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Do Financial Constraints Hamper Environmental Innovation Diffusion? An Agent-Based Approach

Author

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  • Paola D’Orazio

    (Lehrstuhl für Makroökonomik, Faculty of Economics and Management, Fakultät für Wirtschaftswissenschaft, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44801 Bochum (Germany).)

  • Marco Valente

    (Dipartimento di Ingegneria Industriale e dell’Informazione e di Economia, University of L’Aquila (Italy); LEM Sant’Anna, Pisa (Italy); SPRU, University of Sussex (UK) and Ruhr-Universität Bochum (Germany).)

Abstract

We develop a model that combines evolutionary economics concepts and methods with environmental economics concerns. The model is populated by consumers, heterogeneous firms, and a financial sector and is used to investigate the dynamic interactions between the demand and supply side, and the role played by binding financial constraints, in the diffusion of environmental innovations. The aim of the model is to understand how environmental goals can be effectively promoted and achieved in presence of a financial sector whose lending attitude is guided by long-termism rather than shorttermism. We show that financial constraints act as a deterring barrier and affect firms’ innovation strategies as well as the evolution of technological paradigms. When financial constraints are less binding, firms do not perceive hindrances to the adoption of eco-innovation and, as a result, the presence of the average green technology in the market increases.

Suggested Citation

  • Paola D’Orazio & Marco Valente, 2018. "Do Financial Constraints Hamper Environmental Innovation Diffusion? An Agent-Based Approach," SPRU Working Paper Series 2018-10, SPRU - Science Policy Research Unit, University of Sussex Business School.
    • Handle: RePEc:sru:ssewps:2018-10
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    Cited by:

    1. D’Orazio, Paola & Valente, Marco, 2019. "The role of finance in environmental innovation diffusion: An evolutionary modeling approach," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 162(C), pages 417-439.
    2. Yanhong Liu & Jia Lei & Yihua Zhang, 2021. "A Study on the Sustainable Relationship among the Green Finance, Environment Regulation and Green-Total-Factor Productivity in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-27, October.
    3. Juana Castro & Stefan Drews & Filippos Exadaktylos & Joël Foramitti & Franziska Klein & Théo Konc & Ivan Savin & Jeroen van den Bergh, 2020. "A review of agent‐based modeling of climate‐energy policy," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 11(4), July.

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    Keywords

    Environmental Innovation; Agent-based Computational Economics; Financial Barriers; Green Finance; Short-termism; Deterring barriers; Credit constraints.;
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