Allocation of pollution abatement under learning by doing

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Bramoullé, Y; Olson, LJ
• 署名单位: University System of Maryland; University of Maryland College Park; Universite de Toulouse; Universite Toulouse 1 Capitole
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF PUBLIC ECONOMICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0047-2727
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jpubeco.2004.06.007
• 发表日期: 2005
• 页码: 1935-1960
• 关键词: environmental policy; pollution abatement; learning by doing; emission taxes; technological change

摘要

This paper examines how learning by doing affects the allocation of pollution abatement between heterogeneous technologies over time. The optimal policy balances current abatement costs against reductions in future costs and infant technologies may be preferred to mature technologies despite greater initial costs. We characterize when a technological winner might emerge and we identify conditions under which optimal abatement is shared across all technologies. Pigouvian taxes can implement the first-best, but may need to be differentiated across technologies. When technical change is induced, an important role of environmental policies is to put abatement on the right technological trajectories. (c) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.