Environmental Regulations in Developed and Developing Countries Real-world applications dealing with industrial pollution
Dec 20, 2015
Environmental Regulations in Developed and Developing Countries
Real-world applications dealing with industrial pollution
Types of regulations considered
Price instruments (taxes, fees, fines, tariffs)Quantity instruments: quotas, limitsTradable permitsTechnology restrictionsLiability rulesInformation disclosure
Sulfur emissions: acid rain
Sulfur a major precursor to acid rainAcid rain has different effects depending on physical factors where it is deposited
Scandinavia: old rocks, very sensitiveEngland: not sensitive
European policies for sulfur
Encourage switching energy sources from oil & coal to gas (UK), hydro/nuclear (Sweden, France)Performance standards (sulfur content of fuels)Design standards (mandatory technology)
European policies for sulfur
Taxes (energy or fuel)Sweden, Norway, Denmark ~$2000/tonOther European ~$50/ton (Italy, France, Spain)Though to be modestly effective. Responsible for 30% reduction in Sweden.
Tradable sulfur permits (US)
1990 CAAA, Title IV established market for SO2 among electric utilities.First time in U.S.Issued 9 million 1-ton permitsPermits free, based on grandfatheringProve compliance at end of year.Can sell or bank permitsPrice: $100 - $500/ton (1993-2001)
Tradable sulfur permits cont’d
Marketable permits have potential to reduce control cost when heterogeneous abatement cost.Heterogeneous SO2 polluters in USCost savings due to trading: $800 million
Nitrogen oxides (NOx)
The other major precursor to acid rainTechnically more difficult to monitor, predict, and abate.Many approaches used to abate
Refunded emissions payments: Sweden
NOx reduced by 20% (but SO2 reduced by 80%).Tax on electricity prod. of $4000/tonRevenues returned to polluting companies depending on production
Clean companies, net gain. Dirty, net loss.
Very successful, politically viable
Ground-level ozone: NOx in US
CAAA specifies:Reduce NOx by 400,000 tons/yr between ’96-’99 and by 1.2 million tons/yr after.
E.g. RECLAIM in LA basinAims for 80% reduction in NOx and SOx from ’94-’03. Each licensed source has to reduce emissions – if over-comply, can trade
Green tax reform in Europe
Sweden and Germany in particularUse environmental taxes to finance decreases in other taxesHighly criticized on many grounds.Not necessarily large enough to do much good.E.g. oil ($100/m3), coal ($100/ton), also natural gas, LPG, electricity
Liability rules: Superfund
Deals with dumping of toxic wasteE.g. Love Canal (near Niagra Falls)
21,000 tons toxic chemicals buried$100 millions spent on cleanup, $14 billion in private lawsuits
Superfund 1980, tax petroleum, chemical industries. Proceeds to clean up hazardous waste sites.
Superfund continued
By 1995 $11 billion collectedBy 2000 757 Superfund sites completed.EPA had reached settlements with polluters totaling $16 billion.Use strict & retroactive and joint liabilityWith limited knowledge, liability a good approach (maybe better than mkt based)May require liability bond as a deposit
Information disclosure
Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) started in 1986 to provide public information about release of toxic substances640 chemicalsAlso voluntary agreements (e.g. 33/50)Local environmental groups use TRI to pressure & report on industryMore info better economic performance. Good starting point for new regulations.
Global policy: Ozone
Montreal Protocol (1985) on substances that deplete the ozone layer (into force 1989). Most countries developed individual plans to ratchet down productionPermits traded but not banked.Some countries restricted imports on ozone destroying substance products.
Global climate change
1997 Kyoto Protocol – mainly industrialized countries agreed to % reductions from 1990 levels (avg 5%)US continues to reject Kyoto
Distribution of current & future burden“hot air”, commitment from developing
Permits, int’l taxes, non-carbon substitutes, carbon sequestration
Incentives for innovation
Policy Gains to innovating firm
Command & Control none
Best available technology
-
Performance Standards
++
Emissions tax +++
Auctioned permits +++++
Grandfathered permits ++
Tradable performance standards
++
Environmental regulations in the developing world
Often environment is low on policy priority list – urge to industrializePolicy focus: employment & incomeDiverse instruments used, hard to generalize.Typically market based instruments not as widely used or effective.
Environmental Kuznet’s Curve
Income
EmissionsEarly phases of economicgrowth tend to pollution
As income rises, cleanenvironment is valued more, emissions decline
But v. difficult to estimatedue to lack of time series
Environmental charges & funds
Central & East Europe (planned economies): high pollution last few decadesAttract limited international capitalInstituted some environmental taxes
But no bite until decentralized
Poland: careful CBA to attract debt-for-nature, unusually successful
Planned economy emissions fees
Sulfur, NOx, carbon, some particulates, leadTransportation tollsWater extraction charges, water pollution fines, waste management fees, fertilizer and pesticide fees
Regulations in China
Most populous, one of poorest, one of most polluted countriesAir quality in Beijing: 100 tons SO2, one statistical life (cost = $300)1979 law allows charging for pollution, by 1994 $2 billion collected.
Fees charged when emissions above max.Fees too low to achieve standards.
Fees in Rio Negro, Colombia
Colombian economy growing quicklyWater/air pollution major problems1993 law that environmental damages must be taken into account
Stipulates use of economic instrumentsFees implemented: 28% decline in pollution in first 6 months
Voluntary emissions control
Informal sector in Mexico: brick makingDifficult to monitor, regulate (similar to non-point source pollution)20,000 brick kilns burn nasty stuff
Too difficult to enforce ban on dirty fuelsSubsidize propane, voluntary switchZoning for certain activitiesInvolve local grassroots
Info & institutions: Indonesia
Rapid economic growth – drastic exploitation of resources“Program for Pollution Control Evaluation and Rating” (PROPER) – similar to TRI
Reporting, evaluating, assisting firmsGrades each industry, reports in pressVery successful
Other countries have adopted similar (Mexico, Phillippines, Papua New Guinea)…