International Review of Environmental and Resource Economics > Vol 2 > Issue 1

The Environmental Goods and Services Industry

Bernard Sinclair-Desgagné, HEC Montréal, CIRANO, CIRAIG, École Polytechnique – Paris
 
Suggested Citation
Bernard Sinclair-Desgagné (2008), "The Environmental Goods and Services Industry", International Review of Environmental and Resource Economics: Vol. 2: No. 1, pp 69-99. http://dx.doi.org/10.1561/000.00000012

Publication Date: 16 Jun 2008
© 2008 Bernard Sinclair-Desgagné
 
Subjects
Environmental Economics
 
Keywords
Q50L51L69L89
Eco-industryEnvironmental policy
 

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In this article:
1 Introduction 
2 What is the Eco-Industry? 
3 Environmental Policy 
4 Industry Structure and Firm Behavior 
5 International Trade 
6 Concluding Remarks 
References 

Abstract

This paper highlights the relationships between environmental policy and the structure of the environmental goods and services industry. It first provides a short history of the latter sector and briefly describes its main segments and economic trends. The impact of particular policy instruments, such as emission taxes and tradable permits, on key features of industry structure — notably the size and elasticity of demand, entry and exit of firms, horizontal mergers, firm asymmetry, and R&D levels, is then reviewed, together with their respective consequences on polluters' compliance costs. Conclusions are drawn and research questions are raised concerning the appropriate design of environmental policy and current trade negotiations on the liberalization of environmental services.

DOI:10.1561/000.00000012