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Internalizing Environmental Externalities and the Coase Theorem

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  • Nicolas Schneider

    (The London School of Economics and Political Science, Department of Geography and Environment)

Abstract

This article offers a brief review of the Coase Theorem in the context of policy planning. This concept first revolutionized the regulatory approach to the environmental problem because it advocated how bargaining mechanisms correct externalities without any pre-condition on entitlement assignment. However, given a set of non-negligible constraints imposed by the empirics i.e., non-null transaction costs and asymmetric income effects, questions remain on how decentralized decision-making processes, i.e., private market mechanisms, can ensure Pareto-efficiency in practice without undermining the local validation of the theorem. Starting from major theoretical underpinnings, this brief highlights that active regulation of externalities by governments is relevant under reasonable conditions. Far from being empirically inadequate, Coase’s transaction-cost-free model must be seen as a demonstration of how transaction costs cause substantial distortions and inefficiencies when excluded from environmental policy frameworks. Thus, Coasian bargaining and Pigouvian taxation may be complements rather than substitutes. Active public environmental intervention could act as a backup system capable of correcting inefficiencies when market mechanisms and private negotiations fail to do so.

Suggested Citation

  • Nicolas Schneider, 2022. "Internalizing Environmental Externalities and the Coase Theorem," World Journal of Applied Economics, WERI-World Economic Research Institute, vol. 8(2), pages 93-100, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:ana:journl:v:8:y:2022:i:2:p:93-100
    DOI: 10.22440/wjae.8.2.4
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Coase Theorem; Environmental externalities; Property rights;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C78 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Game Theory and Bargaining Theory - - - Bargaining Theory; Matching Theory
    • H23 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Externalities; Redistributive Effects; Environmental Taxes and Subsidies
    • Q50 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - General

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