Conditions for optimality and sustainable growth that can be reconciled with natural resource use have been discussed in the literature since the first oil shocks. In the wake of the climate change debate, the innovation is this paper is to add a renewable energy source to the Dasgupta-Heal type of framework, also including for pollution. This paper presents an intertemporal planning horizon problem in the presence of an exhaustible resource, a renewable resource and pollution. Pollution is introduced as a stock that causes disutility. The renewable energy source does not increase emissions and the amount available is not limited but, compared to the depletable resource, it is more costly. In this framework we investigate the growth rate of the economy and whether strong sustainability is achievable. We obtain a closed form solution and a stringent condition on pollution that has to be met in order achieve strong sustainability. This does not hold in the long run. - Abstract 2. In the attempt to mitigate climate change and the severe consequences of fossil fuel pollution, a number of different energy options and strategies are available to policy makers today. We construct a model accounting for pollution damages and the option to use a depletable and a renewable energy resource in production. We investigate whether this economy can optimally achieve weak and strong sustainability under different technology options and production and consumption functional forms. We start by setting up an economy including for pollution and the key distinguishing factors between depletable and renewable resources. A benchmark case is constructed against which the introduction of technology and the variation in key parameters is assessed. Endogenous technology is modelled as learning by doing in the renewable resource. Results under all options are presented and some energy policy conclusions are put forward. It will be key not to solely rely on changes in the energy mix but to move to an economy that can substitute renewable energy resources for fossil fuels. - Abstract 3. After a long period of decline, commodity prices have started to rapidly increase. The surge in these prices has been attributed to a number of causes, including the production of first generation feedstock to meet new biofuels demand. High commodity prices can be detrimental for households’ food security, in fact the recent price surges have been heavily discussed in public fora and have been a serious cause for concern in developing countries. This paper aims to shed some light in the debate, in particular focusing on the assumption, which is widespread in the literature, of equiproportionate price changes on the producer and consumer side; we show that such assumption implicitly embeds an assumption on marketing margins that negatively biases results and can lead to wrong policy indication. A methodological correction is proposed and sensitivity to the assumption is reported based on Peruvian and Tanzanian data. Conclusions on welfare impacts of price increases obtained under our proposed methodology are then presented for the case of Peru. Our results suggest that a judgement on the consequences of bioenergy production on food security should be made case by case.

Maltsoglou, I. (2009). Essays on renewable energy, growth and sustainable development.

Essays on renewable energy, growth and sustainable development

2009-08-07

Abstract

Conditions for optimality and sustainable growth that can be reconciled with natural resource use have been discussed in the literature since the first oil shocks. In the wake of the climate change debate, the innovation is this paper is to add a renewable energy source to the Dasgupta-Heal type of framework, also including for pollution. This paper presents an intertemporal planning horizon problem in the presence of an exhaustible resource, a renewable resource and pollution. Pollution is introduced as a stock that causes disutility. The renewable energy source does not increase emissions and the amount available is not limited but, compared to the depletable resource, it is more costly. In this framework we investigate the growth rate of the economy and whether strong sustainability is achievable. We obtain a closed form solution and a stringent condition on pollution that has to be met in order achieve strong sustainability. This does not hold in the long run. - Abstract 2. In the attempt to mitigate climate change and the severe consequences of fossil fuel pollution, a number of different energy options and strategies are available to policy makers today. We construct a model accounting for pollution damages and the option to use a depletable and a renewable energy resource in production. We investigate whether this economy can optimally achieve weak and strong sustainability under different technology options and production and consumption functional forms. We start by setting up an economy including for pollution and the key distinguishing factors between depletable and renewable resources. A benchmark case is constructed against which the introduction of technology and the variation in key parameters is assessed. Endogenous technology is modelled as learning by doing in the renewable resource. Results under all options are presented and some energy policy conclusions are put forward. It will be key not to solely rely on changes in the energy mix but to move to an economy that can substitute renewable energy resources for fossil fuels. - Abstract 3. After a long period of decline, commodity prices have started to rapidly increase. The surge in these prices has been attributed to a number of causes, including the production of first generation feedstock to meet new biofuels demand. High commodity prices can be detrimental for households’ food security, in fact the recent price surges have been heavily discussed in public fora and have been a serious cause for concern in developing countries. This paper aims to shed some light in the debate, in particular focusing on the assumption, which is widespread in the literature, of equiproportionate price changes on the producer and consumer side; we show that such assumption implicitly embeds an assumption on marketing margins that negatively biases results and can lead to wrong policy indication. A methodological correction is proposed and sensitivity to the assumption is reported based on Peruvian and Tanzanian data. Conclusions on welfare impacts of price increases obtained under our proposed methodology are then presented for the case of Peru. Our results suggest that a judgement on the consequences of bioenergy production on food security should be made case by case.
7-ago-2009
A.A. 2008/2009
renewable energy
growth and sustainable development
bioenergy
household welfare impacts
Settore SECS-P/01 - ECONOMIA POLITICA
en
Tesi di dottorato
Maltsoglou, I. (2009). Essays on renewable energy, growth and sustainable development.
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2108/1007
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