IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/unl/unlfep/wp548.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Innovation and environmental policy: clean vs. dirty technical change

Author

Listed:
  • Maria A Cunha-e-Sa
  • Alexandra Leitao
  • Ana Balcao Reis

Abstract

We study a two sector endogenous growth model with environmental quality with two goods and two factors of production, one clean and one dirty. Technological change creates clean or dirty innovations. We compare the laissez-faire equilibrium and the social optimum and study first- and second-best policies. Optimal policy encourages research toward clean technologies. In a second-best world, we claim that a portfolio that includes a tax on the polluting good combined with optimal innovation subsidy policies is less costly than increasing the price of the polluting good alone. Moreover, a discriminating innovation subsidy policy is preferable to a non-discriminating one.

Suggested Citation

  • Maria A Cunha-e-Sa & Alexandra Leitao & Ana Balcao Reis, 2010. "Innovation and environmental policy: clean vs. dirty technical change," Nova SBE Working Paper Series wp548, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Nova School of Business and Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:unl:unlfep:wp548
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://run.unl.pt/bitstream/10362/11248/1/Wp548.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Grimaud, Andre, 1999. "Pollution Permits and Sustainable Growth in a Schumpeterian Model," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 38(3), pages 249-266, November.
    2. Jones, Charles I & Williams, John C, 2000. "Too Much of a Good Thing? The Economics of Investment in R&D," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 5(1), pages 65-85, March.
    3. Di Maria Corrado & Smulders Sjak A., 2005. "Trade Pessimists vs Technology Optimists: Induced Technical Change and Pollution Havens," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 3(2), pages 1-27, January.
    4. Fischer, Carolyn & Newell, Richard G., 2008. "Environmental and technology policies for climate mitigation," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 55(2), pages 142-162, March.
    5. Lans Bovenberg, A. & Smulders, Sjak, 1995. "Environmental quality and pollution-augmenting technological change in a two-sector endogenous growth model," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 57(3), pages 369-391, July.
    6. Charles I. Jones & John C. Williams, 1998. "Measuring the Social Return to R&D," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, Oxford University Press, vol. 113(4), pages 1119-1135.
    7. Francesco Ricci, 2007. "Environmental policy and growth when inputs are differentiated in pollution intensity," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 38(3), pages 285-310, November.
    8. Nancy L. Stokey, 1995. "R&D and Economic Growth," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 62(3), pages 469-489.
    9. André Grimaud & Luc Rouge, 2008. "Environment, Directed Technical Change and Economic Policy," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 41(4), pages 439-463, December.
    10. Hart, Rob, 2004. "Growth, environment and innovation--a model with production vintages and environmentally oriented research," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 48(3), pages 1078-1098, November.
    11. Daron Acemoglu, 2002. "Directed Technical Change," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 69(4), pages 781-809.
    12. Elbasha, Elamin H. & Roe, Terry L., 1996. "On Endogenous Growth: The Implications of Environmental Externalities," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 31(2), pages 240-268, September.
    13. Reis, Ana Balcao, 2001. "Endogenous Growth and the Possibility of Eliminating Pollution," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 42(3), pages 360-373, November.
    14. Carraro, Carlo & Siniscaico, Domenico, 1994. "Environmental policy reconsidered: The role of technological innovation," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 38(3-4), pages 545-554, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Rauscher, Michael, 2009. "Green R&D versus end-of-pipe emission abatement: A model of directed technical change," Thuenen-Series of Applied Economic Theory 106, University of Rostock, Institute of Economics.
    2. Orlov, Sergey & Rovenskaya, Elena, 2022. "Optimal transition to greener production in a pro-environmental society," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    3. Elke Moser & Andrea Seidl & Gustav Feichtinger, 2014. "History-dependence in production-pollution-trade-off models: a multi-stage approach," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 222(1), pages 457-481, November.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Hart, Rob, 2004. "Growth, environment and innovation--a model with production vintages and environmentally oriented research," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 48(3), pages 1078-1098, November.
