The theory of environmental agreements and taxes : CO₂ policy performance in comparative perspective / Martin Enevoldsen

Includes bibliographical references and index

1. Introduction -- 2. Approaches to environmental governance in economics and political science -- 3. A dual institutional approach -- 4. Voluntary agreements and the free-rider problem -- 5. Institutions, social capital and voluntary environmental agreements -- 6. On the institutional design and effectiveness of green taxes -- 7. Comparative analysis of CO2 policies towards the industrial sector -- 8. Indirect regulation of inducstrial CO2 pollution in Austria, Denmark, and the Netherlands -- 9. A comparative analysis of CO2 policy performance at the national level -- 10. Econometric analysis of industrial CO2 emissions over the period 1958-2000 -- The micro-level: policy stimulation of cleaner energy technologies -- 12. Reflections on theory and policies

"Drawing on insights from new institutional economics, environmental economics, collective action theory and social capital theory, the author analyses how policy outcomes are influenced by institutional factors that constrain and empower the target groups of environmental regulation."

"This is the first attempt towards a general theoretical treatise of voluntary environmental agreements, based on a dual institutionalist approach that allows for comparisons between environmental taxes and agreements. The author systematically compares the performance of the radically different CO[subscript 2] policy strategies of Austria, Denmark and the Netherlands - non-intervention, earmarked CO[subscript 2] taxes and energy agreements. From this unique cross-national study, it is concluded that CO[subscript 2] taxes are generally more effective than voluntary energy agreements which, if practised in specific institutional settings, will outperform laissez-faire policy alternatives."

"This book will be required reading for environmental economists, political scientists and climate change researchers. It will also provide policymakers with useful empirical evidence and advice on how to design voluntary environmental agreements and green taxes to maximise environmental benefits."--BOOK JACKET