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Optimal taxation of flow pollutants when firms may also inflict catastrophic environmental damage

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  • Anthony Heyes

Abstract

In many industries firms affect the environment in two distinct types of ways. Firstly they emit routine, anticipated volumes of “flow pollutants”, secondly they can potentially inflict catastrophic environmental damage, liability for which may be overhanging or limited by the law. Operaters of chemical plants, nuclear power stations and oil tankers are three examples. If an emissions tax or charge is to be levied on the flow pollutants in these cases how should it be set? We use simple dynamic-programming techniques to characterise second-best optimality. We identify contexts in which the tax should be raised above its Pigovian level to take account of the catastrophic potential, and others where it should be set below that level. The analysis has significant implications for how policymakers should go about calibrating “ecological taxes” in a number of high profile industries. Copyright Kluwer Academic Publishers 1996

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  • Anthony Heyes, 1996. "Optimal taxation of flow pollutants when firms may also inflict catastrophic environmental damage," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 7(1), pages 1-14, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:enreec:v:7:y:1996:i:1:p:1-14
    DOI: 10.1007/BF00420424
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Strand, Jon, 1999. "Efficient environmental taxation under moral hazard," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 15(1), pages 73-88, March.

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