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The Role Of Information Disclosure In Climate Mitigation Policy

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  • MARK A. COHEN

    (Vanderbilt University, 401 21st Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37203, USA)

  • W. KIP VISCUSI

    (Vanderbilt University, 131 21st Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37203, USA)

Abstract

Information disclosure policies represent an additional policy mechanism that can be used to foster reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. These informational efforts could be either mandatory or voluntary, but in each case government regulation could play a productive role by establishing common structures for the information and providing criteria to ensure the accuracy and credibility of the information. Unlike most previous uses of environmental information disclosure, such as the Toxic Release Inventory and pesticide warnings, carbon footprint labeling does not communicate information about immediate private benefits. While considerable insight can be gleaned by examining the principles for effective warnings generally, additional research would further our understanding of how to best design a successful information effort directed at varied future environmental benefits. Care is needed as green labeling may distort consumer decisions if undue prominence is given to environmental consequences as compared to other valued attributes, such as safety.

Suggested Citation

  • Mark A. Cohen & W. Kip Viscusi, 2012. "The Role Of Information Disclosure In Climate Mitigation Policy," Climate Change Economics (CCE), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 3(04), pages 1-21.
    • Handle: RePEc:wsi:ccexxx:v:03:y:2012:i:04:n:s2010007812500200
    DOI: 10.1142/S2010007812500200
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    Cited by:

    1. Ted Gayer & W. Viscusi, 2013. "Overriding consumer preferences with energy regulations," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 43(3), pages 248-264, June.
    2. Mumtaheena Anwar & Sohanur Rahman & Md. Nurul Kabir, 2021. "Does national carbon pricing policy affect voluntary environmental disclosures? A global evidence," Environmental Economics and Policy Studies, Springer;Society for Environmental Economics and Policy Studies - SEEPS, vol. 23(2), pages 211-244, April.
    3. Stefano Carattini & Simon Levin & Alessandro Tavoni, 2019. "Cooperation in the Climate Commons," Review of Environmental Economics and Policy, Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 13(2), pages 227-247.
    4. Z. Eylem Gevrek & Ayse Uyduranoglu, 2015. "Public Preferences for Carbon Tax Attributes," Working Paper Series of the Department of Economics, University of Konstanz 2015-15, Department of Economics, University of Konstanz.
    5. Andrea Baranzini & Stefano Carattini, 2017. "Effectiveness, earmarking and labeling: testing the acceptability of carbon taxes with survey data," Environmental Economics and Policy Studies, Springer;Society for Environmental Economics and Policy Studies - SEEPS, vol. 19(1), pages 197-227, January.
    6. Isabel Carrero & Carmen Valor & Estela Díaz & Victoria Labajo, 2021. "Designed to Be Noticed: A Reconceptualization of Carbon Food Labels as Warning Labels," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-14, February.
    7. Gevrek, Z.Eylem & Uyduranoglu, Ayse, 2015. "Public preferences for carbon tax attributes," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 186-197.
    8. Swenja Surminski, 2015. "Does it matter what you call it? Reflections on how companies voluntarily disclose their adaptation activities," GRI Working Papers 210, Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment.
    9. Elena A. Mikhailova & Lili Lin & Zhenbang Hao & Hamdi A. Zurqani & Christopher J. Post & Mark A. Schlautman & Gregory C. Post & Peyton I. Mitchell, 2021. "Climate Change Planning: Soil Carbon Regulating Ecosystem Services and Land Cover Change Analysis to Inform Disclosures for the State of Rhode Island, USA," Laws, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-16, December.
    10. Elena A. Mikhailova & Lili Lin & Zhenbang Hao & Hamdi A. Zurqani & Christopher J. Post & Mark A. Schlautman & Gregory C. Post, 2022. "Massachusetts Roadmap to Net Zero: Accounting for Ownership of Soil Carbon Regulating Ecosystem Services and Land Conversions," Laws, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-19, March.
    11. Schöller, Vanessa & Ulmer, Clara, 2023. "Can monetized carbon information increase pro-environmental behavior? Experimental evidence," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 206(C).

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