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On technical change in the elasticities of resource inputs

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  • GROWIEC, Jakub
  • SCHUMACHER, Ingmar

Abstract

This article considers an economy whose production function takes both renewable and non-renewable resources as inputs. We extend the current literature by allowing for exogenous technical change in the elasticity of substitution betweenthese two types of resources. In addition, we study the consequences of biased technical change which alters the resources? relative productivities. We derive long-run asymptotic results, which we use to compare several cases. In the benchmark caseof no technical change, our results are close to those obtained by Dasgupta and Heal (1974). In the case of technical change in the elasticity of substitution, we observe that this kind of technical change helps obtain positive long-run production despite the depletion of non-renewable resources. In the biased technical change case, longrun production is only possible either if non-renewable resources are non-essential or if biased technical change is quick enough to compensate for the decreasing flowof non-renewable resources. We embed our production function in an optimal growth model and study its dynamics. As a steady state (or a balanced growth path) is only attainable as time goes to infinity, we resort to numerical simulations to convey what is happening during the short and medium run. Our results provide new considerations for the debate on natural resources. We suggest that technical change should be directed to the resource which is most important for production.

Suggested Citation

  • GROWIEC, Jakub & SCHUMACHER, Ingmar, 2006. "On technical change in the elasticities of resource inputs," LIDAM Discussion Papers CORE 2006063, Université catholique de Louvain, Center for Operations Research and Econometrics (CORE).
    • Handle: RePEc:cor:louvco:2006063
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    Cited by:

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    2. Fabian Stöckl, 2020. "Is Substitutability the New Efficiency? Endogenous Investment in the Elasticity of Substitution between Clean and Dirty Energy," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 1886, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    3. Alexander S. Skorobogatov, 2016. "Spatial Equilibrium Approach to the Analysis of Income Differentials Across Russian Cities," HSE Working papers WP BRP 149/EC/2016, National Research University Higher School of Economics.
    4. Michael Knoblach & Fabian Stöckl, 2020. "What Determines The Elasticity Of Substitution Between Capital And Labor? A Literature Review," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(4), pages 847-875, September.
    5. Growiec, Jakub & Schumacher, Ingmar, 2008. "On technical change in the elasticities of resource inputs," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 33(4), pages 210-221, December.
    6. Jean-François Fagnart & Marc Germain, 2015. "Can the Energy Transition Be Smooth?," Working Papers 2015.04, FAERE - French Association of Environmental and Resource Economists.
    7. Pittel, Karen & Röpke, Luise, 2014. "The Implications of Energy Input Flexibility for a Resource Dependent Economy," VfS Annual Conference 2014 (Hamburg): Evidence-based Economic Policy 100321, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    8. Fabian Stöckl & Alexander Zerrahn, 2023. "Substituting Clean for Dirty Energy: A Bottom-Up Analysis," Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, University of Chicago Press, vol. 10(3), pages 819-863.
    9. Voosholz, Frauke, 2014. "The influence of different production functions on modeling resource extraction and economic growth," CAWM Discussion Papers 72, University of Münster, Münster Center for Economic Policy (MEP).
    10. Skorobogatov, Alexander S., 2018. "Why do newer cities promise higher wages in Russia?," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 16-34.
    11. Luise Röpke, 2015. "Essays on the Integration of New Energy Sources into Existing Energy Systems," ifo Beiträge zur Wirtschaftsforschung, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, number 58.
    12. Nguyen, Manh-Hung & Nguyen-Van, Phu, 2010. "Growth and convergence in a model with renewable and non-renewable resources: existence, transitional dynamics, and empirical evidence," TSE Working Papers 10-210, Toulouse School of Economics (TSE).
    13. Jouvet, Pierre-André & Schumacher, Ingmar, 2012. "Learning-by-doing and the costs of a backstop for energy transition and sustainability," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 122-132.
    14. Maciej Malaczewski, 2018. "Natural Resources As An Energy Source In A Simple Economic Growth Model," Bulletin of Economic Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 70(4), pages 362-380, October.
    15. Jean-François Fagnart & Marc Germain & Benjamin Peeters, 2020. "Can the Energy Transition Be Smooth? A General Equilibrium Approach to the EROEI," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-29, February.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    elasticity of substitution; technical change; biased technical change; non-renewable resources; renewable resources;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q20 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Renewable Resources and Conservation - - - General
    • Q30 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Nonrenewable Resources and Conservation - - - General
    • O30 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - General

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