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Do minimum quality standards bite in polluting industries?

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  • Lambertini, Luca
  • Tampieri, Alessandro

Abstract

We investigate the introduction of a minimum quality standard in a vertically differentiated duopoly where production is polluting. We examine the alternative frameworks with quality-dependent fixed or variable costs, under both price and quantity competition. Under Bertrand behaviour, the introduction of a binding MQS regulation reduces product differentiation, which causes an increase in the output and pollution. Hence its adoption must rely on the increase in consumer surplus generated by the increase in output and average quality. Conversely, in the Cournot setting, a binding MQS decreases output and pollution, and its adoption is driven by the fact that the balance between these effects and the associated increase in average quality yields a welfare improvement.

Suggested Citation

  • Lambertini, Luca & Tampieri, Alessandro, 2012. "Do minimum quality standards bite in polluting industries?," Research in Economics, Elsevier, vol. 66(2), pages 184-194.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:reecon:v:66:y:2012:i:2:p:184-194
    DOI: 10.1016/j.rie.2012.02.001
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    2. Giulio Ecchia & Luca Lambertini, 1997. "Minimum Quality Standards and Collusion," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(1), pages 101-113, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Rabah Amir & Adriana Gama & Katarzyna Werner, 2018. "On Environmental Regulation of Oligopoly Markets: Emission versus Performance Standards," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 70(1), pages 147-167, May.
    2. Amir, Rabah & Gama, Adriana & Maret, Isabelle, 2019. "Environmental quality and monopoly pricing," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 58(C).
    3. L. Lambertini & A. Tampieri, 2012. "On the Emergence of Overcompliance with Endogenous Environmental Standards and Patronising Consumers," Working Papers wp847, Dipartimento Scienze Economiche, Universita' di Bologna.
    4. Dong, Quan & Chang, Yang-Ming, 2020. "Emission taxes vs. environmental standards under partial ownership arrangements," Research in Economics, Elsevier, vol. 74(3), pages 250-262.
    5. L. Lambertini & G. Pignataro & A. Tampieri, 2014. "Green Consumers, Greenwashing and the Misperception of Environmental Quality," Working Papers wp958, Dipartimento Scienze Economiche, Universita' di Bologna.
    6. Lambertini, Luca & Pignataro, Giuseppe & Tampieri, Alessandro, 2020. "The effects of environmental quality misperception on investments and regulation," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 225(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    MQS; Environmental externality; Product quality;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets
    • L51 - Industrial Organization - - Regulation and Industrial Policy - - - Economics of Regulation
    • Q50 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - General

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