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The Weitzman price corner

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  • Goodkind, Andrew L.
  • Coggins, Jay S.

Abstract

The standard theoretical approach to comparing price and quantity policies is strictly interior. We extend the comparison to account for the possibility of corner outcomes, where a polluting industry responds to a tax by abating either completely or not at all. We show that, when the uncertainty in marginal costs is high, the inclusion of corner outcomes confers an extra and unnoticed advantage upon an emissions tax. In situations where the standard approach would recommend a quantity policy, the possibility of corners can reverse that recommendation.

Suggested Citation

  • Goodkind, Andrew L. & Coggins, Jay S., 2015. "The Weitzman price corner," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 1-12.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jeeman:v:73:y:2015:i:c:p:1-12
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jeem.2015.06.001
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Hjort, Ingrid, 2016. "Potential Climate Risks in Financial Markets: A Literature Overview," Memorandum 01/2016, Oslo University, Department of Economics.
    3. Baran Doda & Luca Taschini, 2017. "Carbon Dating: When Is It Beneficial to Link ETSs?," Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, University of Chicago Press, vol. 4(3), pages 701-730.
    4. Alessio D’Amato & Bouwe R. Dijkstra, 2018. "Adoption incentives and environmental policy timing under asymmetric information and strategic firm behaviour," Environmental Economics and Policy Studies, Springer;Society for Environmental Economics and Policy Studies - SEEPS, vol. 20(1), pages 125-155, January.
    5. Zhang, Da & Peng, Hantang & Zhang, Lin, 2023. "Share of polluting input as a sufficient statistic for burden sharing," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 121(C).
    6. Tang, Bao-Jun & Wang, Xiang-Yu & Wei, Yi-Ming, 2019. "Quantities versus prices for best social welfare in carbon reduction: A literature review," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 233, pages 554-564.
    7. Baran Doda, Simon Quemin, Luca Taschini, 2017. "A theory of gains from trade in multilaterally linked ETSs," GRI Working Papers 275, Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment.
    8. de Palma, André & Lindsey, Robin, 2020. "Tradable permit schemes for congestible facilities with uncertain supply and demand," Economics of Transportation, Elsevier, vol. 21(C).
    9. Ian A. MacKenzie, 2017. "Rent creation and rent seeking in environmental policy," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 171(1), pages 145-166, April.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Environmental policy; Prices versus quantities;

    JEL classification:

    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • Q50 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - General

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