Bank of Italy) |
| Abstract: | We investigate the productivity effects of eco-innovations at the firm level using a modified version of the CDM model (Crepon et al., 1998). The distinctive nature of environmental innovations, especially as regards the need for government intervention to create market opportunities, is likely to affect the way they are pursued and their effect on productivity. The analysis is based on an unbalanced panel sample of Italian manufacturing firms merged with data on patent applications and balance sheet information. When looking at innovation’s return on productivity , we observe that eco-innovations exhibit a generally lower return relative to other innovations, at least in the short run. This differential effect is more pronounced for polluting firms, which are likely to face higher compliance costs for environmental regulations than other firms. This result holds for both the extensive (probability of patenting) and intensive (patent count) margin. |
| Keywords: | R&D, innovation, productivity, patents, eco-patents. |
| JEL: | L60 Q55 |
| Date: | 2016–06 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:bdi:wptemi:td_1067_16&r=env |
| By: | Novan, Kevin |
| Keywords: | Environmental Economics and Policy, |
| Date: | 2016–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aare16:235422&r=env |
| By: | Davide Consoli (INGENIO (CSIC-UPV) (Institute of Innovation and Knowledge Management) (CSIV-UPV)); Giovanni Marin (Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna [Pisa]); David Poop (Syracuse University); Francesco Vona (OFCE) |
| Abstract: | The catchword ‘green skills’ has been common parlance in policy circles for a while, yet there is little systematic empirical research to guide public intervention for meeting the demand for skills that will be needed to operate and develop green technology. The present paper proposes a data-driven methodology to identify green skills and to gauge the ways in which the demand for these competences responds to environmental regulation. Accordingly, we find that green skills are high-level analytical and technical now-how related to the design, production, management and monitoring of technology. The empirical analysis reveals that environmental regulation triggers technological and organizational changes that increase the demand for hard technical, engineering and scientific skills. Our analysis suggests also that this is not just a compositional change in skill demand due to job losses in sectors highly exposed to trade and regulation. |
| Keywords: | Green technology; Green skill; Environmental Regulation and Green Skills |
| JEL: | J24 Q52 |
| Date: | 2015–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:spo:wpmain:info:hdl:2441/3qoljitavv93bptuhfaq9drocb&r=env |
| By: | Morag F. Macpherson (Computing Science and Mathematics, School of Natural Sciences, Cottrell Building, University of Stirling); Adam Kleczkowski (Computing Science and Mathematics, School of Natural Sciences, Cottrell Building, University of Stirling); John R. Healey (School of Environment, Natural Resources and Geography, College of Natural Sciences, Bangor University); Chris Quine (Forest Research, Northern Research Station, Roslin, Midlothian); Nick Hanley (Department of Geography and Sustainable Development, University of St. Andrews) |
| Abstract: | Diversication of the tree species composition of production forests is a frequently advocated strategy to increase resilience to pests and diseases, however there is a lack of a general framework to analyse the impact of economic and biological conditions on the optimal planting strategy in the presence of tree disease. To meet this need we use a novel bioeconomic model to quantitatively assess the eect of tree disease on the optimal planting proportion of two tree species. We nd that diversifying the species composition can reduce the loss from disease even when the benet from the resistant species is small. However this key result is sensitive to a pathogen's characteristics (probability of arrival, time of arrival, rate of spread of infection) and the costs (damage of the disease to the susceptible species and reduced benet of planting the resistant species). This study provides an exemplar framework which can be used to help understand the eect of a pathogen on forest management strategies. |
| Keywords: | Bioeconomic modelling, Forest management, Natural Resource management, Tree pests and pathogens, Species diversification |
| JEL: | Q23 |
| Date: | 2016–05 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:sss:wpaper:2016-11&r=env |
| By: | Ramezani, Fariba |
| Abstract: | The implementation of emissions reduction policies in Australia has experienced significant volatility over the last decade and remains in doubt due to different attitudes towards such policies by policy makers. One of the critical concerns of policy makers is that the costs of these policies would adversely affect economic activity and result in larger economic volatility. This paper investigates how business cycle fluctuations of the Australian economy, arising from productivity shocks, would be affected under an abatement reduction subsidy policy in which the regulator supports abatement efforts in each period. To answer this question, a real business cycle (RBC) model is applied. The responses of economic and environmental variables to unexpected productivity shocks are presented and compared. The results indicate that the regulator should adjust the abatement subsidy to be pro-cycle, i.e. increase during expansion and decrease during recessions. |
| Keywords: | emissions reduction policy, real business cycle, productivity shock, Australia, Environmental Economics and Policy, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy, C61, H23, O56, Q58, |
| Date: | 2016–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aare16:235583&r=env |
| By: | Rodriguez Acosta, Mauricio (Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management) |
| Abstract: | This dissertation consists of four chapters in Political Economy and Resource Economics from a macroeconomic perspective. This collection of works emphasizes the endogenous nature of institutions and their importance for economic development. The four chapters revolve around two central questions: 1. Why do inefficient institutions emerge and persist over time? And, 2. What are the dynamic consequences of inefficient institutions? The first two chapters investigate these two central questions with the use of political economy models in which agents have unequal access to economic resources and political power. The first chapter focuses on the endogenous emergence of public law enforcement during the process of economic development, and the role of law enforcement in the protection of property rights. The second chapter concentrates on the cohesiveness of institutions, and its effect on the provision of productive public services and the inter-temporal redistribution of political power and economic rents. The last two chapters of the dissertation direct their attention to the consequences of imperfectly protected---yet evolving---property rights, on the dynamic management of non-renewable natural resources. The third chapter investigates how the imperfect protection of property rights, over the remaining stock of a non-renewable resource and the revenues from exploiting it, affect the pace of depletion of the resource. The last chapter analyzes the effects of a mitigable risk of expropriation on the pace of depletion of a non-renewable resource and the investment in capacity to exploit it. |
| Date: | 2016 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:tiu:tiutis:1e39ef1b-43a2-4f95-892c-6297af09da8e&r=env |
| By: | Seidel, Valerie; Yacobellis, Paul; Fountain, John |
| Abstract: | Water resource managers must consider supply constraints, planning horizons, climatic trends and competing uses to understand where water will be needed most in the future. Agricultural water demand is an important consideration, with Australian agriculture consuming 10,730,000 ML of water in 2014. While models exist to predict water use for individual farms, predicting future agricultural water use in Australia at the state or national level is more challenging. The Balmoral Group developed a model to predict agricultural water demand for the entire state of Florida, USA as part of the Florida Statewide Agricultural Irrigation Demand (FSAID) project. Balmoral prepared a Statewide, property-level geodatabase of irrigated agricultural lands using aerial imagery, permit information, and computation of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index. Water applied for irrigation was estimated using an econometric model based on the water use of 3,200 farms over three years, and the demand for irrigation water for a range of biophysical and economic factors relevant to each farm. The coefficients in the model were used to populate water use for the remaining farms across the State using spatially specific, farm-level data. Special situation water-uses such as frost protection, fertigation and crop establishment water for annuals were evaluated before preparing agricultural acreage projections and associated water requirements. Future projections of irrigated area and water use were estimated using auto-regressive forecasts of landuse change and net crop prices. A similar approach could be applied here in Australia to help plan for and manage the future demand for agricultural water. |
