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The Effect of Addiction on Environmental Taxation in a First and Second-best world

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  • Löfgren, Åsa

    (Department of Economics, School of Economics and Commercial Law, Göteborg University)

Abstract

We examine the effect of addictive behavior on a socially optimal environmental tax. If utility in part depends on past consumption and individuals are time-consistent, the socially optimal environmental tax is shown to be equal to the conventional Pigovian tax. In a second-best world where the social planner has a restriction on the future environmental tax level, the current optimal tax is no longer equal to the Pigovian tax. We extend the analysis with time-inconsistent (myopic) individuals to both the first (no restriction on future environmental tax) and second-best world (restriction on future environmental tax). Also, the importance of addiction in an environmental framework is discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Löfgren, Åsa, 2003. "The Effect of Addiction on Environmental Taxation in a First and Second-best world," Working Papers in Economics 91, University of Gothenburg, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:hhs:gunwpe:0091
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/2077/2825
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Fredrik Carlsson & Åsa Lofgren, 2006. "Airline choice, switching costs and frequent flyer programmes," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 38(13), pages 1469-1475.
    2. Hilton, Denis & Charalambides, Laetitia & Demarque, Christophe & Waroquier, Laurent & Raux, Charles, 2014. "A tax can nudge: The impact of an environmentally motivated bonus/malus fiscal system on transport preferences," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 17-27.
    3. Heutel, Garth, 2015. "Optimal policy instruments for externality-producing durable goods under present bias," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 54-70.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Optimal taxation; environment; addiction; timeinconsistency; second-best;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D62 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Externalities
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • H21 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Efficiency; Optimal Taxation

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