The Simple Analytics of the Environmental Kuznets Curve

21 Pages Posted: 14 Nov 1998

See all articles by James Andreoni

James Andreoni

University of California, San Diego (UCSD)

Arik Levinson

Georgetown University - Department of Economics; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: September 1998

Abstract

Evidence suggests that some pollutants follow an inverse-U-shaped pattern relative to countries' incomes. This relationship has been called the "environmental Kuznets curve." This paper lays out a simple and straight-forward static model of the microfoundations of the pollution-income relationship. We sho that the environmental Kuznets curve can be derived directly from the technological link between consumption of a desired good and abatement of its undesirable byproduct. The inverse-U shape does not depend on the dynamics of growth, political institutions, or even externalities, and can be consistent with a decentralized economy as well as a Pareto efficient policy.

Suggested Citation

Andreoni, James and Levinson, Arik M., The Simple Analytics of the Environmental Kuznets Curve (September 1998). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=132949 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.132949

James Andreoni

University of California, San Diego (UCSD) ( email )

9500 Gilman Drive
La Jolla, CA 92093-0508
United States

HOME PAGE: http://econ.ucsd.edu/~jandreon/

Arik M. Levinson (Contact Author)

Georgetown University - Department of Economics ( email )

Washington, DC 20057
United States
202-687-5571 (Phone)
202-687-6102 (Fax)

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

1050 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

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