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On the Economic Growth and Environmental Trade-Off: a Multi-Objective Analysis

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We develop a multicriteria approach, based on a scalarization technique, in order to analyze the trade off between economic growth and environmental outcomes in a framework in which the economy and environment relation is bidirectional. On the one hand, economic growth by stimulating production activities gives rise to emissions of pollutants which deteriorate the environment. On the other hand, the environment affects economic activities since pollution generates a production externality determining how much output the economy can produce and reducing welfare. In this setting we show that optimality dictates an initial overshooting followed by economic degrowth and rising pollution. This implies that independently of the relative importance of economic and environmental factors, it is paradoxically optimal for the economy to asymptotically reach the maximum pollution level that the environment is able to bear.

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  • Marsiglio, Simone & Privileggi, Fabio, 2018. "On the Economic Growth and Environmental Trade-Off: a Multi-Objective Analysis," Department of Economics and Statistics Cognetti de Martiis. Working Papers 201813, University of Turin.
    • Handle: RePEc:uto:dipeco:201813
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    1. Cinzia Colapinto & Raja Jayaraman & Simone Marsiglio, 2017. "Multi-criteria decision analysis with goal programming in engineering, management and social sciences: a state-of-the art review," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 251(1), pages 7-40, April.
    2. La Torre, Davide & Liuzzi, Danilo & Marsiglio, Simone, 2015. "Pollution diffusion and abatement activities across space and over time," Mathematical Social Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 48-63.
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    6. Simone Marsiglio & Alberto Ansuategi & Maria Carmen Gallastegui, 2016. "The Environmental Kuznets Curve and the Structural Change Hypothesis," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 63(2), pages 265-288, February.
    7. Simone Marsiglio & Davide Torre, 2018. "Economic growth and abatement activities in a stochastic environment: a multi-objective approach," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 267(1), pages 321-334, August.
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    16. Alberto Ansuategi & Simone Marsiglio, 2017. "Is Environmental Protection Beneficial for the Environment?," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(3), pages 786-802, August.
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    Cited by:

    1. Herb Kunze & Davide La Torre & Simone Marsiglio, 2019. "A Multicriteria Macroeconomic Model with Intertemporal Equity and Spatial Spillovers," Papers 1911.08247, arXiv.org.
    2. Marco Vacchi & Cristina Siligardi & Fabio Demaria & Erika Iveth Cedillo-González & Rocío González-Sánchez & Davide Settembre-Blundo, 2021. "Technological Sustainability or Sustainable Technology? A Multidimensional Vision of Sustainability in Manufacturing," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-18, September.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • O40 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - General
    • O41 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - One, Two, and Multisector Growth Models
    • Q50 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - General
    • Q56 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environment and Development; Environment and Trade; Sustainability; Environmental Accounts and Accounting; Environmental Equity; Population Growth

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