| Keywords: | GIS, Modelling, Water, Agriculture, Water use, Land use, Demand, Forecasts, Environmental Economics and Policy, Land Economics/Use, |
| Date: | 2016–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aare16:235305&r=env |
| By: | Aithal, Sreeramana; Jeevan, Preethi |
| Abstract: | Green business in service sector is expected to transform industrial economy to service economy and is complied with the trend of world economy development. Environmental benefits and sustainability are two characteristics of Green business. Under the background of the transformation of the world economic structure, what the companies provide to customers should be no longer the pure physical products, but more and more dematerialization services. For example, the companies provide services (or a function, effectiveness) to the customers as the complementation of physical products, which will prolong and strengthen the relationship between providers and customers, make the companies pay more attention to product life cycle cost management, stimulate the companies reducing the consumption of energy and the emission of greenhouse gases, improve the production efficiency and reduce cost. In the green business model, service is expanded to the main components of business model such as, what kinds of product and service will be provided by companies (the process of service creation), how will the product and service be transferred to customers, how will the benefits be captured by providers around service (value realization). In this paper, we have analysed and discussed how Service Industries can transform themselves into Green Business Industries in terms of their opportunities and challenges by considering 21 service sectors. The consequences of going green and sustainability of service sector by technology adoption is also discussed. |
| Keywords: | Green Business, Green business in service sector, Factors affecting green business. Impact of green business. |
| JEL: | M10 M19 |
| Date: | 2016–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:71767&r=env |
| By: | Shouro Dasgupta,; Enrica De Cian; Elena Verdolini |
| Abstract: | This paper empirically investigates the effects of environmental policy, institutions, political orientation, and lobbying on energy innovation and finds that they significantly affect the incentives to innovate and create cleaner energy efficient technologies. We conclude that political economy factors may act as barriers even in the presence of stringent environmental policy, implying that, to move towards a greener economy, countries should combine environmental policy with a general strengthening of institutional quality, consider the influence of government's political orientation on environmental policies, and the implications of the size of energy intensive sectors in the economy. |
| Keywords: | energy innovation, environmental policy, patents, political economy |
| Date: | 2016 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp2016-017&r=env |
| By: | Eric Nazindigouba Kere |
| Abstract: | In this paper, we analyse the impact of political economy factors on the production of bioenergy. We theoretically and empirically show that the quality of governance and environmental policy stringency instruments promote the development of bioenergy production. We also find that the factors that favour oil production and renewable energy negatively influence the development of bioenergy, whereas the conditions of production (cereal yield) and demand factors (gross domestic product, population density, and urbanization) tend to favour the production of bioenergy. |
| Keywords: | bioenergy, ethanol, biodiesel, governance, oil, panel data modelling Handle: RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp2016-025 |
| Date: | 2016 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp2016-025&r=env |
| By: | Dennis B. Guignet; Adan L. Martinez-Cruz |
| Abstract: | Actual and perceived damages from environmental disamenities may disrupt a household’s otherwise optimal decision of when to sell their home. This study examines this relatively under-investigated topic with an empirical application to petroleum releases from leaking underground storage tanks, like those commonly found at gas stations. The ubiquity and relative homogeneity of this potential disamenity facilitates a difference-in-differences methodology. The results reveal that the optimal timing of home sales is impacted by leak and cleanup events at these disamenities; leading to both selling sooner and delaying a sale, depending on the event, presence of the primary exposure pathway, and the quality of the home. The implications of these results are discussed. |
| Keywords: | housing market, property transaction, discrete time duration model, underground storage tank, groundwater contamination |
| JEL: | D62 I18 Q51 Q53 R20 |
| Date: | 2016–06 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nev:wpaper:wp201603&r=env |
| By: | Gillespie, Patrick R.; Breen, Ben |
| Abstract: | Rising fuel and input costs are having a significant impact on the profitability of the fishing sector and increasing the need for vessels to improve operational efficiency. In particular, smaller vessels that do not have the economies of scale must maximize input-output efficiency to remain viable. There is also the consideration that improved fuel efficiency in fishing vessels will reduce the carbon footprint of the sector. Measuring vessel and fleet efficiency is important for these reasons, but it is also important to correctly measure efficiency to determine how best to manage a fleet and determine how ecosystem, regulatory and market changes will impact fleet viability and operability. This paper uses stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) to assess the efficiency of fishing vessels in the Irish demersal otter trawl nephrops fishery. Clear evidence of efficiency-heterogeneity across vessels in the fishery is reported, even when controlling for vessel-specific characteristics, such as vessel length, age and engine power. The drivers of efficiency are also investigated and we find that the use of vehicle monitoring systems (VMS) data allows for more spatially and temporally detailed information to improve fleet efficiency analysis. |
| Keywords: | nephrops, coastal, fishery, stochastic frontier analysis, efficiency, firm, Agricultural and Food Policy, Environmental Economics and Policy, Q220, D220, |
| Date: | 2016–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aesc16:236356&r=env |
| By: | Ning An; Paul J. Thomassin |
| Date: | 2016–06–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cir:cirwor:2016s-31&r=env |
| By: | TAN, Seck |
| Keywords: | Environmental Economics and Policy, |
| Date: | 2016–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aare16:235521&r=env |
| By: | Orlowski, Jan Alexander; Ubilava, David |
| Keywords: | Agricultural and Food Policy, Environmental Economics and Policy, |
| Date: | 2016–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aare16:235496&r=env |
| By: | Dwyer, Janet; Vigani, Mauro |
| Abstract: | This paper represents the start of a research programme to investigate in detail the economics of English upland farming, in order to pursue greater economic, environmental and social sustainability in future. The Farm Business Survey sample of farms in the English LFA is analysed, examining economic performance over 4 years (2010 to 2013), looking for potential determinants of efficiency. The analysis examines technical efficiency as a first indicator, and analyses data for the 263 LFA grazing livestock farms in the dataset. A stochastic frontier approach is used to test hypotheses concerning whether farm scale, and/or various indicators of farming intensity, CAP subsidy and risk management, have significant influence upon performance. The results highlight some of the challenges in identifying and applying suitable indicators and suggest that the LFA may best be analysed by differentiating between higher-altitude and lower-lying farms, as the economic characteristics of these two groups are distinct. Within these groups we identify specific strategies as potentially significant, including early recruitment of ewe lambs into breeding and the sale of wool, as well as diversification off the holding, for lower lying farms; while agri-environment support and extensification appear influential among the higher-altitude group. Planned next steps include applying meta-frontier techniques; also analysing for determinants of profitability; and building a discussion and exchange forum with farmers and other stakeholders, through the Uplands Alliance, to maximise the value of these analyses via a wider community of learning. |
