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An Experimental Analysis of Compliance in Dynamic Emissions Markets

Author Info

  • John K. Stranlund

    ()

    (Department of Resource Economics, University of Massachusetts Amherst)

  • James J. Murphy

    ()

    (Department of Economics, University of Alaska Anchorage)

  • John M. Spraggon

    ()

    (Department of Resource Economics, University of Massachusetts Amherst)

Abstract

Two important design elements for emission trading programs are whether and to what extent firms are able to bank emissions permits, and how these programs are to be enforced. In this paper we present results from laboratory emissions markets designed to investigate enforcement and compliance when these markets allow permit banking. Banking is motivated by a decrease in the aggregate permit supply in the middle of multi-period trading sessions. Consistent with theoretical insights, our experiments suggest that high permit violation penalties have little deterrence value in dynamic emissions markets, and that the main challenge of enforcing these programs is to motivate truthful self-reports of emissions.

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File URL: http://courses.umass.edu/resec/workingpapers/documents/ResEcWorkingPaper2010-3.pdf
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Paper provided by University of Massachusetts Amherst, Department of Resource Economics in its series Working Papers with number 2010-3.

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Length: 44 pages
Date of creation: Aug 2010
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:dre:wpaper:2010-3
Contact details of provider: Web page: http://www.umass.edu/resec/
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Keywords: compliance; enforcement; emissions trading; laboratory experiments; permit markets; permit banking;

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
  • C91 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Individual Behavior
  • L51 - Industrial Organization - - Regulation and Industrial Policy - - - Economics of Regulation
  • Q58 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environmental Economics: Government Policy

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  1. Stranlund, John K. & Dhanda, Kanwalroop Kathy, 1999. "Endogenous Monitoring and Enforcement of a Transferable Emissions Permit System," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 38(3), pages 267-282, November.
  2. Innes, Robert, 2003. "Stochastic pollution, costly sanctions, and optimality of emission permit banking," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 45(3), pages 546-568, May.
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  4. Stranlund, John K & Chavez, Carlos A, 2000. "Effective Enforcement of a Transferable Emissions Permit System with a Self-Reporting Requirement," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 18(2), pages 113-31, September.
  5. John K. Stranlund & James J. Murphy & John M. Spraggon, 2008. "Imperfect Enforcement of Emissions Trading and Industry Welfare: A Laboratory Investigation," Working Papers 2008-1, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Department of Resource Economics.
  6. Kling, Catherine L. & Rubin, Jonathan, 1997. "Bankable Permits for the Control of Environmental Pollution," Staff General Research Papers 1479, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
  7. Innes, Robert, 2000. "Self-Reporting in Optimal Law Enforcement When Violators Have Heterogeneous Probabilities of Apprehension," The Journal of Legal Studies, University of Chicago Press, vol. 29(1), pages 287-300, January.
  8. Murphy, James J. & Stranlund, John K., 2006. "Direct and market effects of enforcing emissions trading programs: An experimental analysis," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 61(2), pages 217-233, October.
  9. John Stranlund & Christopher Costello & Carlos Chávez, 2005. "Enforcing Emissions Trading when Emissions Permits are Bankable," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 28(2), pages 181-204, 09.
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  12. Livernois, John & McKenna, C. J., 1999. "Truth or consequences: Enforcing pollution standards with self-reporting," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 71(3), pages 415-440, March.
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  16. Stuart Mestelman & Andrew Muller, 1997. "Emissions Trading with Shares and Coupons when Control over Discharges is Uncertain," McMaster Experimental Economics Laboratory Publications 1997-01, McMaster University.
  17. Murphy, James J. & Stranlund, John K., 2007. "A laboratory investigation of compliance behavior under tradable emissions rights: Implications for targeted enforcement," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 53(2), pages 196-212, March.
  18. John K. Stranlund, 2006. "The Regulatory Choice of Noncompliance in Emissions Trading Programs," Working Papers 2006-7, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Department of Resource Economics.
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Cited by:

  1. Noussair, C.N. & van Soest, D.P., 2014. "Economic Experiments and Environmental Policy : A Review," Discussion Paper 2014-001, Tilburg University, Center for Economic Research.
  2. Stranlund, John K. & Moffitt, L. Joe, 2014. "Enforcement and price controls in emissions trading," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 67(1), pages 20-38.
  3. Todd Cherry & David McEvoy, 2013. "Enforcing Compliance with Environmental Agreements in the Absence of Strong Institutions: An Experimental Analysis," Environmental & Resource Economics, European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 54(1), pages 63-77, January.
  4. Friesen, Lana & Gangadharan, Lata, 2013. "Designing self-reporting regimes to encourage truth telling: An experimental study," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 90-102.
  5. John K. Stranlund & James J. Murphy & John M. Spraggon, 2014. "Price Controls and Banking in Emissions Trading: An Experimental Evaluation," Working Papers 2014-01, University of Alaska Anchorage, Department of Economics.
  6. Luca Taschini & Marc Chesney & Mei Wang, 2014. "Experimental comparison between markets on dynamic permit trading and investment in irreversible abatement with and without non-regulated companies," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 46(1), pages 23-50, August.
  7. Noussair, C.N. & Soest, D.P. van, 2014. "Economic Experiments and Environmental Policy: A Review," Discussion Paper 2014-001, .
  8. Coria, Jessica & Villegas-Palacio, Clara & Cárdenas, Juan Camilo, 2011. "Should we tax or let firms trade emissons? An experimental analysis with policy implications for developing countries," Working Papers in Economics 516, University of Gothenburg, Department of Economics.
  9. Jones, Luke R. & Vossler, Christian A., 2014. "Experimental tests of water quality trading markets," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 68(3), pages 449-462.
  10. Cason, Timothy N., 2010. "What Can Laboratory Experiments Teach Us About Emissions Permit Market Design?," Agricultural and Resource Economics Review, Northeastern Agricultural and Resource Economics Association, vol. 39(2), April.
  11. Perkis, David F. & Cason, Timothy N. & Tyner, Wallace E., 2012. "An Experimental Investigation of Hard and Soft Price Ceilings in Emissions Permit Markets," 2012 Annual Meeting, August 12-14, 2012, Seattle, Washington 124096, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.

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