Dirk Rübbelke

This textbook provides a solid introduction to the theoretical and empirical aspects of environmental economics and their links to environmental policy. In this second edition, all chapters have been updated and restructured, and new sections have been added to reflect a greater focus on climate policy. Starting from the need to balance the social costs of pollution against the financial costs of emission abatement, the book discusses the major issues that arise in the context of environmental policy – such as the potential and limitations of monetary valuation of the environment (and in particular the contingent valuation method) and the design of environmental policy. With regard to the choice of environmental policy instruments, the book focuses on the price-based instruments preferred by economists, i.e., environmental taxes and emissions trading, discussing in detail not only their many advantages but also their drawbacks. The second edition especially focuses on green industrial policy as a complementary measure to price-based instruments, the distributional effects of environmental policies, and the resulting challenges for political feasibility. Moreover, the book deals extensively with international environmental problems, in particular climate protection, which is a global public good that will be underprovided when certain countries refuse to cooperate and contribute. Approaches to overcoming this underprovision are described in far more detail than in the first edition, both theoretically and empirically – in particular by assessing the functions of the many international environmental agreements in this field. Finally, a new chapter considers adaptation strategies, especially in the water sector, as an additional pillar of climate policy.

English summary: This standard textbook analyses environmental problems and environmental policy from an economic point of view, providing not only a comprehensible presentation of environmental economics & from its microeconomic foundations to the latest research approaches & but also guidance for current environmental policy discussions. Extensive updates have been made for the new edition, particularly in relation to the Paris international climate protection agreement and EU emissions trading. The approach based on the economics of environmental policy instruments is expanded with the inclusion of considerations of behavioural economics. In addition, the impact of using environmental policy instruments on progress in environmental technology is discussed from the economic point of view. German description: Dieses Standardlehrbuch analysiert Umweltprobleme und Umweltpolitik aus okonomischer Sicht: Es bietet damit nicht nur eine verstandliche Darstellung der Umweltokonomie von ihren mikrookonomischen Grundlagen bis zu den neuesten Forschungsansatzen, sondern auch eine Orientierung fur die aktuelle umweltpolitische Diskussion. Fur die Neuauflage wurden umfangreiche Aktualisierungen, insbesondere mit Blick auf das internationale Klimaschutzabkommen von Paris und den EU-Emissionshandel vorgenommen. Die Perspektive der Okonomie des umweltpolitischen Instrumenteneinsatzes wird durch die Einbeziehung verhaltensokonomischer Aspekte erweitert. Ausserdem werden die Auswirkungen des umweltpolitischen Instrumenteneinsatzes auf den umwelttechnischen Fortschritt aus okonomischer Sicht erortert.

This textbook provides a solid introduction to the theoretical and empirical aspects of environmental economics, and their links to environmental policy. It advocates drawing on the economist’s toolbox as a powerful means of finding solutions to environmental problems by addressing the conflict between the societal costs of pollution on the one hand, and the financial costs of emissions reduction on the other. The book presents the main economic theory approaches to handling environmental problems and assessing the monetary value of environmental quality; the most relevant environmental policy instruments and challenges involved in their effective real-world application; and both national and global environmental problems addressed by environmental negotiations and agreements. Given its scope, the book offers a valuable basis of information for students, and for policymakers pursuing effective environmental policies.

In diesem Lehrbuch wird das konomische Grundverst ndnis zum Thema "Energie" allgemein und ber die einzelnen Teilm rkte f r fossile und regenerative Energietr ger schrittweise erarbeitet. Daf r werden konomische Zusammenh nge der Energiewirtschaft in ihren Grundz gen dargestellt und auf verschiedene Bereiche und Fragestellungen angewandt. Leserinnen werden damit in die Lage versetzt, vergangene und aktuelle Entwicklungen der Energiewirtschaft nachzuvollziehen und kritisch zu bewerten. Die aktuelle Auflage wurde im Vergleich zur 3. Auflage systematisch in der Grundstruktur berarbeitet und dabei Neuentwicklungen in der Energiewirtschaft seit 2012 ber cksichtigt.