| Keywords: | Agricultural and Food Policy, |
| Date: | 2016–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aesc16:236340&r=env |
| By: | Asante, Bright; Villano, Renato; Patrick, Ian; Battese, George |
| Keywords: | Agricultural and Food Policy, Environmental Economics and Policy, Land Economics/Use, Livestock Production/Industries, |
| Date: | 2016–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aare16:235254&r=env |
| By: | Winchester, Niven; Reilly, John |
| Keywords: | Agricultural and Food Policy, Environmental Economics and Policy, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy, |
| Date: | 2016–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aare16:235791&r=env |
| By: | Ambrey, Christopher L.; Fleming, Christopher M.; Manning, Matthew |
| Abstract: | This study employs the experienced preference method to quantify the hedonistic cost of the Black Saturday bushfires, which started on and around the 7th of February 2009 in Victoria, Australia. Using data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey and data from Geographic Information Systems (GIS) this study explores the spatial and temporal dimensions of the hedonistic costs of the Black Saturday Bushfires, a natural experiment. Specifically, this study reveals the size and nature of the psychological cost borne by those living near fire effected land. In doing so, this study makes a distinct contribution to both the non-market valuation literature and the economics of happiness literature. It is envisaged that the findings of this study will help inform decision makers, public debate and public policy on the magnitude and characteristics of the psychological costs associated with Black Saturday bushfires. Furthermore, these findings are more generally pertinent to understanding how the increased risks of bushfires caused by anthropogenic climate change may adversely affect human welfare. |
| Keywords: | Bushfires, Experienced Preference Method (EPM), Happiness, Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey, Life satisfaction, Risk and Uncertainty, I31, Q51, Q57, |
| Date: | 2016–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aare16:235236&r=env |
| By: | Hughes, Neal |
| Keywords: | Environmental Economics and Policy, |
| Date: | 2016–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aare16:235332&r=env |
| By: | Shengyuan Zhang (Division of Social Science, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology); Jimin Zhao (Division of Social Science, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology; Institute for Emerging Market Studies, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology); Albert Park (Division of Social Science, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology; Department of Economics, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology; Institute for Emerging Market Studies, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology) |
| Abstract: | In many developing and emerging economies, rapid income growth and changing demographics is leading to heightened demand for energy-intensive urban transportation. This study provides a comprehensive empirical framework for analyzing how income, age, and education influence individual energy use and carbon emissions through multiple dimensions of travel behavior, including number of trips, trip distance, transportation mode choice, vehicle ownership, and fuel economy of cars. Analyzing travel diary survey data collected by the authors in Shenzhen in 2014, we find that energy consumption and carbon emissions increase almost proportionally to income, and that older age and more education increase energy use and carbon emissions substantially, with the relative importance of different channels varying by factor. |
| Keywords: | ASIF, carbon emissions, energy consumption, urban transportation, scenario analysis, transportation policy |
| Date: | 2016–06 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hku:wpaper:201635&r=env |
| By: | Dorner, Zack; Brent, Daniel A.; Leroux, Anke |
| Keywords: | Environmental Economics and Policy, |
| Date: | 2016–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aare16:235270&r=env |
| By: | Vicuña, Sebastián; Gil, Marina; Melo, Oscar; Donoso, Guillermo |
| Keywords: | RECURSOS HIDRICOS, CAMBIO CLIMATICO, ZONAS URBANAS, AGUA POTABLE, PRECIO DEL AGUA, WATER RESOURCES, CLIMATE CHANGE, URBAN AREAS, DRINKING WATER, WATER PRICES |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ecr:col043:40196&r=env |
| By: | Alexander, Ross |
| Keywords: | Agricultural and Food Policy, |
| Date: | 2016–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aare16:235234&r=env |
| By: | Brusberg, Mark D. |
| Keywords: | Environmental Economics and Policy, International Development, |
| Date: | 2016 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:usao16:236613&r=env |
| By: | Hoffmann, Sandra |
| Keywords: | Agricultural and Food Policy, Environmental Economics and Policy, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, |
| Date: | 2016–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aare16:235330&r=env |
| By: | Villanueva, Anastasio J.; Glenk, Klaus; Rodriguez-Entrena, M. |
| Abstract: | The incidence of serial non-participation and protest responses has largely been ignored in willingness to accept (WTA) applications. This paper analyses serial non-participation with a focus on choice experiment applications using a WTA format to investigate preferences of ecosystem services providers towards incentive-based schemes. The paper addresses two main objectives. First, a review of the literature on WTA for participation in incentive-based schemes is used to identify and discuss a range of possible motives for protest responses that emerge in a WTA context. Second, drawing on choice experiment data on olive farmers’ preferences for agri-environmental scheme participation in Southern Spain, we analyse the impact on WTA estimates of censoring serial non-participation resulting from protest or high compensation requirements (very high takers) from further analysis. Using a random parameter logit model in WTA space, we find that the inclusion or exclusion of serial non-participants in the analysis can have a significant impact on marginal and total WTA estimates. Based on the findings, the paper makes recommendations on how to minimise the incidence of protest responses through survey design, regarding the identification of protesters as opposed to very high takers, and regarding the treatment of both for WTA estimation. |
| Keywords: | Protest response, Willingness to accept, Payments for ecosystem services, Agri-environmental schemes, Choice experiment, Agricultural and Food Policy, Environmental Economics and Policy, Q18, Q58, |
| Date: | 2016–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aesc16:236348&r=env |
| By: | Rimsaite, Renata; Fisher-Vanden, Karen A.; Olmstead, Sheila M. |
| Abstract: | With this study we seek to understand the relationship between the sale and one-year lease prices in the U.S. water rights market. Given that the majority of current water rights markets in the U.S. are informal, high in transaction costs, and heterogeneous within and across states, we do not expect for the asset pricing theory to completely explain high variation in prices. Our goal is to understand which part of the pricing can be explained by the arbitrage theory and which part should be attributed to the expectations about the future conditions. Using a unique water rights trading dataset, which consists of water rights sales and one-year leases in six U.S. western states between 1994 and 2007, we follow the Newell et al. (2007) approach applied to New Zealand fisheries, and econometrically analyze the applicability of a present-value asset pricing model to the water rights markets. Our preliminary results show that the asset pricing theory holds in water rights markets, and support our hypothesis that the U.S. water rights market is less efficient than the fishing quota market in New Zealand. We further analyze what policies lead to different water rights pricing mechanisms across and within the studied states. |
| Keywords: | Water rights markets, arbitrage-free pricing, water institutions, climate change, Environmental Economics and Policy, Q21, Q25, Q28, Q54., |
| Date: | 2016 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aaea16:236373&r=env |
