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The Social Discount Rate for Canada Based on Future Growth in Consumption

Author

Listed:
  • Anthony E. Boardman
  • Mark A. Moore
  • Aidan R. Vining

Abstract

Recent interim guidelines of the Treasury Board Secretariat (2007) recommend a social discount rate (SDR) of 8 percent. This paper argues that this value is based on an inappropriate methodology and is too high. Using a consumption rate of interest and drawing on a growth model, we suggest that if a project is intragenerational (less than 50 years) and there is no crowding out of private investment, then analysts should use an SDR of 3.5 percent. Impacts on investment should first be converted to consumption equivalents using a shadow price of capital of 1.26. If the project has intergenerational impacts (beyond 50 years), such as those affecting climate change, we recommend a schedule of time-declining SDRs.

Suggested Citation

  • Anthony E. Boardman & Mark A. Moore & Aidan R. Vining, 2010. "The Social Discount Rate for Canada Based on Future Growth in Consumption," Canadian Public Policy, University of Toronto Press, vol. 36(3), pages 325-343, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpp:issued:v:36:y:2010:i:3:p:325-343
    DOI: 10.3138/cpp.36.3.325
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. David F. Burgess & Richard O. Zerbe, 2013. "Appropriate discounting for benefit–cost analysis," Chapters, in: Scott O. Farrow & Richard Zerbe, Jr. (ed.), Principles and Standards for Benefit–Cost Analysis, chapter 7, pages 247-263, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    2. repec:ces:ifodic:v:12:y:2014:i:3:p:19126467 is not listed on IDEAS
    3. Aidan Vining & Anthony Boardman, 2014. "Self-interest Springs Eternal: Political Economy Reasons why Public-Private Partnerships Do Not Work as Well as Expected," ifo DICE Report, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 12(3), pages 17-23, October.
    4. Adebayo, Eric & Werker, Eric, 2021. "How much are benefit-sharing agreements worth to communities affected by mining?," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    5. Jolanta Bijańska & Krzysztof Wodarski & Aneta Aleksander, 2022. "Analysis of the Financing Options for Pro-Ecological Projects," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-30, March.
    6. Jinchi Dong & Richard S. J. Tol & Fangzhi Wang, 2024. "Towards a representative social cost of carbon," Papers 2404.04989, arXiv.org.
    7. Naseem, Anwar & Singla, Rohit, 2013. "Ex Ante Economic Impact Analysis of Novel Traits in Canola," Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Western Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 38(2), pages 1-21, August.
    8. Jean-Etienne de Bettignies & Thomas W. Ross, 2010. "The Economics of Public–Private Partnerships: Some Theoretical Contributions," Chapters, in: Graeme A. Hodge & Carsten Greve & Anthony E. Boardman (ed.), International Handbook on Public–Private Partnerships, chapter 7, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    9. Dymond, Caren Christine & Giles-Hansen, Krysta & Asante, Patrick, 2020. "The forest mitigation-adaptation nexus: Economic benefits of novel planting regimes," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).
    10. Aidan Vining & Anthony Boardman, 2014. "Self-interest Springs Eternal: Political Economy Reasons why Public-Private Partnerships Do Not Work as Well as Expected," ifo DICE Report, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 12(03), pages 17-23, October.
    11. Arian Daneshmand & Esfandiar Jahangard & Mahnoush Abdollah-Milani, 2018. "A time preference measure of the social discount rate for Iran," Journal of Economic Structures, Springer;Pan-Pacific Association of Input-Output Studies (PAPAIOS), vol. 7(1), pages 1-10, December.
    12. Alfred Appiah & Wiktor Adamowicz & Patrick Lloyd-Smith & Diane Dupont, 2019. "Reliability of Drinking Water: Risk Perceptions and Economic Value," Water Economics and Policy (WEP), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 5(02), pages 1-27, April.
    13. Boardman, Anthony E. & Forbes, Diane, 2011. "A Benefit-Cost Analysis of Private and Semi-Private Hospital Rooms," Journal of Benefit-Cost Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 2(1), pages 1-27, January.
    14. Ran Sun & Mariella Mendoza Marmanilo & Suren Kulshreshtha, 2023. "Co-benefits of climate change mitigation from innovative agricultural water management: a case study of corn agroecosystem in eastern Canada," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 28(8), pages 1-20, December.
    15. Anthony E. Boardman & Aidan R. Vining, 2010. "Assessing the Economic Worth of Public–Private Partnerships," Chapters, in: Graeme A. Hodge & Carsten Greve & Anthony E. Boardman (ed.), International Handbook on Public–Private Partnerships, chapter 8, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    16. Moore Mark A. & Boardman Anthony E. & Vining Aidan R., 2013. "More appropriate discounting: the rate of social time preference and the value of the social discount rate," Journal of Benefit-Cost Analysis, De Gruyter, vol. 4(1), pages 1-16, March.
    17. Moore, Mark A. & Boardman, Anthony E. & Vining, Aidan R., 2013. "The choice of the social discount rate and the opportunity cost of public funds," Journal of Benefit-Cost Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 4(3), pages 401-409, December.

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