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Environmental Product Differentiation and Environmental Awareness

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  • Roberto Rodríguez-Ibeas

Abstract

In this paper, we have considered a duopolistic model of environmental product differentiation with two types of consumers (green and brown) to analyze how environmental awareness affects the environment. “Green” consumers value the physical and environmental attributes of the good they purchase while “brown” consumers only value the physical attributes. We find that more environmental awareness may not be good news for the environment as the firm that produces the good without environmental attributes may increase its sales. The result depends on the degree of product differentiation and the cost to achieve it. Social welfare can also be inversely related to environmental awareness if the negative environmental effect dominates the positive market effect. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media, Inc. 2007

Suggested Citation

  • Roberto Rodríguez-Ibeas, 2007. "Environmental Product Differentiation and Environmental Awareness," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 36(2), pages 237-254, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:enreec:v:36:y:2007:i:2:p:237-254
    DOI: 10.1007/s10640-006-9026-y
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Avner Shaked & John Sutton, 1982. "Relaxing Price Competition Through Product Differentiation," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 49(1), pages 3-13.
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    7. Stefanie Kirchhoff, 2000. "Green Business and Blue Angels," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 15(4), pages 403-420, April.
    8. Teisl, Mario F. & Roe, Brian & Hicks, Robert L., 2002. "Can Eco-Labels Tune a Market? Evidence from Dolphin-Safe Labeling," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 43(3), pages 339-359, May.
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    Cited by:

    1. van't Veld, Klaas & Kotchen, Matthew J., 2011. "Green clubs," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 62(3), pages 309-322.
    2. Doni, Nicola & Ricchiuti, Giorgio, 2013. "Market equilibrium in the presence of green consumers and responsible firms: A comparative statics analysis," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 35(3), pages 380-395.
    3. Alexander Haupt & Magdalena Stadejek, 2010. "The Choice of Environmental Policy Instruments: Energy Efficiency and Redistribution," CESifo Working Paper Series 2986, CESifo.
    4. Gori, Giuseppe Francesco & Lambertini, Luca, 2013. "Trade liberalisation between asymmetric countries with environmentally concerned consumers," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 43(4), pages 549-560.
    5. Moser, Riccarda & Raffaelli, Roberta & Thilmany, Dawn D., 2011. "Consumer Preferences for Fruit and Vegetables with Credence-Based Attributes: A Review," International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, vol. 14(2), pages 1-22, May.
    6. Dimech, Marco & Caputo, Vincenzina & Canavari, Maurizio, 2011. "Attitudes of Maltese Consumers Towards Quality in Fruit and Vegetables in Relation to Their Food-Related Lifestyles," International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, vol. 14(4), pages 1-16, November.
    7. Yakita, Akira & Yamauchi, Hisayuki, 2011. "Environmental awareness and environmental R&D spillovers in differentiated duopoly," Research in Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(3), pages 137-143, September.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    brown consumers; environmental awareness; polluting emissions; green consumers; L15; L51; Q20;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L15 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Information and Product Quality
    • L51 - Industrial Organization - - Regulation and Industrial Policy - - - Economics of Regulation
    • Q20 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Renewable Resources and Conservation - - - General

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