| By: | Green, Lisa |
| Keywords: | Agricultural and Food Policy, Environmental Economics and Policy, |
| Date: | 2016–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aare16:235316&r=env |
| By: | Amavilah, Voxi Heinrich |
| Abstract: | In conventional welfare economics Pareto optimality requires competitive markets in which rational sellers use pure private resources to produce pure private goods and services for rational consumers. Although such theory acknowledges that market failures prevent Pareto optimality, it continues to advocate efficiency alone as the first best policy for society. Pope Francis has argued recently that the current economics of indifference to the common good is responsible for the enormous environmental damage to Earth (‘our common home’). He calls for an integral approach to consumption and production, one that takes the common good as the source and object of well-being. In that way consumption and production depend on the common good, and so too do associated time-discounted social satisfaction and surplus. This means that a socially desirable program is one that optimizes integral satisfaction and surplus, so that consumption and production functions are a system of endogenous (dynamical) simultaneous equations in which the utility of the integral person is a function of the social utility. I use insights from the economic models of resources (both exhaustible and renewable) to describe what the Pope means. The description is rather loose, but the implications of the exercise are wide and far-reaching. For example, I find that the socially efficient price is not Pareto efficient; it is one that allows for the marginal social utility, marginal social surplus, and marginal social royalty to the common good. In other words, under conventional welfare economics the marginal cost of generating the present value of the social surplus that eats up the present value of the rent to the common good guarantees the disutility of the integral person even as it meets the utility of the rational person. One policy implication of such a result recommends consideration of the common good as a key variable in both production and consumption. Precisely how that can be done is the direction in which future research must go. The question this result raises is about how to quantify the common good. For Pope Francis the level of analysis is integral subsidiarity, where the environment would be a good proxy for the common input to production and the common outputs are reduce poverty, inclusion (reduced inequality), and the protection of the common input. |
| Keywords: | Social welfare, papal social welfare, common good, Pareto optimality, integral individual, integral firm, integral optimality, Pope Francis’s social welfare hypothesis, rational individual, rational firm |
| JEL: | B59 D31 D62 D63 H44 I31 N5 Q32 Q5 Z13 |
| Date: | 2016–06–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:71760&r=env |
| By: | Eloi Laurent (OFCE); Philippe Pochet |
| Abstract: | Pour que la transition écologique devienne une réalité, il faut proposer un récit mobilisateur fondé sur la justice sociale, car le défi environnemental impose de nouvelles solidarités. Comment accélérer la nécessaire transition de nos économies et de nos sociétés vers la soutenabilité ? Autrement dit, comment parvenir à maintenir, et si possible à améliorer, notre bien-être sur la durée et sous la contrainte écologique ? D'abord, en clarifiant la nature du changement social requis et en écartant d'emblée deux fausses pistes. La première met en scène un monde social purement cérébral où des scientifiques de plus en plus sûrs de leur fait s'efforcent de convaincre des citoyens encore ignorants de la gravité des crises écologiques. La science nous alerte, ce qui est déjà considérable, mais elle ne peut suffire à nous mobiliser. L'admonestation scientifique peut à vrai dire devenir contre-productive si elle est perçue comme l'expression d'une arrogance intellectuelle des élites envers les peuples. La transition écologique ne saurait être une transition par l'obéissance. La seconde représentation se situe aux antipodes de la raison. Elle met en scène un monde social mû par la peur des catastrophes. Dans un réflexe reptilien, les sociétés humaines accepteraient le changement non par adhésion consciente, mais sous l'effet de la pédagogie de l'Apocalypse. La peur serait un puissant moteur de l'action. En réalité, la frayeur écologique - dont le "péril climatique" est une des modalités - paralyse probablement davantage qu'elle n'incite à agir : plus on dira que la fin du monde est proche et que les catastrophes menacent, plus on encouragera les comportements irresponsables. La transition écologique ne saurait être une transition par la terreur. |
| Keywords: | Transition écologique; Justice sociale |
| Date: | 2015–12 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:spo:wpmain:info:hdl:2441/6p6qpcn6js8j4bcccmjmhr6vao&r=env |
| By: | Star, Megan; Beutel, Terry; McCosker, Kev; Schrobback, Peggy; Ellis, Rov; Coughlin, Tom; Rolfe, John |
| Keywords: | Environmental Economics and Policy, |
| Date: | 2016–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aare16:235626&r=env |
| By: | Akaichi, Faical; Glenk, Klaus; Revoredo-Giha, Cesar |
| Abstract: | A choice experiment was carried out in Scotland to assess consumers’ preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) for four popular food attributes (i.e. animal welfare, organic, local and low fat attributes) and determine whether these attributes are independent, complement or substitutes. The results showed that the majority of consumers have positive preferences and are willing to pay a price premium for the four attributes. Furthermore, the results from the interactions between attributes showed that labelling organic pork as local could significantly increase its demand. The results also show that the co-existence of animal welfare and organic/local/low fat labels is likely to generate a discounting effect on consumers’ total premium for these bundles of food attributes (i.e. these attributes are perceived by consumers as overlapping). Organic and local attributes were found to be independent. |
| Keywords: | Agricultural and Food Policy, |
| Date: | 2016–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aesc16:236336&r=env |
| By: | Costa-Font, Montserrat; Revoredo-Giha, Cesar |
| Abstract: | Manufacturers and retailers are major influences in shaping consumers’ food preferences and choices through a variety of activities such as the distribution formats they create, the ways they operate them and the new food and drink products that they introduce. This paper focuses on the UK food and drink market and its purpose is to explore the role of retailers and manufacturers, as agents of change, when introducing food and drink products with sustainability attributes. In particular the following questions were investigated: whether there is trend as regards food and drink products with sustainability related claims in the UK market and what companies are leading the introduction of new products with sustainable claims and in what categories. The data analysed in this paper were extracted from Mintel’s Global New Products Database (GNPD), which provides information about new products launched in selected countries. The data was subject to a statistical analysis to answer the two aforementioned questions. The analysis revealed that products with sustainability claims show a positive trend, with ‘environmentally friendly package’ being the most popular claim. Overall, the results indicate that the sustainability message is increasingly present in the development of new products of retailers and manufacturers in the UK and retailers through their private labels are playing an important role except for the case of products with carbon neutral calims. |
| Keywords: | New product development, UK food industry, sustainability, Agricultural and Food Policy, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies, |
| Date: | 2016–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aesc16:236354&r=env |
| By: | Gregor Semieniuk (Science Policy Research Unit, University of Sussex) |
| Abstract: | Climate change mitigation challenges national economies to increase productivity while reducing fossil energy consumption. Fossil energy-saving technical change has been as- sumed to accomplish this, yet empirical evidence is scarce. This paper investigates the long-run relationship between the rate and direction of technical change with respect to fossil energy and labor in the world economy. Growth rates of labor productivity and the fossil energy-labor ratio are examined for more than 95% of world output be- tween 1950 and 2012. The average elasticity of the energy-labor ratio with respect to labor productivity is close to one, implying highly energy-using technical change, but no trade-o between factor productivity growth rates. This stylized fact suggests the importance of a cheap, abundant energy supply for robust global growth, and a more important role for renewable energy. Integrated assessment models do not incorporate this restriction which may result in poorly speci ed baseline scenarios. |
