Читать книгу Environment and Society - Paul Robbins - Страница 49
Market-Based Solutions to Environmental Problems
ОглавлениеWe have seen that markets can fail and even vociferous supporters of market environmentalism admit the necessity of some form of regulatory guidance of the economy. Nevertheless, a range of market-based policy solutions have been introduced in recent years to solve countless environmental problems. These each, in some way, for better or for worse, use the concepts of incentives, ownership, pricing, and trading to address environmental problems (Table 3.1).
Table 3.1 Market-based solutions. An overview of some dominant environmental regulatory mechanisms that involve market components and are based in part on market logics. Note that in all cases the state remains an important player in making markets work and achieving environmental goals
| Regulatory mechanism | Concept | Market component | Role of the state |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green taxes | Individuals or firms participate in “greener” behavior by avoiding more costly “brown” alternatives | Incentivized behavior | Sets and collects taxes |
| Cap and trade | Total amount of pollutant or other “bad” is limited and tradable rights to pollute are distributed to polluters | Rewarding efficiency | Sets limits and enforces contracts |
| Green consumption | Individual consumers choose goods or services based on their certified environmental impacts, typically paying more for more benign commodities | Willingness to pay | Oversees and authenticates claims of producers and sellers |
