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Investments in environmental quality under limited attention

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  • Schmitt, Stefanie Y.

Abstract

Consumers increasingly care about the environmental quality of the goods they consume. However, limited attention impairs consumers' ability to compare and evaluate the environmental quality of goods. I show that investments in environmental quality, consumer surplus, producer surplus, and welfare are non-monotonic functions of attention. Average environmental quality, consumer surplus, producer surplus, and welfare are highest under intermediate (but different) levels of atten-tion. In addition, limited attention influences the effectiveness of policy interventions. I identify conditions under which emission taxes, subsidies, information campaigns, and mandatory disclosure lead to less investments in environmental quality, more emissions, lower consumer surplus, or lower welfare.

Suggested Citation

  • Schmitt, Stefanie Y., 2025. "Investments in environmental quality under limited attention," BERG Working Paper Series 202, Bamberg University, Bamberg Economic Research Group.
  • Handle: RePEc:zbw:bamber:313019
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    environmental quality; environmental policies; limited attention;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets
    • 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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