| Keywords: | labor productivity, fossil energy productivity, energy-using technical change, decoupling, long-run trends, stylized fact |
| JEL: | N10 O44 O47 Q43 |
| Date: | 2016–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:sru:ssewps:2016-11&r=env |
| By: | Aithal, Sreeramana |
| Abstract: | Strategic planning and decision making have an important role in organizational development and sustainability. Various types of strategies are used in strategic management such as Red ocean strategy, Blue ocean strategy, Green ocean strategy, Purple ocean strategy and Black ocean strategy. These strategies are used in organizations by top level executive managers for long term organizational sustainability and to face or deviate from the competition. Based on the organizational analysis, it is observed that many of the organizations use a new type of strategy which is derived from the above five types of strategies for sustainability. In this paper, we have generalized such strategies by developing a concept of ideal strategy and named it as "White Ocean Strategy". Based on observation and focus group study we developed this concept and studied the conditions, characteristics, and procedure of this model of decision making. We have studied the reasons why certain firms opt for White ocean strategy while making decisions for sustainability and consequences of such strategic decisions through investment/perceived Risk Matrix. We have also compared the different strategic choices with that of White ocean strategy. The details and consequences of such strategy followed in some organizations are also discussed. |
| Keywords: | Ideal Strategy, Red ocean strategy, Blue ocean strategy, Black ocean strategy, White ocean strategy, Comparison of different strategies, Characteristics of White ocean strategy. |
| JEL: | M10 |
| Date: | 2016–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:71770&r=env |
| By: | Ni, Yuanming (Dept. of Business and Management Science, Norwegian School of Economics); Steinshamn, Stein I. (Dept. of Business and Management Science, Norwegian School of Economics) |
| Abstract: | The effects of random environmental impacts on optimal exploitation of a fish population are investigated using both optimization and simulation, based on a discrete-time age-structured bioeconomic model. The optimization problem is solved as a non-linear programming problem in GAMS. First, a basic model structure and 6 different scenarios, dealing with two interactions between fish and environment, are introduced. Based on the simplest scenario, eight different parameter combinations are tested. Then the optimization problem is solved for each of the 6 scenarios for a period of 100 years in order to gain long term insights. The main finding is that higher volatility from the environment leads to higher net profits but together with a lower probability of actually hitting the mean values. Simulations are conducted with different fixed fishing mortality levels under 6 scenarios. It seems that a constant fishing mortality around 0.06 is optimal. In the end, a comparison is made between historical and optimal harvest for a period of 40 years. It turns out that in more than 70% of the time, the optimal exploitation offered by our optimization model dominates the historical one, leading to 43% higher net profit and 34% lower fishing cost on average. |
| Keywords: | Random environmental impacts; optimal exploitation; non-linear programming |
| JEL: | C61 Q00 Q20 Q22 Q50 |
| Date: | 2016–05–31 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hhs:nhhfms:2016_009&r=env |
| By: | Peralta, Alexandra; Swinton, Scott M. |
| Keywords: | Agricultural and Food Policy, |
| Date: | 2016–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aare16:235498&r=env |
| By: | Cynthia, West |
| Keywords: | Environmental Economics and Policy, Land Economics/Use, |
| Date: | 2016–02–25 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:usao16:236877&r=env |
| By: | Morton, Douglas |
| Keywords: | Land Economics/Use, |
| Date: | 2016 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:usao16:236624&r=env |
| By: | Hutchings, Timothy; Nordblom, Tom; Hayes, Richard; Li, Guangdi; Finlayson, John |
| Keywords: | Farm Management, Risk and Uncertainty, |
| Date: | 2016–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aare16:235334&r=env |
| By: | Spring, Daniel; Kompas, Tom |
| Keywords: | Agricultural and Food Policy, Environmental Economics and Policy, |
| Date: | 2016–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aare16:235619&r=env |
| By: | Ali,Daniel Ayalew; Deininger,Klaus W.; Duponchel,Marguerite Felicienne |
| Abstract: | Rwanda's completion, in 2012/13, of a land tenure regularization program covering the entire country allows the use of administrative data to describe initial performance and combine the data with household surveys to quantify to what extent and why subsequent transfers remain informal, and how to address this. In 2014/15, annual volumes of registered sales ranged between 5.6 percent for residential land in Kigali and 0.1 percent for agricultural land in the rest of the country; and US$2.6 billion worth of mortgages were secured against land and property. Yet, informality of transfers in rural areas remains high. Decentralized service provision and information campaigns help reduce but not eliminate the extent of informality. A strategy to test the efficacy of different approaches to ensure full registration, scale up promising ones, and rigorously monitor the effect of doing so is described. |
| Keywords: | Rural Land Policies for Poverty Reduction,Land Use and Policies,Municipal Housing and Land,Common Property Resource Development,Land and Real Estate Development |
| Date: | 2016–06–16 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:7705&r=env |
| By: | Bermeo, Santiago; Austin, Darran; Doole, Graeme; Fenemor, Andrew |
| Keywords: | Agricultural and Food Policy, |
| Date: | 2016–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aare16:235247&r=env |
| By: | Jennings, Sarah |
| Keywords: | Agricultural and Food Policy, |
| Date: | 2016–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aare16:235338&r=env |
| By: | Martha Zaslow; Rachel Anderson; Zakia Redd; Julia Wessel; Paula Daneri; Katherine Green; Elizabeth W. Cavadel; Louisa Tarullo; Margaret Burchinal; Ivelisse Martinez-Beck |
| Abstract: | This monograph addresses the hypotheses that preschool children benefit most strongly when early care and education (ECE) is at or above a threshold of quality, has specific quality features, and/or is of longer duration. |
| Keywords: | quality thresholds, early care, education |
| JEL: | I |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:mpr:mprres:9417465ba3d7407e9531f0cbeaf4fbe5&r=env |
| By: | Jessica Y. Ho; Elizabeth Frankenberg; Cecep Sumantri; Duncan Thomas |
| Abstract: | Exposure to extreme events has been hypothesized to affect subsequent mortality because of mortality selection and scarring effects of the event itself. We examine survival at and in the five years after the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami for a population-representative sample of residents of Aceh, Indonesia who were differentially exposed to the disaster. For this population, the dynamics of selection and scarring are a complex function of the degree of tsunami impact in the community, the nature of individual exposures, age at exposure, and gender. Among individuals from tsunami-affected communities we find evidence for positive mortality selection among older individuals, with stronger effects for males than for females, and no evidence of scarring. Among individuals from other communities, property loss is associated with elevated mortality risks in the five years after the disaster only for those who were age 50 or older at the time of the disaster. |
| JEL: | I10 J10 Q54 |
| Date: | 2016–06 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:22317&r=env |
| By: | Bell, Kendon |
| Keywords: | Livestock Production/Industries, |
| Date: | 2016–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aare16:235245&r=env |
| By: | Iftekhar, Sayed; Latacz-Lohmann, Uwe |
| Keywords: | Environmental Economics and Policy, Land Economics/Use, |
| Date: | 2016–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aare16:235336&r=env |
| By: | G. Cornelis van Kooten; Rachel Lynch; Jon Duan |
