Suchergebnisse

Harmonisation of the instruments used in environmental policy has been considered necessary to guarantee fair competition in international markets. We investigate alternative policy measures for promoting paper recycling in seven European countries and present a theoretical framework for analysing policy requirements for the minimum amount of recycled material to be used in production. We estimate empirically the technologically feasible input combinations of pulp and waste paper for paper production. We then "translate" the standard into market-based instruments to illustrate how a common recycling goal could be implemented in different countries through taxes or subsidies. Finally, we discuss the distributional effects of harmonised policy.

ABSTRACTWe investigate the role that economic instruments can play in promoting economic sustainability and the preservation of biodiversity in agroforestry management in coffee production. Most of the world's coffee producers live in poverty and manage agro-ecosystems in regions that are culturally and biologically among the most diverse on the globe. Despite the relatively recent finding that bees may augment pollination and boost coffee crop yields, the short-term revenues from intense monoculture drive land-use decisions that destroy the forest strips serving as habitats for pollinating insects. Our study investigates whether farmers specialize in environmentally detrimental (sun-grown) or sustainable (shade-grown) farming, or both practices coexist. We calibrate an empirical model to characterize the equilibria and investigate the ecological and economic impacts of three alternative policy instruments: conservation fees, price premiums, and minimum wages.