Abatement-Cost Heterogeneity and Anticipated Savings from Market-Based Environmental Policies

29 Pages Posted: 18 Jan 2000

See all articles by Richard G. Newell

Richard G. Newell

Duke University - Nicholas School of Environment; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER); Resources for the Future

Robert N. Stavins

Harvard University - Harvard Kennedy School (HKS); Resources for the Future; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Date Written: December 29, 1999

Abstract

Policy makers and policy analysts in the environmental realm are frequently faced with situations where it is unclear whether market-based instruments hold real promise of reducing costs, relative to conventional command-and-control approaches. We develop some simple rules-of-thumb that can be employed with minimal amounts of information to estimate the potential cost savings that can be anticipated from designing and implementing market-based policy instruments. Because our analytical models are simple, yet capture key properties of pollution abatement cost functions, they can be used to predict potential cost savings through simple formulae. Our hope is that these simple formulae can aid policy analysts and policy makers in the early stages of exploring alternative policy instruments by helping them identify approaches that merit greater attention and more detailed analysis.

JEL Classification: Q28, Q38

Suggested Citation

Newell, Richard G. and Stavins, Robert N., Abatement-Cost Heterogeneity and Anticipated Savings from Market-Based Environmental Policies (December 29, 1999). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=202309 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.202309

Richard G. Newell

Duke University - Nicholas School of Environment ( email )

Box 90228
Durham, NC 27708-0328
United States
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National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) ( email )

1050 Massachusetts Avenue
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Resources for the Future ( email )

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Robert N. Stavins (Contact Author)

Harvard University - Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) ( email )

79 John F. Kennedy Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States
617-495-1820 (Phone)
617-496-3783 (Fax)

Resources for the Future

1616 P Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
United States

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) ( email )

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Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

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