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Distribution of Environmental Costs and Benefits, Additional Distortions, and the Porter Hypothesis

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  • Robert D. Mohr
  • Shrawantee Saha

Abstract

The Porter Hypothesis argues that environmental regulations benefit firms by fostering innovation. We discuss four examples consistent with this idea, highlighting either the distribution of benefits or costs, or the presence of some additional distortion, other than pollution. Examples are organized according to the list of market failures. Adding any one market failure creates the possibility that firms benefit from regulations. While each example can be fully consistent with the Porter Hypothesis, it is also possible that regulations benefit firms even without fostering innovation, a result that would be empirically difficult to distinguish from the Porter Hypothesis.

Suggested Citation

  • Robert D. Mohr & Shrawantee Saha, 2008. "Distribution of Environmental Costs and Benefits, Additional Distortions, and the Porter Hypothesis," Land Economics, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 84(4), pages 689-700.
    • Handle: RePEc:uwp:landec:v:84:y:2008:i:4:p:689-700
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Don Fullerton, 2001. "A Framework to Compare Environmental Policies," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 68(2), pages 224-248, October.
    2. Karen Palmer & Wallace E. Oates & Paul R. Portney & Karen Palmer & Wallace E. Oates & Paul R. Portney, 2004. "Tightening Environmental Standards: The Benefit-Cost or the No-Cost Paradigm?," Chapters, in: Environmental Policy and Fiscal Federalism, chapter 3, pages 53-66, Edward Elgar Publishing.
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    Cited by:

    1. Dominique Bianco & Evens Salies, 2017. "The Strong Porter Hypothesis in an Endogenous Growth Model with Satisficing Managers," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 37(4), pages 2641-2654.
    2. Sen, Suphi, 2015. "Corporate governance, environmental regulations, and technological change," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 36-61.
    3. Andr, Francisco J. & Gonzlez, Paula & Porteiro, Nicols, 2009. "Strategic quality competition and the Porter Hypothesis," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 57(2), pages 182-194, March.
    4. Bin Li & Peixiang Guo & Yating Zeng, 2019. "The Impact of Haze on the Availability of Company Debt Financing: Evidence for Sustainability of Chinese Listed Companies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-21, February.
    5. André, Francisco J., 2015. "Strategic Effects and the Porter Hypothesis," MPRA Paper 62237, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    6. Hongyu Nian & Chunhua Wang & Haitao Yin, 2022. "Size control or intensity control: a comparative study of two Common Environmental Regulations," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 61(3), pages 169-190, June.
    7. Dominique Bianco & Evens Salies, 2017. "The Strong Porter Hypothesis in an Endogenous Growth Model with Satisficing Managers," Post-Print hal-02177939, HAL.
    8. Stefan Ambec & Mark A. Cohen & Stewart Elgie & Paul Lanoie, 2013. "The Porter Hypothesis at 20: Can Environmental Regulation Enhance Innovation and Competitiveness?," Review of Environmental Economics and Policy, Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 7(1), pages 2-22, January.
    9. Qiu, Larry D. & Zhou, Mohan & Wei, Xu, 2018. "Regulation, innovation, and firm selection: The porter hypothesis under monopolistic competition," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 638-658.
    10. Yang, Qiuyue & Gao, Da & Song, Deyong & Li, Yi, 2021. "Environmental regulation, pollution reduction and green innovation: The case of the Chinese Water Ecological Civilization City Pilot policy," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 45(4).
    11. Marius Ley, Tobias Stucki, and Martin Woerter, 2016. "The Impact of Energy Prices on Green Innovation," The Energy Journal, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 1).
    12. Ana Sofía Aron & Oswaldo Molina, 2019. "Green Innovation in Natural Resource Industries: The case of Local Suppliers in the Peruvian Mining Industry," Working Papers 145, Peruvian Economic Association.
    13. Amann, Juergen & Cantore, Nicola & Calí, Massimiliano & Todorov, Valentin & Cheng, Charles Fang Chin, 2021. "Switching it up: The effect of energy price reforms in Oman," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 142(C).
    14. Stucki, Tobias & Woerter, Martin & Arvanitis, Spyros & Peneder, Michael & Rammer, Christian, 2018. "How different policy instruments affect green product innovation: A differentiated perspective," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 245-261.
    15. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/vetkngao585gaehs52f2n4fkt is not listed on IDEAS
    16. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/c6vaci757938qr0fmnuq9kd0e is not listed on IDEAS
    17. André, Francisco J. & de Castro, Luis Miguel, 2015. "Scarcity Rents and Incentives for Price Manipulation in Emissions Permit Markets with Stackelberg Competition," MPRA Paper 61770, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    18. Elisabetta Magnani & Adeline Tubb, 2012. "Green R&D, Technology Spillovers, and Market Uncertainty: An Empirical Investigation," Land Economics, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 88(4), pages 685-709.
    19. Fu, Ke & Li, Yanzhi & Mao, Huiqiang & Miao, Zhaowei, 2023. "Firms’ production and green technology strategies: The role of emission asymmetry and carbon taxes," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 305(3), pages 1100-1112.
    20. Saidi Magaly Flores S nchez & Miguel Alejandro Flores Segovia & Luis Carlos Rodr guez L pez, 2020. "Impact of Public Policies on the Technological Innovation in the Renewable Energy Sector," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 10(2), pages 139-159.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • Q55 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environmental Economics: Technological Innovation
    • Q58 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environmental Economics: Government Policy

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