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How to Turn an Industry Green: Taxes versus Subsidies

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  • Susanne Dröge
  • Philipp J. H. Schröder

Abstract

Environmental policies frequently target the ratio of dirty to green output within the same industry. To achieve such targets the green sector may be subsidised or the dirty sector be taxed. This paper shows that in a monopolistic competition setting the two policy instruments have different welfare effects. For a strong green policy (a severe reduction of the dirty sector) a tax is the dominant instrument. For moderate policy targets, a subsidy will be superior (inferior) if the initial situation features a large (small) share of dirty output. These findings have implications for policies such as the Californian Zero Emission Bill or the EU Action Plan for Renewable Energy Sources.

Suggested Citation

  • Susanne Dröge & Philipp J. H. Schröder, 2003. "How to Turn an Industry Green: Taxes versus Subsidies," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 341, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:diw:diwwpp:dp341
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    Cited by:

    1. Heimvik, Arild & Amundsen, Eirik S., 2021. "Prices vs. percentages: Use of tradable green certificates as an instrument of greenhouse gas mitigation," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    2. Die Hu & Lu Qiu & Maoyan She & Yu Wang, 2021. "Sustaining the sustainable development: How do firms turn government green subsidies into financial performance through green innovation?," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(5), pages 2271-2292, July.
    3. Renström, Thomas I. & Spataro, Luca & Marsiliani, Laura, 2021. "Can subsidies rather than pollution taxes break the trade-off between economic output and environmental protection?," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    4. Heimvik, Arild & Amundsen, Eirik S., 2019. "Prices vs. percentages: Use of tradable green certificates as an instrument of greenhouse gas mitigation," Working Papers in Economics 1/19, University of Bergen, Department of Economics.
    5. Wang, Hongwei & Zheng, Shilin & Zhang, Yanhua & Zhang, Kai, 2016. "Analysis of the policy effects of downstream Feed-In Tariff on China’s solar photovoltaic industry," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 479-488.
    6. Hua Cheng & Yinhong Yu & Shiyu Zhang, 2024. "Subsidies, green innovation, and the sustainable performance: evidence from heavy-polluting enterprises in China," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 14(1), pages 102-116, March.
    7. Xin Zhang & Felix Nutakor & Michael Kaku Minlah & Jinke Li, 2023. "Can Digital Transformation Drive Green Transformation in Manufacturing Companies?—Based on Socio-Technical Systems Theory Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-24, February.
    8. Hübner, Julian, 2018. "Experimentelles Design zur Untersuchung der Auswirkungen von fiskalpolitischen Instrumenten auf nachhaltige Kaufentscheidungen im Leuchtmittelmarkt," The Constitutional Economics Network Working Papers 04-2018, University of Freiburg, Department of Economic Policy and Constitutional Economic Theory.
    9. Hengjie Xu & Qiang Mei & Fakhar Shahzad & Suxia Liu & Xingle Long & Jingjing Zhang, 2020. "Untangling the Impact of Green Finance on the Enterprise Green Performance: A Meta-Analytic Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-16, October.
    10. Yu, Yugang & Han, Xiaoya & Hu, Guiping, 2016. "Optimal production for manufacturers considering consumer environmental awareness and green subsidies," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 182(C), pages 397-408.
    11. Davidescu, Adriana AnaMaria & Popovici, Oana Cristina & Strat, Vasile Alecsandru, 2022. "Estimating the impact of green ESIF in Romania using input-output model," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    12. Xuemei Xie & Qiwei Zhu & Ruoyi Wang, 2019. "Turning green subsidies into sustainability: How green process innovation improves firms' green image," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(7), pages 1416-1433, November.
    13. Alexander Haupt, 2006. "Environmental Policy in Open Economies and Monopolistic Competition," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 33(2), pages 143-167, February.
    14. Shizuka Nishikawa, 2015. "Regulating Cournot Oligopoly with Environmental Externalities," Atlantic Economic Journal, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 43(4), pages 449-462, December.
    15. Susanne Dröge & Philipp J. H. Schröder, 2005. "Corrective Ad Valorem and Unit Taxes: A Welfare Comparison," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 534, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    16. Arild Heimvik & Eirik S. Amundsen, 2019. "Prices vs. percentages: use of tradable green certificates as an instrument of greenhouse gas mitigation," CESifo Working Paper Series 7521, CESifo.
    17. Shenggang Ren & Duojun He & Tao Zhang & Xiaohong Chen, 2019. "Symbolic reactions or substantive pro‐environmental behaviour? An empirical study of corporate environmental performance under the government's environmental subsidy scheme," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(6), pages 1148-1165, September.
    18. Leo Wangler, 2012. "The political economy of the green technology sector: A study about institutions, diffusion and efficiency," European Journal of Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 33(1), pages 51-81, February.

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • H2 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue
    • L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets
    • Q28 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Renewable Resources and Conservation - - - Government Policy

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