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Toxic release inventories and green consumerism: empirical evidence from Canada

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  • Werner Antweiler
  • Kathryn Harrison

Abstract

Do firms abate pollution in response to actual or anticipated green consumerism? Lacking direct observational data on the extent of green consumerism, we construct an indirect method to elicit its effect on pollution abatement. If environmentally motivated consumers target companies rather than particular facilities of a multi-product firm, green consumerism can be identified through intra-firm inter-plant spillover effects in pollution abatement. We test the prediction that `environmentally-leveraged' firms with consumer market exposure experience larger emission reductions. We use 1993-99 panel data from Canada's National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI), with pollutants adjusted for toxicity. Our empirical results find statistically significant evidence of green consumerism, but its economic magnitude is very small.

Suggested Citation

  • Werner Antweiler & Kathryn Harrison, 2003. "Toxic release inventories and green consumerism: empirical evidence from Canada," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 36(2), pages 495-520, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:cje:issued:v:36:y:2003:i:2:p:495-520
    DOI: 10.1111/1540-5982.t01-1-00011
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    Cited by:

    1. Naoufel Mzoughi & Sanja Pekovic & Gilles Grolleau, 2007. "The characteristics of chemical firms registering for ISO 14001 or Responsible Care," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 12(29), pages 1-13.
    2. Dechezleprêtre, Antoine & Kozluk, Tomasz & Kruse, Tobias & Nachtigall, Daniel & de Serres, Alain, 2019. "Do Environmental and Economic Performance Go Together? A Review of Micro-level Empirical Evidence from the Past Decade or So," International Review of Environmental and Resource Economics, now publishers, vol. 13(1-2), pages 1-118, April.
    3. repec:ebl:ecbull:v:12:y:2007:i:29:p:1-13 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. David Riker, 2013. "Environmental Performance and U.S. Exports," The International Trade Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 27(4), pages 325-335, September.
    5. Werner Antweiler, 2003. "How Effective Is Green Regulatory Threat?," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 93(2), pages 436-441, May.
    6. Du, Xinming, 2023. "Competing with clean air: Pollution disclosure and college desirability," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 204(PA).
    7. Finger, Stephen R. & Gamper-Rabindran, Shanti, 2013. "Mandatory disclosure of plant emissions into the environment and worker chemical exposure inside plants," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 87(C), pages 124-136.
    8. Matthew Potoski & Aseem Prakash, 2005. "Covenants with weak swords: ISO 14001 and facilities' environmental performance," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 24(4), pages 745-769.
    9. Rahko, Jaana, 2025. "Vertical spillovers and the energy intensity of European industries," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).
    10. Donna Ramirez Harrington, 2013. "Effectiveness Of State Pollution Prevention Programs And Policies," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 31(2), pages 255-278, April.
    11. Cole, Matthew A. & Elliott, Robert J.R. & Khemmarat, Khemrutai, 2013. "Local exposure to toxic releases: Examining the role of ethnic fractionalization and polarisation," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 249-259.
    12. Villas-Boas, Sofia B & Taylor, Rebecca & Deakin, Elizabeth, 2016. "Incentivizing Pro-social Behavior in Governance: The Effects of Revealing Peer Rankings on Voluntary Service," Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics, UC Berkeley, Working Paper Series qt9kz083jj, Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics, UC Berkeley.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • Q2 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Renewable Resources and Conservation
    • R3 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Real Estate Markets, Spatial Production Analysis, and Firm Location

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