| Abstract: | This paper explores the viability of relying on wind power to replace upwards of 60% of electricity generation in Alberta that would be lost if coal-fired generation is phased out. Using hourly wind data from 17 locations across Alberta, we are able to simulate the potential wind power output available to the Alberta grid when modern, 3.5 MW-capacity wind turbines are spread across the province. Using wind regimes for the years 2006 through 2015, we find that available wind power is less than 60% of installed capacity 98% of the time, and below 30% of capacity 74% of the time. In addition, although there is insignificant correlation between wind speeds at different locations, it will still be necessary to rely on fossil fuel generation because winds are generally too variable and weak to replace reliable sources of power. Then, based on the results from a grid allocation model, we find that CO2 emissions can be reduced by about 30%, but only through a combination of investment in wind energy and reliance on purchases of hydropower from British Columbia. Only if nuclear energy is permitted into the generation mix would Alberta be able to meet its CO2-emissions reduction target in the electricity sector. With nuclear power, emissions can be reduced by upwards of 85%. |
| Keywords: | Electricity; renewable energy and climate change; wind power; intermittent energy; nuclear power |
| JEL: | H41 L51 L94 Q42 Q48 Q54 |
| Date: | 2016–06 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:rep:wpaper:2016-03&r=env |
| By: | Channing Arndt; Sam Jones; Kristi Mahrt; Vincenzo Salvucci; Finn Tarp |
| Abstract: | We broadly review the challenges encountered and choices made in the national assessments of consumption poverty using the 1996/97, 2002/03, and 2008/09 budget surveys. Efforts to maintain consistency with the previous survey imply that prior choices tend to be adopted in subsequent analyses. However, because .best practice. evolves, there arises a natural tension between the desire to follow best practice and the desire to maintain consistency with previous analyses. New estimates produce qualitatively very similar results. We conclude that the principal conclusions of the poverty assessments are robust. The results also highlight the value of a consistent and reproducible approach |
| Keywords: | poverty measurement, utility consistency, cost of basic needs |
| Date: | 2016 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp2016-035&r=env |
| By: | Henok Asmelash |
| Abstract: | Fossil-fuel subsidies are economically inefficient and harmful for the environment yet efforts to phase them out at the national and international levels have not been effective. The existing international legal framework is too weak and fragmented to support this process and an international agreement is essential.This paper explores the challenges and prospects of, and avenues for negotiating a binding multilateral agreement on phasing out fossil-fuel subsidies. The paper posits that the Friends of Fossil-Fuel Subsidy Reform are in a position to take the lead and that the ball is in the court of the World Trade Organization. |
| Keywords: | International trade, Nonrenewable natural resources, Prices |
| Date: | 2016 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp2016-013&r=env |
| By: | Jules-Daniel Wurlod; Joëlle Noailly |
| Abstract: | This paper analyses the impact of green innovation on energy intensity in a set of 14 industrial sectors in 17 OECD countries over the 1975-2005 period. We create a stock of green patents for each industrial sector and estimates a translog cost function to measure the impact of green innovation on energy intensity, next to other factors such as input substitution and autonomous technical change. We find that green innovation has contributed to the decline in energy intensity in the majority of sectors: the median elasticity of energy intensity with respect to green patenting is estimated at -0.03 in our sample. Hence, a 1% increase in green patenting activities in a given sector is associated with a 0.03% decline in energy intensity. The magnitude of the effect is larger in energy-intensive sectors and in more recent years. We also find that the impact of an additional green patent on energy intensity is larger than an average non-green patent. Our results are robust to alternative definitions of patents. |
| Keywords: | Energy intensity, Green innovation; Patents; Technology; Cost function. |
| JEL: | Q41 O33 |
| Date: | 2016–06–03 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:gii:ciesrp:cies_rp_42&r=env |
| By: | Almas Heshmati; Shahrouz Abolhosseini |
| Abstract: | This research reviews relevant literature on the current state and effectiveness of developing renewable energy on energy security in general, and on energy security in the European Union in particular. The paper elaborates on primary energy import sources, possible alternatives, and how energy security is affected by the sources of supply. It also gives an analysis of the effects of the Ukrainian crisis, the isolation of Iran on diversification sources, and on European energy security. It examines European Union.s energy policy, analyses the best motivation for a new energy policy direction within Europe, and suggests alternative solutions for enhanced energy supply security. The aim is to suggest suitable solutions for energy security in Europe through energy supply diversification. Supply diversification includes alternative energy corridors for reducing dependency on Russia as a supplier and enhancing the power generated by renewable energy sources under the European Union 2020 strategy. |
| Keywords: | energy security, green energy, renewable energy, Ukraine crisis, Iran sanctions |
| Date: | 2016 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp2016-021&r=env |
| By: | Anderson, Kym |
| Keywords: | Agricultural and Food Policy, |
| Date: | 2016–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aare16:235238&r=env |
| By: | Scheufele, Gabriela; Kragt, Marit; Kyophilavong, Phouphet; Burton, Michael; Bennett, Jeff |
| Keywords: | Environmental Economics and Policy, |
| Date: | 2016–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aare16:235606&r=env |
| By: | Dizyee, Kanar; Baker, Derek; Rich, Karl M.; Fleming, Euan; Burrow, Heather |
| Keywords: | Agricultural and Food Policy, |
| Date: | 2016–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aare16:235242&r=env |
| By: | Parker, Doug |
| Keywords: | Environmental Economics and Policy, Land Economics/Use, |
| Date: | 2016 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:usao16:236873&r=env |
| By: | Volker V. Mauerhofer; Christine Larssen |
| Abstract: | This paper aims to provide judicial perspectives for Public Participation in Environmental Matters in East Asia based on the example of the European Union (EU). This is done both by means of an in-depth literature review which covers research papers, legislative documents and court decisions, and by means of a comparative analysis of court cases. The focus is on the implementation by the EU of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Aarhus Convention, which applies and details Principle 10 of the Rio Declaration. The assessment starts by providing an overview of several legislative documents issued by the EU for different policy sectors and briefly describes the contents regarding the implementation of the Aarhus Convention. Based thereon, the case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union is analysed. Seventeen judgements enforcing the Aarhus Convention for the EU level are described and their significance to a regional integration process is outlined. This provides valuable information to a region such as East Asia which plans to enter soon into a stronger regional integration process and which has the clear potential for improvement toward increased Public Participation in Environmental Matters based on the globally applicable Principle 10 of the Rio Declaration. |
| Keywords: | Binding approach; Citizen; Environmental litigation; Public service; Regional agreement; Regulation |
| Date: | 2016–03 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ulb:ulbeco:2013/231167&r=env |
| By: | OECD |
| Abstract: | Demand-responsive transport is seen as one of the key options to meet public transport challenges in rural areas. Demand-responsive transport is considered particularly suitable for rural areas because of its flexibility, and ability to adapt to local needs. While on cost per trip basis it may be more expensive than ‘conventional’ public transport, experiences indicate a willingness for both car users and existing bus users to use these services at a higher fare than existing bus fares. However, demand-responsive services should be part of a broader, multimodal package of solutions, supplementing regular public transport services. |
| Date: | 2015–07–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:oec:itfaac:14-en&r=env |
