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Strategic information acquisition and the mitigation of global warming

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  • Morath, Florian
Abstract
We consider the strategic role of uncertainty and information acquisition for the mitigation of global warming. Before the countries decide on their contribution to a mitigation of global warming, they may invest in information about the country-specific benefit of reductions of the emissions of greenhouse gases. We show that information acquisition has a substantial strategic value. Countries may prefer not to learn their benefit of climate protection even if information acquisition does not involve a direct cost. This strategic information choice may further decrease the efficiency of the public good provision.

Suggested Citation

  • Morath, Florian, 2010. "Strategic information acquisition and the mitigation of global warming," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 59(2), pages 206-217, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jeeman:v:59:y:2010:i:2:p:206-217
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    Cited by:

    1. May Elsayyad & Florian Morath, 2016. "Technology Transfers For Climate Change," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 57(3), pages 1057-1084, August.
    2. Florian Morath, 2013. "Volunteering and the strategic value of ignorance," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer;The Society for Social Choice and Welfare, vol. 41(1), pages 99-131, June.
    3. repec:zbw:hohpro:336-11 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. Helm, Carsten & Wirl, Franz, 2014. "The principal–agent model with multilateral externalities: An application to climate agreements," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 67(2), pages 141-154.
    5. repec:old:wpaper:336-11 is not listed on IDEAS
    6. Tsvetan G. Tsvetanov & Farhed A. Shah, 2012. "The Economics of Protection against Sea-Level Rise: An Application to Coastal Properties in Connecticut," Working Papers 10, University of Connecticut, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Charles J. Zwick Center for Food and Resource Policy.
    7. Kuusela, Olli-Pekka & Laiho, Tuomas, 2020. "The role of research in common pool problems," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    8. Hasson, Reviva & Löfgren, Åsa & Visser, Martine, 2010. "Climate change in a public goods game: Investment decision in mitigation versus adaptation," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(2), pages 331-338, December.
    9. Heike Auerswald & Kai A. Konrad & Marcel Thum, 2018. "Adaptation, mitigation and risk-taking in climate policy," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 124(3), pages 269-287, July.
    10. Carsten Helm & Franz Wirl, 2011. "International Environmental Agreements: Incentive Contracts with Multilateral Externalities," Working Papers V-336-11, University of Oldenburg, Department of Economics, revised Jun 2011.
    11. Altaghlibi, Moutaz & Wagener, Florian, 2019. "Unconditional aid and green growth," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 158-181.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Environmental public goods Private provision of public goods Global warming Information acquisition Uncertainty;

    JEL classification:

    • H41 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - Public Goods
    • D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness
    • Q54 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Climate; Natural Disasters and their Management; Global Warming

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