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Accounting for loss of variety and factor reallocations in the welfare cost of regulations

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  • Andersen, Dana C.

Abstract

This paper develops a multi-sector general equilibrium model with heterogeneous firms to account for both the direct cost of regulations on regulated firms as well as the indirect cost associated with loss of variety and factor reallocations. The model derives an analytical marginal abatement cost function, dividing the cost according to these direct and indirect effects, and explores the implications for optimal environmental policy. The model is numerically simulated using parameters for the U.S. manufacturing sector for criteria air pollutants, demonstrating that the direct cost of regulations understates the true cost. Moreover, because marginal abatement costs vary across industries, reallocating pollution across industries to achieve cost-effectiveness can generate modest cost savings.

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  • Andersen, Dana C., 2018. "Accounting for loss of variety and factor reallocations in the welfare cost of regulations," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 69-94.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jeeman:v:88:y:2018:i:c:p:69-94
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jeem.2017.10.005
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    3. Liu, Guixian & Sun, Wei & Kong, Zhaoyang & Dong, Xiucheng & Jiang, Qingzhe, 2023. "Did the pollution charge system promote or inhibit innovation? Evidence from Chinese micro-enterprises," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 187(C).
    4. Schaufele, Brandon, 2019. "Demand Shocks Change the Excess Burden From Carbon Taxes," MPRA Paper 92132, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. An, Qingxian & Tao, Xiangyang & Chen, Xiaohong, 2023. "Nested frontier-based best practice regulation under asymmetric information in a principal–agent framework," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 306(1), pages 269-285.
    6. Yingying Xu & Wen Wang & Honggui Gao & Huaxiong Zhu, 2024. "The Impact of Green Mergers and Acquisitions on Corporate Environmental Performance: Evidence from China’s Heavy-Polluting Industries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(9), pages 1-24, April.
    7. Gong, Binlei & Li, Haoyang & Lin, Liguo & Ling, Hanxiang, 2024. "Two Birds, One Stone: Responses of Agriculture to Water Pollution Regulation," 2024 Annual Meeting, July 28-30, New Orleans, LA 343700, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    8. Li, Haoyang & Wu, Nan, 2022. "Emission pricing, emission rebound, and the coverage scope of incomplete regulations," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).
    9. Bai, Caiquan & Liu, Hangjuan & Zhang, Rongjie & Feng, Chen, 2023. "Blessing or curse? Market-driven environmental regulation and enterprises' total factor productivity: Evidence from China's carbon market pilots," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 117(C).
    10. Alex Hollingsworth & Taylor Jaworski & Carl Kitchens & Ivan J. Rudik, 2022. "Economic Geography and the Efficiency of Environmental Regulation," NBER Working Papers 29845, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    11. Xinze Li & Luojia Wang & Kerui Du, 2023. "How do environmental regulations influence resource misallocation in China? The role of investment flows," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(1), pages 538-550, January.
    12. Yoshihiro Hamaguchi, 2024. "Whether to Abolish or Introduce Dual Regulation as Trade and Environmental Policy?," China & World Economy, Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, vol. 32(1), pages 57-95, January.
    13. Yongmin Shang & Guoqing Lyu & Zefeng Mi, 2022. "Green Technology Transfer, Environmental Regulation, and Regional Green Development Chasm: Based on the Empirical Evidence from Yangtze River Delta," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-22, October.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    General equilibrium; Firm heterogeneity; Welfare cost of regulations; Manufacturing sector;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D51 - Microeconomics - - General Equilibrium and Disequilibrium - - - Exchange and Production Economies
    • D62 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Externalities
    • L11 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Production, Pricing, and Market Structure; Size Distribution of Firms
    • L60 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Manufacturing - - - General
    • Q52 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Pollution Control Adoption and Costs; Distributional Effects; Employment Effects
    • Q53 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Air Pollution; Water Pollution; Noise; Hazardous Waste; Solid Waste; Recycling

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