| By: | Spencer-Cotton, Alaya; Kragt, Marit E.; Burton, Michael |
| Keywords: | Environmental Economics and Policy, Land Economics/Use, |
| Date: | 2016–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aare16:235519&r=env |
| By: | Johannes Kruger; Louise Tait; Jiska de Groot |
| Abstract: | Indonesia and South Africa are both trying address energy poverty through subsidized energy provision. South Africa has implemented one of the largest electrification programmes in the world, and 80 per cent of the population now have access to the national grid. But this alone is unlikely to achieve universal energy access goals.Indonesia recently implemented one of the largest household energy transition projects to date: the kerosene-to-LPG (liquid petroleum gas) conversion programme. Exploring these projects makes more visible the political economic factors that have affected the adoption of certain energy carriers. |
| Keywords: | Gas utilities, Political science, Poverty, Power resources |
| Date: | 2016 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp2016-072&r=env |
| By: | Anna Makles and (Wuppertal Research Institute for the Economics of Education (WIB), University of Wuppertal, Gaußstr. 20, 42119 Wuppertal); Kerstin Schneider (Wuppertal Research Institute for the Economics of Education (WIB), University of Wuppertal, Gaußstr. 20, 42119 Wuppertal and CESifo) |
| Abstract: | Noise pollution is detrimental to health and to cognitive development of children. This is not only true for extreme levels of noise in the neighborhood of an airport but also to traffic noise in urban areas. Using a census of preschool children, we show that children who are exposed to intensive traffic noise significantly fall behind in terms of school readiness. Being exposed to additional 10 dB(A) compares to about 3 months in kindergarten. We contribute to the lit-erature and the policy debate by working with administrative data and focusing on everyday exposure to noise. The proposed method is easily applied to other regions. We assess the public costs of different abatement instruments and compare the costs to the benefits. It turns out that the commonly used abatement measures like quiet pavement or noise protection walls in densely populated areas of about 3,000 to 5,000 inhabitants per km2 can be cost efficient, even with a conservative assessment of the benefits. |
| Keywords: | Noise, child development, early education, abatement, abatement costs |
| JEL: | Q53 I18 I26 H23 H54 |
| Date: | 2016–06 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:bwu:schdps:sdp16002&r=env |
| By: | Edwards, Ryan B. |
| Keywords: | Agricultural and Food Policy, Environmental Economics and Policy, |
| Date: | 2016–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aare16:235273&r=env |
| By: | Grafton, Quentin |
| Keywords: | Risk and Uncertainty, |
| Date: | 2016–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aare16:235314&r=env |
| By: | Carter, Chris; Jettner, Roslyn; Cato, Larisa; Quail, Ken; Louviere, Jordan |
| Keywords: | Agribusiness, Agricultural and Food Policy, Agricultural Finance, |
| Date: | 2016–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aare16:235262&r=env |
| By: | Kragt, Marit E.; Spencer-Cotton, Alaya; Burton, Michael |
| Keywords: | Environmental Economics and Policy, |
| Date: | 2016–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aare16:235371&r=env |
| By: | Gine,Xavier; Jacoby,Hanan G. |
| Abstract: | Groundwater is a vital yet threatened resource in much of South Asia. This paper develops a model of groundwater transactions under payoff uncertainty arising from unpredictable fluctuations in groundwater availability during the agricultural dry season. The model highlights the trade-off between the ex post inefficiency of long-term contracts and the ex ante inefficiency of spot contracts. The structural parameters are estimated using detailed micro-data on the area irrigated under each contract type combined with subjective probability distributions of borewell discharge elicited from a large sample of well-owners in southern India. The findings show that, while the contracting distortion leads to an average welfare loss of less than 2 percent and accounts for less than 50 percent of all transactions costs in groundwater markets, it has a sizeable impact on irrigated area, especially for small farmers. Uncertainty coupled with land fragmentation also attenuates the benefits of the water-saving technologies now being heavily promoted in India. |
| Keywords: | Debt Markets,Water and Industry,Water Supply and Systems,Drought Management,Water Use |
| Date: | 2016–06–06 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:7694&r=env |
| By: | Karoliina Isoaho; Alexandra Goritz; Nicolai Schulz |
| Abstract: | China and India will have to radically transform their electric power systems in order to decouple economic growth from unsustainable resource consumption. While the majority of transition literature has focused on the diverse socio-technical factors that could enable such a transformation, more recently scholars have called for a deeper analysis of political economy factors.This paper contributes to this approach by studying how a ruling coalition.s ability and willingness to promote a clean energy transition is shaped by societal pressures, vested interests, and its power and cohesiveness. In doing so, we identify central drivers and barriers to a clean energy transition in China and India. |
| Keywords: | Economic growth, Environmental policy, Political science, Renewable energy sources, State governments |
| Date: | 2016 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp2016-028&r=env |
| By: | Parks, Moon; Bansal, Sangeeta; Zilberman, David |
| Keywords: | technology adoption, fit-risk, demonstration, development subsidy, waste, unrealized demand., Institutional and Behavioral Economics, International Development, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies, Risk and Uncertainty, D8, I3, O1, O2, O3, |
| Date: | 2016 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aaea16:236321&r=env |
| By: | Phumzile Ncube; Simon Roberts; Tatenda Zengeni |
| Abstract: | Development of the animal feed to poultry value chain across Botswana, South Africa, and Zimbabwe The animal feed to poultry value chain in the southern African region has seen rapid demand growth owing to increases in urbanization. This growth has been accompanied by the increase in co-ordinated investments by large, predominantly South African, firms across the region. We examine the developments in the value chain across countries in southern Africa, paying attention to production and trade in poultry meat and its main inputs. We also consider the regional nature of the animal feed to poultry value chain. We argue that large firms play a lead role in the development of the value chain in southern Africa given their ability to make coordinated investments at different levels and to realize the competitive potential from the regional agricultural production of the main feed crops. |
| Keywords: | value chains, trade, poultry, regional industrialization, agro-processing |
| Date: | 2016 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp2016-002&r=env |
| By: | Freishtat, Holly |
| Keywords: | Crop Production/Industries, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Land Economics/Use, |
| Date: | 2016–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:usao16:236607&r=env |
| By: | Adamson, David |
| Keywords: | Health Economics and Policy, |
| Date: | 2016–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aare16:235232&r=env |
| By: | May, Steve |
| Keywords: | Environmental Economics and Policy, |
| Date: | 2016–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aare16:235406&r=env |
| By: | René Roy; Paul J. Thomassin |
| Date: | 2016–06–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cir:cirwor:2016s-30&r=env |
| By: | Whitton, Conor; Baker, Derek; Mounter, Stuart |
| Keywords: | Agribusiness, |
| Date: | 2016–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aare16:235412&r=env |
| By: | Bo Xiong; John C. Beghin (Center for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD)) |
| Abstract: | A possible Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) agreement will further integrate agricultural markets between the United States and the European Union. The elimination of tariffs and cooperation on sanitary and phytosanitary measures will promote cross-Atlantic trade. We empirically estimate the impacts of tariffs and Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) on trade in plant products between the two partners. Furthermore, we simulate trade expansions under plausible negotiation outcomes. We find that a TTIP agreement promotes cross-Atlantic trade in plant products, in both directions, by over 60% if tariffs are removed and MRLs are mutually recognized or harmonized to Codex levels. |
