We study how public policies affects an economy where production emits pollutants and investment in productive assets raises the economy's overall productivity. We explore two hypotheses about how the accumulation of pollutants affects human well-being. Under the first one, there is no limit to...

The consequences of the 2ʿ C climate target and the implicitly imposed ceiling on CO2 have been analyzed in several studies. We use an endogenous rowth model with a ceiling and a carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology to study the effect of the ceiling on the allocation of limited funds...

We develop a theoretical model of directed technical change in which clean (zero emissions) and dirty (emissions-intensive) technologies are embodied in long-lived capital. We show how obsolescence costs generated by technological embodiment create inertia in a transition to clean growth....

Global economic convergence and protection of the climate are both worthwhile goals. Yet, there is an inherent tension between them. Greenhouse gases are a waste product that is often emitted in the production process. Limiting such emissions therefore hampers the accumulation of income and...

Global economic convergence and protection of the climate are both worthwhile goals. Yet, there is an inherent tension between them. Greenhouse gases are a waste product that is often emitted in the production process. Limiting such emissions therefore hampers the accumulation of income and...

We analyze the use of patent protection as a new policy to direct technical change to clean technology. Contrary to popular belief, it is dirty (and not clean) innovations that should be excluded from patent protection to reduce emissions. In the shortrun, removing patent protection on dirty...

It is well-known that men and women differ in their views regarding the severity of climate change, but do they also differ in their support for climate policy and in undertaking climate action? Previous evidence on this question is inconsistent, but unique survey data from the Swedish...