    2. Ricci, Francesco, 2007. "Channels of transmission of environmental policy to economic growth: A survey of the theory," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 60(4), pages 688-699, February.
    3. Eriksson, Clas, 2018. "Phasing out a polluting input in a growth model with directed technological change," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 461-474.
    4. David Hémous & Morten Olsen, 2021. "Directed Technical Change in Labor and Environmental Economics," Annual Review of Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 13(1), pages 571-597, August.
    5. Groth, Christian & Ricci, Francesco, 2011. "Optimal growth when environmental quality is a research asset," Research in Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(4), pages 340-352, December.
    6. Carraro, Carlo & De Cian, Enrica & Nicita, Lea & Massetti, Emanuele & Verdolini, Elena, 2010. "Environmental Policy and Technical Change: A Survey," International Review of Environmental and Resource Economics, now publishers, vol. 4(2), pages 163-219, October.
    7. Santiago J. Rubio, Jose L. Garcia and Jose L. Hueso, 2009. "Neoclassical Growth, Environment and Technological Change: The Environmental Kuznets Curve," The Energy Journal, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Special I).
    8. Grimaud, André & Lafforgue, Gilles & Magné, Bertrand, 2011. "Climate change mitigation options and directed technical change: A decentralized equilibrium analysis," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 33(4), pages 938-962.
    9. André Grimaud & Gilles Lafforgue, 2008. "Climate change mitigation policies : Are R&D subsidies preferable to a carbon tax ?," Revue d'économie politique, Dalloz, vol. 118(6), pages 915-940.
    10. Oscar Afonso & Ana Catarina Afonso, 2015. "Endogenous Growth Effects of Environmental Policies," Panoeconomicus, Savez ekonomista Vojvodine, Novi Sad, Serbia, vol. 62(5), pages 607-629, December.
    11. Afonso, Oscar, 2023. "Fiscal and monetary effects on environmental quality, growth, and welfare," Research in Economics, Elsevier, vol. 77(1), pages 202-219.
    12. Dominique Bianco, 2017. "Environmental Policy in an Endogenous Growth Model with Expanding Variety," Revue d'économie politique, Dalloz, vol. 127(6), pages 1013-1028.
    13. Wei Jin & ZhongXiang Zhang, 2014. "From Energy-intensive to Innovation-led Growth: On the Transition Dynamics of China’s Economy," Working Papers 2014.100, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei.
    14. Meeta Keswani Mehra & Sujata Basu, 2013. "Optimal Public Policy in a Schumpeterian Model of Endogenous Growth with Environmental Pollution," Review of Market Integration, India Development Foundation, vol. 5(2), pages 203-248, August.
    15. Joan Canton & Ariane Labat & Anton Roodhuijzen, 2010. "An indicator-based assessment framework to identify country-specific challenges towards greener grow," European Economy - Economic Papers 2008 - 2015 401, Directorate General Economic and Financial Affairs (DG ECFIN), European Commission.
    16. Wei Jin & ZhongXiang Zhang, 2014. "Quo Vadis? Energy Consumption and Technological Innovation in China's Economic Growth," CCEP Working Papers 1412, Centre for Climate & Energy Policy, Crawford School of Public Policy, The Australian National University.
    17. Xepapadeas, Anastasios, 2005. "Economic growth and the environment," Handbook of Environmental Economics, in: K. G. Mäler & J. R. Vincent (ed.), Handbook of Environmental Economics, edition 1, volume 3, chapter 23, pages 1219-1271, Elsevier.
    18. Smulders, Sjak & Withagen, Cees, 2012. "Green growth -- lessons from growth theory," Policy Research Working Paper Series 6230, The World Bank.
    19. Grimaud, Andre & Tournemaine, Frederic, 2007. "Why can an environmental policy tax promote growth through the channel of education?," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 62(1), pages 27-36, April.
    20. Popp, David & Newell, Richard G. & Jaffe, Adam B., 2010. "Energy, the Environment, and Technological Change," Handbook of the Economics of Innovation, in: Bronwyn H. Hall & Nathan Rosenberg (ed.), Handbook of the Economics of Innovation, edition 1, volume 2, chapter 0, pages 873-937, Elsevier.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Pollution; endogenous growth; innovation; environmental policy; laissez-faire equilibrium; optimal equilibrium; discriminating vs. non-discriminating; subsidies to R&D;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H23 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Externalities; Redistributive Effects; Environmental Taxes and Subsidies
    • O3 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights
    • O41 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - One, Two, and Multisector Growth Models

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:unl:unlfep:wp548. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Susana Lopes (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/feunlpt.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.