Environmental and Resource Policy for Consumer Durables

ISBN-13: 9783540205692 / Angielski / Miękka / 2004 / 198 str.

Marco Runkel

Opis

A recent line of research in environmental and resource economics deals with the analysis of the so-called product-related environmental policy, i.e. the regulation of certain product characteristics which are mainly determined by producers and which influence the impact of consumption goods on the environment. In this line of literature, only little attention has been paid to the role of product durability. The present study aims at filling this gap. It investigates the relationship between (built-in) product durability, production emissions, solid consumption waste and recycling. The main task is to identify inefficiencies in the durability choice of producers and to assess regulatory policies which aim at correcting for such market failure.

Spis treści

1 Introduction.- 2 Definitions, Assumptions and Basic Model.- 2.1 Modeling Consumer Durables.- 2.1.1 Durable versus Nondurable Goods.- 2.1.2 Decay function of Consumer Durables.- 2.1.3 Vintage Durable Goods.- 2.2 Basic Oligopoly Model without Pollution.- 2.2.1 Model Description and Market Equilibrium.- 2.2.2 Stationary State.- 2.2.3 Comparative Statics of the Long Run Market Equilibrium.- 3 Regulating Production Emissions of Consumer Durables.- 3.1 The Model of Goering and Boyce (1999).- 3.1.1 Model Descriptionand Market Equilibrium.- 3.1.2 Market Equilibrium Revised.- 3.1.3 Second-Best Emissions Taxation.- 3.1.4 Second-Best Emissions Taxation Revised.- 3.2 Modified Model with Production Emissions.- 3.2.1 Model Description and First-Best Welfare Optimum.- 3.2.2 Market Equilibrium and Laissez Faire.- 3.2.3 First-Best Regulation.- 3.2.4 Second-Best Taxation.- 3.3 Practicability of Durable Goods Regulation.- 4 Regulating Solid Waste of Consumer Durables.- 4.1 Durable Goods Markets with Commitment Ability of Producers.- 4.1.1 Model and Social Welfare Optimum.- 4.1.2 Market Equilibrium and Laissez Faire.- 4.1.3 First-Best Regulation.- 4.1.4 Second-Best Taxation.- 4.2 Durable Goods Markets without Commitment Ability of Producers.- 4.2.1 Model and Social Welfare Optimum.- 4.2.2 Market Equilibrium and Laissez Faire.- 4.2.3 First-Best Regulation.- 4.2.4 Second-Best Taxation.- 4.3 Implications for Practical Waste Policy.- 5 Recycling Policies for Consumer Durables.- 5.1 Durable Goods Markets with Exogenous Product Durability.- 5.1.1 Model and Efficient Allocation.- 5.1.2 Benchmark Market System.- 5.1.3 Market Failure and its Correction.- 5.2 Durable Goods Markets with Endogenous Product Durability.- 5.2.1 Model and Efficient Allocation.- 5.2.2 Benchmark Market System.- 5.2.3 Market Failure and its Correction.- 5.3 Summary and Practical Considerations.- 6 Conclusion.- References.- List of Figures.- List of Tables.