ECON 2J03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 13: Atep Rizal, Kenneth Arrow
Document Summary
Transferable emissions permits create a form of property right. The right is to emit a certain amount of pollution. These permits are transferable: can be bought and sold, the price at which they are bought and sold is determined by the buyer and seller. Like a tax, transferable permits that are traded in a competitive market are a cost- effective policy. Regulators do not have to know each polluters mac curve to achieve cost- effectiveness. Once the target level of pollution is set, the market will reveal a polluters mac curve through the price they pay for the permits. Trading occurs if the macs of polluters are sufficiently different: some will become sellers of permits and others buyers. The exchange of permits provides each trader with cost savings. Firms will buy a permit if the cost of the permit is less than their cost to abate the same unit.