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On the Implications of Technological Innovation for Environmental Policy

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  • Parry, Ian

    (Resources for the Future)

Abstract

This paper draws on a number of recent studies to shed light on several policy issues raised by the impact of environmental policies on technological innovation. First, to what extent does induced innovation raise the overall net benefits to society from environmental policies? Second, how does induced innovation affect the appropriate choice among alternative environmental policy instruments? Third, how does it affect the optimal stringency of environmental regulations? Fourth, should environmental policies be supplemented with additional policies to promote innovation, such as research contracts or prizes for new technologies?

Suggested Citation

  • Parry, Ian, 2001. "On the Implications of Technological Innovation for Environmental Policy," RFF Working Paper Series dp-01-44, Resources for the Future.
    • Handle: RePEc:rff:dpaper:dp-01-44
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Lee, Jaegul & Veloso, Francisco M. & Hounshell, David A., 2011. "Linking induced technological change, and environmental regulation: Evidence from patenting in the U.S. auto industry," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 40(9), pages 1240-1252.
    2. Yu-Hong Cao & Jian-Xin You & Hu-Chen Liu, 2017. "Optimal Environmental Regulation Intensity of Manufacturing Technology Innovation in View of Pollution Heterogeneity," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(7), pages 1-14, July.
    3. Alfred Endres & Tim Friehe, 2013. "The monopolistic polluter under environmental liability law: incentives for abatement and R&D," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer;The Society for Social Choice and Welfare, vol. 40(3), pages 753-770, March.
    4. Shahbaz, Muhammad & Nasir, Muhammad Ali & Hille, Erik & Mahalik, Mantu Kumar, 2020. "UK's net-zero carbon emissions target: Investigating the potential role of economic growth, financial development, and R&D expenditures based on historical data (1870–2017)," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).
    5. Ihtisham ul Haq & Bahtiyar Mehmed & Sisira Kumara Naradda Gamage & Piratdin Allayarov & Dilawar Khan & Zeeshan Zaib Khattak, 2022. "Nexus between export variety and carbon emissions in Pakistan: The role of FDI and technological development," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 17(1), pages 1-16, January.
    6. Baker, Erin & Clarke, Leon & Shittu, Ekundayo, 2008. "Technical change and the marginal cost of abatement," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(6), pages 2799-2816, November.
    7. Tim Friehe, 2013. "The Role of Investment in Environmental Lobbying Contests," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 56(3), pages 337-352, November.
    8. Ekundayo Shittu & Geoffrey Parker & Xiaoyue Jiang, 2015. "Energy technology investments in competitive and regulatory environments," Environment Systems and Decisions, Springer, vol. 35(4), pages 453-471, December.
    9. von Döllen, Andreas & Requate, Till, 2007. "Environmental Policy and Incentives to Invest in Advanced Abatement Technology if Arrival of Future Technology is Uncertain - Extended Version," Economics Working Papers 2007-04, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, Department of Economics.
    10. Alfred Endres & Bianca Rundshagen, 2013. "Incentives to Diffuse Advanced Abatement Technology Under the Formation of International Environmental Agreements," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 56(2), pages 177-210, October.
    11. Clark, Matthew, 2005. "Corporate environmental behavior research: informing environmental policy," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 16(3), pages 422-431, September.
    12. Alfred Endres & Tim Friehe & Bianca Rundshagen, 2015. "Environmental liability law and R&D subsidies: results on the screening of firms and the use of uniform policy," Environmental Economics and Policy Studies, Springer;Society for Environmental Economics and Policy Studies - SEEPS, vol. 17(4), pages 521-541, October.
    13. von Döllen Andreas & Requate Till, 2008. "Environmental Policy and Uncertain Arrival of Future Abatement Technology," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 8(1), pages 1-20, August.
    14. Alfred Endres & Tim Friehe, 2012. "Generalized Progress of Abatement Technology: Incentives Under Environmental Liability Law," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 53(1), pages 61-71, September.
    15. Ben R. Martin, 2015. "R&D Policy Instruments: A Critical Review of What We Do & Don't Know," Working Papers wp476, Centre for Business Research, University of Cambridge.
    16. Mushafiq, Muhammad, 2023. "Towards green development: Role of researchers," Innovation and Green Development, Elsevier, vol. 2(4).
    17. Endres, Alfred & Friehe, Tim, 2011. "R&D and abatement under environmental liability law: Comparing incentives under strict liability and negligence if compensation differs from harm," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 33(3), pages 419-425, May.
    18. Wajahat Ali & Azrai Abdullah & Muhammad Azam, 2016. "The Dynamic Linkage between Technological Innovation and carbon dioxide emissions in Malaysia: An Autoregressive Distributed Lagged Bound Approach," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 6(3), pages 389-400.
    19. Timothy Swanson & Zacharias Ziegelhoefer, 2011. "Economic Frameworks for thinking about Growth, Sustainability and the role of State Intervention: Paths to Green Economies?," CIES Research Paper series 11-2012, Centre for International Environmental Studies, The Graduate Institute.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    environment; technological innovation; pollution control; instrument choice;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q28 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Renewable Resources and Conservation - - - Government Policy
    • O38 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Government Policy

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