Cross-sectoral pollution externalities and multiple equilibria

Larry Karp (1) , Thierry Paul (2)

1 University of California, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics
2 AMSE - Aix-Marseille Sciences Economiques

In familiar models, a decrease in the friction facing mobile factors (e.g., lowering their adjustment costs) increases a coordination problem, leading to more circumstances where there are multiple equilibria. We show that a decrease in friction can decrease coordination problems when a production externality arises from a changing stock, e.g. of pollution or knowledge. In general, the relation between the amount of friction that mobile factors face and the likelihood of multiple equilibria is non-monotonic.

Mots clés: costs of adjustment; multiple equilibria; factor reallocation; intersectoral migration; learning-by-doing; coordination games; cross-sectoral pollution

Domaines: Economies et finances

Larry Karp, Thierry Paul. Cross-sectoral pollution externalities and multiple equilibria. Environment and Development Economics, 2019, 24 (6), pp.624-642. ⟨10.1017/S1355770X19000147⟩. ⟨hal-02469871⟩