| Keywords: | Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, TTIP, maximum residue limit, MRL, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, tariff, trade agreement, NTM JEL: Q17, F15 |
| Date: | 2016–06 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ias:fpaper:16-wp566&r=env |
| By: | Davis, Katrina; Burton, Michael; Rogers, Abbie; Pandit, Ram; Possingham, Hugh; Rhodes, Jonathan |
| Keywords: | Environmental Economics and Policy, |
| Date: | 2016–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aare16:235268&r=env |
| By: | Schrobback, Peggy; Star, Megan |
| Keywords: | Agricultural and Food Policy, Environmental Economics and Policy, Land Economics/Use, |
| Date: | 2016–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aare16:235516&r=env |
| By: | Breunig, Robert; Edwards, Ben; Hasan, Syed; Hunter, Boyd |
| Keywords: | Agricultural and Food Policy, Environmental Economics and Policy, |
| Date: | 2016–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aare16:235257&r=env |
| By: | Knotsen, Miki |
| Keywords: | Agribusiness, Environmental Economics and Policy, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, |
| Date: | 2016–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:usao16:236808&r=env |
| By: | White, Ben; Day, Cheryl; Christopher, Mandy; van Klinken, Rieks |
| Abstract: | Investing in pre-breeding for exotic pests and diseases in cereals is characterised as investing in an option of preparedness regardless of whether an incursion occurs. The return to pre-breeding depends on the likelihood of pest arrival, its spread across cereal producing regions and how damaging it will be through time. Any delay in the release of resistant varieties after an incursion translates into yield losses, chemical costs and, for some pests and diseases, price discounts. However, returns to pre-breeding investment are limited by delay time without pre-breeding, management alternatives and the adoption rates for resistant varieties by producers. Our analysis has estimated returns to investment for pre-breeding for six high priority exotic wheat and barley pests and diseases. The methods developed here allows for regional disaggregation and regional pest suitability across Australia’s cereal production landscape. Results indicate that pre-breeding investment is viable for only half of the pest and diseases studied. The relatively high return to these can be explained by significant yield effects, rapid spread and widespread pest suitability across regions. Furthermore, a higher average yield loss can offset lower incursion probability. In contrast, those not viable are due to slow spread, small or erratic yield effect and biosecurity trade issues not addressed by resistance. Investing in pre-breeding is highly risky as the modal investment return for all pests and diseases is zero and returns to breeders are short lived. |
| Keywords: | Agricultural investment, Biosecurity, Bioeconomic modelling, Cereal breeding, Risk assessment, CLIMEX, Real options, Karnal bunt, exotic wheat stem rust, barley stripe rust, Russian wheat aphid, Hessian fly, sunn pest, Crop Production/Industries, Production Economics, Risk and Uncertainty, Q1, O31, O32, |
| Date: | 2016–06 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:uwauwp:236736&r=env |
| By: | Gastrell, Tessa; Sanderson, Todd |
| Keywords: | Agricultural and Food Policy, |
| Date: | 2016–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aare16:235309&r=env |
| By: | Zull, Andrew; Bell, Mike; Cox, Howard; Gentry, Jayne |
| Abstract: | Research indicates potential yield benefits from replenishing phosphorus (P) in sub-surface layers (10-30cm) if soil tests indicate a deficiency; however, it was unknown if amelioration has economic merit. Deep-P placement is a longer-term decision due to initial application and P fertiliser (MAP) costs with potential benefits that can last for many seasons. However there are risks due to unknown future season types. The fundamental question of deep-P placement is “how much P and how often?” We developed a bio-economic framework and used a case study in the Goondiwindi region with a deep-soil Colwell-P of 5 mg/kg to demonstrate the risk and benefit of applying different amounts of MAP at depth for a “short-rotation” (3-years) and “long-rotation” (7-years). The results indicate: (a) the optimal MAP rate was 135 kg/ha and 270 kg/ha for the short- and long-rotations, respectively, resulting in real-annual returns of $43/ha/year and $76/ha/year; (b) the short-rotation risked a loss of -$14/ha/year compared to $6/ha/year for the long-rotation (worst case); and (c) due to the lower investment cost with the short-rotation, the expected return on investment was 142%, compared to 67% p.a. for the long-rotation. The payback period for both decisions was around 2-years. As with all risky decisions, the farmer will have to weigh up the benefits, risks and their financial situation. Economic results will change when biophysical or pricing parameters change. As our knowledge of deep-P responses improve they can be incorporated into this bio-economic framework. |
| Keywords: | Phosphorus, deep-P, long-term nutrient decision, economics, risk, framework, Agricultural and Food Policy, Environmental Economics and Policy, |
| Date: | 2016–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aare16:235820&r=env |
| By: | Keith Willett |
| Date: | 2016 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:okl:wpaper:1608&r=env |
| By: | Santibáñez, Fernando |
| Keywords: | RECURSOS HIDRICOS, CAMBIO CLIMATICO, PROYECTOS DE DESARROLLO, WATER RESOURCES, CLIMATE CHANGE, DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ecr:col043:40194&r=env |
| By: | Campbell, Andrew |
| Keywords: | Agricultural and Food Policy, Environmental Economics and Policy, |
| Date: | 2016–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aare16:235260&r=env |
| By: | Porciuncula, Alma D.; Erfe, Doreen Carla E.; Navarro, Adoracion M. |
| Abstract: | Past and present administrations have implemented water supply and sanitation (WSS) programs to increase the number of households with access to safe drinking water and sanitary toilet facilities. This study examines the President's Priority Program for Water and the Sagana at Ligtas na Tubig Para sa Lahat Program. It finds underachievement of targets, which was a result of institutional framework weaknesses, capacity and governance constraints, and fundamental gaps in program implementation. Given the remaining unmet needs in WSS, the study recommends that an improved successor program that also has a nationwide scope be designed. It also provides recommendations on how to improve the overall implementation of the successor program, the grant allocation and prioritization, the stakeholder participation, and funds management and disbursement. In addition, it presents a possible framework for a monitoring and evaluation plan of future WSS programs and a database that can be used in the future for ranking and prioritization, monitoring, and estimation of investment requirements. |
| Keywords: | Philippines, impact evaluation, water supply, sanitation, process evaluation, water supply and sanitation (WSS), Salintubig |
| Date: | 2016 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:phd:rpseri:dp_2016-22&r=env |
| By: | Aruga, Kentaka |
| Keywords: | Agricultural and Food Policy, |
| Date: | 2016–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aare16:235240&r=env |
| By: | Jorge M. Agüero; Carlos Felipe Balcázar; Stanislao Maldonado; Hugo Ñopo |
| Abstract: | How do resource booms affect human capital accumulation? We exploit time and spatial variation generated by the commodity boom across local governments in Peru to measure the effect of natural resources on human capital formation. We explore the effect of both mining production and tax revenues on test scores, finding a substantial and statistically significant effect for the latter. Transfers to local governments from mining tax revenues are linked to an increase in math test scores of around 0.23 standard deviations. We find that the hiring of permanent teachers as well as the increases in parental employment and improvements in health outcomes of adults and children are plausible mechanisms for such large effect on learning. These findings suggest that redistributive policies could facilitate the accumulation of human capital in resource abundant developing countries as a way to avoid the natural resources curse. |
| Keywords: | Resource booms, academic achievement, intergovernmental transfers. |
| JEL: | H23 I25 O15 |
| Date: | 2016–05–27 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:col:000092:014612&r=env |
| By: | Shannon, Harlan D. |
| Keywords: | Crop Production/Industries, |
| Date: | 2016 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:usao16:236836&r=env |