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A Corporate Finance Perspective on Environmental Policy

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  • Inderst, Roman
  • Heider, Florian

Abstract

This paper examines optimal enviromental policy when external financing is costly for firms. We introduce emission externalities and industry equilibrium in the Holmström and Tirole (1997) workhorse model of corporate finance. While a (Pigouvian) cap-and-trading system optimally governs both firms' abatement activities (internal emission margin) and industry size (external emission margin) when firms have sufficient funds on their own, external financing constraints introduce a wedge between these two objectives. When a sector is financially constrained in the aggregate, the optimal cap is strictly above the Pigouvian benchmark and emission allowances should be allocated below market prices. When a sector is not financially constrained in the aggregate, a cap that is below the Pigiouvian benchmark optimally shifts market share to less polluting firms and, moreover, there should be no "grandfathering" of emission allowances. With financial constraints and heterogeneity across firms or sectors, a uniform policy, such as a single cap-and-trade system, is typically not optimal.

Suggested Citation

  • Inderst, Roman & Heider, Florian, 2022. "A Corporate Finance Perspective on Environmental Policy," CEPR Discussion Papers 16878, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:16878
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    Cited by:

    1. Inderst, Roman & Opp, Markus, 2022. "Socially Optimal Sustainability Standards with Non-Consequentialist ("Warm Glow") Investors," EconStor Preprints 253670, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    2. Döttling, Robin & Rola-Janicka, Magdalena, 2023. "Too levered for Pigou: carbon pricing, financial constraints, and leverage regulation," Working Paper Series 2812, European Central Bank.
    3. Christian Haas & Karol Kempa, 2023. "Low-Carbon Investment and Credit Rationing," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 86(1), pages 109-145, October.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Pigou tax; Financing; Climate change;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O16 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Financial Markets; Saving and Capital Investment; Corporate Finance and Governance
    • L16 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Industrial Organization and Macroeconomics; Macroeconomic Industrial Structure
    • H23 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Externalities; Redistributive Effects; Environmental Taxes and Subsidies

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