The Economics of International Environmental Problems

Environment has become more scarce in recent years. Notable examples are the rapid increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and the loss of biodiversity. Since environmental resources as well as their absorptive capacity for emissions are not confined to national borders, governments face new challenges in designing institutions and instruments for environmental policy. In this conference volume, experts from all over the world discuss the nature of these challenges and the basic elements for a solution to international environmental problems. Of special interest are the implementation of international environmental agreements and the impact of conflicts between economically efficient solutions and political constraints, often imposed by distributional considerations, on the negotiation process and the content of international agreements.I. Setting the Stage
Jason Shogren: International Environmental Risk. A Taxonomy. With a comment by Michael Rauscher - Klaus Hasselmann: The Outlook for Climate Change. With a comment by Henry D. Jacoby
II. Basic Elements of a Solution to International Environmental Problems
Anil Markandya/Pamela J. Mason: The Essentials for Allocating Global Environmental Goods. With a comment by Rüdiger Pethig - Edward B. Barbier: How to Allocate Biodiversity Internationally? With a comment by Timothy M. Swanson - Scott A. Barrett: International Environmental Agreements. Feasibility, Efficiency, Stability. With a comment by Henk Folmer - Geoffrey M. Heal: Environmental Policy as Risk Management. With a comment by Gebhard Kirchgässner
III. Implementing International Environmental Agreements
Carlo Carraro: Roads towards International Environmental Agreements. With a comment by Peter Bohm - Richard E. Benedick: Diplomatic and Institutional Aspects of Environmental Treaties - Michael Grubb: Optimal Climate Policy versus Political and Institutional Realities: The Kyoto Protocol and Its Follow-Up. With a comment by Gernot Klepper - Jagdish Bhagwati: On Thinking Clearly about the Linkage between Trade and the Environment - Rolf J. Langhammer: On the Nexus between Trade and the Environment and on Greening the WTO. With a comment by L. Alan Winters