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The Aggregation Dilemma

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  • Ingmar Schumacher

Abstract

The results in this paper show that the level of aggregation used in a social welfare func- tion matters significantly for policy analysis. Using climate change as an example, it is shown that, under the mild and widely-accepted assumptions of asymmetr

Suggested Citation

  • Ingmar Schumacher, 2014. "The Aggregation Dilemma," Working Papers 2014-224, Department of Research, Ipag Business School.
    • Handle: RePEc:ipg:wpaper:2014-224
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    File URL: https://faculty-research.ipag.edu/wp-content/uploads/recherche/WP/IPAG_WP_2014_224.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Carlo Carraro & Johan Eyckmans & Michael Finus, 2006. "Optimal transfers and participation decisions in international environmental agreements," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 1(4), pages 379-396, December.
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    6. Samuel Fankhauser & Richard Tol & DAVID Pearce, 1997. "The Aggregation of Climate Change Damages: a Welfare Theoretic Approach," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 10(3), pages 249-266, October.
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    9. Reyer Gerlagh, 2006. "ITC in a Global Growth-Climate Model with CCS: The Value of Induced Technical Change for Climate Stabilization," The Energy Journal, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Special I), pages 223-240.
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    14. Valentina Bosetti, Carlo Carraro and Marzio Galeotti, 2006. "The Dynamics of Carbon and Energy Intensity in a Model of Endogenous Technical Change," The Energy Journal, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Special I), pages 191-206.
    15. Elizabeth Stanton, 2011. "Negishi welfare weights in integrated assessment models: the mathematics of global inequality," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 107(3), pages 417-432, August.
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    18. Martin L. Weitzman, 2009. "On Modeling and Interpreting the Economics of Catastrophic Climate Change," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 91(1), pages 1-19, February.
    19. d'Arge, Ralph C & Schulze, William D & Brookshire, David S, 1982. "Carbon Dioxide and Intergenerational Choice," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 72(2), pages 251-256, May.
    20. Popp, David, 2006. "ENTICE-BR: The effects of backstop technology R&D on climate policy models," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 28(2), pages 188-222, March.
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    22. Anthoff, David & Hepburn, Cameron & Tol, Richard S.J., 2009. "Equity weighting and the marginal damage costs of climate change," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(3), pages 836-849, January.
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    24. Martin L. Weitzman, 2007. "A Review of the Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 45(3), pages 703-724, September.
    25. Mendelsohn, Robert & Dinar, Ariel & Williams, Larry, 2006. "The distributional impact of climate change on rich and poor countries," Environment and Development Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 11(2), pages 159-178, April.
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    27. -, 2009. "The economics of climate change," Sede Subregional de la CEPAL para el Caribe (Estudios e Investigaciones) 38679, Naciones Unidas Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

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    as


    Cited by:

    1. Ingmar Schumacher, 2018. "The Aggregation Dilemma In Climate Change Policy Evaluation," Climate Change Economics (CCE), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 9(03), pages 1-20, August.
    2. repec:ipg:wpaper:2014-467 is not listed on IDEAS
    3. repec:ipg:wpaper:2014-491 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. repec:ipg:wpaper:2014-483 is not listed on IDEAS
    5. repec:ipg:wpaper:2014-496 is not listed on IDEAS
    6. repec:ipg:wpaper:2014-454 is not listed on IDEAS
    7. repec:ipg:wpaper:2014-460 is not listed on IDEAS
    8. repec:ipg:wpaper:2014-484 is not listed on IDEAS
    9. Ingmar Schumacher, 2019. "Climate Policy Must Favour Mitigation Over Adaptation," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 74(4), pages 1519-1531, December.
    10. repec:ipg:wpaper:2014-479 is not listed on IDEAS
    11. repec:ipg:wpaper:2014-482 is not listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Aggregation Dilemma; social welfare function; Integrated Assessment Models; climate policy.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q54 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Climate; Natural Disasters and their Management; Global Warming
    • Q58 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environmental Economics: Government Policy

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