Volume 4, No. 3, December 2005

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Tradable Emission Permits Regulations: The Role of                         Product Differentiation

Sang-Ho Lee

Department of Economics, Chonnam National University, Korea

Sang-Ha Park

Department of Social Welfare, Naju College, Korea

Abstract

This paper examines the role of product differentiation within the model of Sartzetakis (1997, 2004) and shows that consumer surplus may be reduced under a tradable emission permits system rather than a command and control system when there is a high degree of product differentiation or less competition between two firms. We also investigate comparative static effects of the degree of product differentiation on equilibrium output and abatement levels under the two regulatory regimes.

Key words: command and control system; product differentiation; tradable
                   emission permits system
JEL classification: L1; L5; Q2

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