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Environmental Regulation and Horizontal Mergers in the Eco-industry

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  • Canton, Joan
  • David, Maia
  • Sinclair-Desgagné, Bernard

Abstract

This paper considers the welfare and policy implications of a merger between environment firms (i.e., firms managing environmental resources or supplying pollution abatement goods and services). The traditional analysis of mergers in Cournot oligopolies is extended in two ways. First, we show how a pollution tax affects the incentives of environment firms to merge. Second, we stress that mergers in the eco-industry impact welfare beyond what is observed in other sectors, due to an extra effect on pollution abatement efforts. This might lead to disagreements between an anti-trust agency seeking to limit market concentration which can be detrimental to consumer surplus and a benevolent regulator who maximizes total welfare.

Suggested Citation

  • Canton, Joan & David, Maia & Sinclair-Desgagné, Bernard, 2012. "Environmental Regulation and Horizontal Mergers in the Eco-industry," Strategic Behavior and the Environment, now publishers, vol. 2(2), pages 107-132, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:now:jnlsbe:102.00000012
    DOI: 10.1561/102.00000012
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    18. Till Requate, 2005. "Timing and Commitment of Environmental Policy, Adoption of New Technology, and Repercussions on R&D," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 31(2), pages 175-199, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. Damien Sans & Sonia Schwartz & Hubert Stahn, 2015. "On Abatement Services: Market Power and Efficient Environmental Regulation," Working Papers halshs-01182200, HAL.
    2. Mahelet G. Fikru, 2013. "Environmental Policies, Mergers and Welfare," Economía Mexicana NUEVA ÉPOCA, CIDE, División de Economía, vol. 0(2), pages 449-461, July-Dece.
    3. Roberta Sestini & Donatella Pugliese, 2021. "To buy or to do it yourself? Pollution policy and environmental goods in developing countries," Economia e Politica Industriale: Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, Springer;Associazione Amici di Economia e Politica Industriale, vol. 48(1), pages 105-135, March.
    4. Damien Sans, 2015. "Optimal Taxation Rule Reversal in the Presence of Gentle Polluters and Greedy Cleaners," Working Papers halshs-01247190, HAL.
    5. Creti, Anna & Sanin, María-Eugenia, 2017. "Does environmental regulation create merger incentives?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 618-630.
    6. Kim, Seung-Leul & Lee, Sang-Ho, 2016. "The licensing of eco-technology under emission taxation: Fixed fee vs. auction," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 343-357.
    7. Seung-Leul Kim & Sang-Ho Lee, 2014. "Eco-Technology Licensing under Emission Tax: Royalty vs. Fixed-Fee," Korean Economic Review, Korean Economic Association, vol. 30, pages 273-300.
    8. Chen, Hung-Yi & Yang, Ya-Po & Hu, Jin-Li, 2023. "Environmental taxes under mixed duopoly: The roles of privatization and foreign eco-technology," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    9. Luis Gautier & Mahelet G. Fikru, 2024. "Welfare Impact of New Firm Acquisition," Natural Resource Management and Policy, in: Handbook of Merger Control and Environmental Policy, chapter 0, pages 105-132, Springer.
    10. Lee, Sang-Ho & Nakamura, Tamotsu & Park, Chul-Hi, 2017. "Optimal Privatization Policy in a Mixed Eco-Industry in the Presence of Commitments on Abatement Technologies," MPRA Paper 80902, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    11. Damien Sans & Sonia Schwartz & Hubert Stahn, 2014. "About Polluting Eco-Industries: Optimal Provision of Abatement Goods and Pigouvian Fees," Working Papers halshs-01083464, HAL.
    12. Choi, Pak-Sing & Espinola-Arredondo, Ana & Munoz, Felix, 2020. "Mergers as an environmental ally: Socially excessive and insufficient merger approvals," Working Papers 2020-1, School of Economic Sciences, Washington State University.
    13. Luis Gautier & Mahelet G. Fikru, 2024. "Mergers in Cournot Markets with Environmental Externality and Product Differentiation," Natural Resource Management and Policy, in: Handbook of Merger Control and Environmental Policy, chapter 0, pages 21-46, Springer.
    14. Tim Friehe, 2014. "Tacit collusion and liability rules," European Journal of Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 38(3), pages 453-469, December.
    15. Choi, Pak-Sing & Espínola-Arredondo, Ana & Muñoz-García, Félix, 2022. "Environmental policy helping antitrust decisions: Socially excessive and insufficient merger approvals," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Eco-industry; Horizontal mergers; Environmental policy;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D62 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Externalities
    • H23 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Externalities; Redistributive Effects; Environmental Taxes and Subsidies
    • L11 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Production, Pricing, and Market Structure; Size Distribution of Firms

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