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Environmental Macroeconomics: Environmental Policy, Business Cycles, and Directed Technical Change

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  • Fischer, Carolyn

    (Resources for the Future)

  • Heutel, Garth

    (University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Department of Economics)

Abstract

Environmental economics has traditionally fallen in the domain of microeconomics, but recently approaches from macroeconomics have been applied to studying environmental policy. We focus on two macroeconomic tools and their application to environmental economics. First, real business cycle models can incorporate pollution and pollution policy and be used to answer several questions. How can environmental policy adjust to business cycles? How do different types of policies fare in a context with business cycles? Second, endogenous technological growth is an important component of environmental policy. Several studies ask how policy can be designed to both tackle emissions directly and influence the adoption of clean technologies. We focus on these two aspects of environmental macroeconomics but emphasize that there are many other potential applications.

Suggested Citation

  • Fischer, Carolyn & Heutel, Garth, 2013. "Environmental Macroeconomics: Environmental Policy, Business Cycles, and Directed Technical Change," UNCG Economics Working Papers 13-2, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:ris:uncgec:2013_002
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Real business cycles; Endogenous technological change; Pollution;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles
    • O44 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - Environment and Growth
    • Q50 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - General
    • Q55 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environmental Economics: Technological Innovation

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