Conservation: From Voluntary Restraint to a Voluntary Price Premium

12/30/07

Permalink 04:00:25 pm, by damageva Email , 166 words, 93 views   English (US)
Categories: General, Energy, U.S., Academic Study/Journal Article, Environmental Economics / Ecological Economics, Costs and Benefits

Conservation: From Voluntary Restraint to a Voluntary Price Premium

Abstract: This paper investigates how concern for the environment translates into predictable patterns of consumer behavior. Two types of behavior are considered. First, individuals who care about environmental quality may voluntarily restrain their consumption of goods and services that generate a negative externality. Second, individuals may choose to pay a price premium for goods and services that are more environmentally benign. A theoretical model identifies a symmetry between such voluntary restraint and a voluntary price premium that mirrors the symmetry between environmental policies based on either quantities (quotas) or prices (taxes). We test predictions of the model in an empirical study of household electricity consumption with introduction of a price-premium, green-electricity program. We find evidence of voluntary restraint and its relation to a voluntary price premium. The empirical results are consistent with the theoretical model of voluntary conservation.

by Matthew Kotchen and Michael Moore
National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) www.NBER.org
NBER Working Paper No. 13678; Issued in December 2007
http://papers.nber.org/papers/w13678

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