Jeroen Van Den Bergh - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Jeroen Van Den Bergh

Research paper thumbnail of Carbon tax acceptability with information provision and mixed revenue uses

Nature Communications

Public acceptability of carbon taxation depends on its revenue use. Which single or mixed revenue... more Public acceptability of carbon taxation depends on its revenue use. Which single or mixed revenue use is most appropriate, and which perceptions of policy effectiveness and fairness explain this, remains unclear. It is, moreover, uncertain how people’s prior knowledge about carbon taxation affects policy acceptability. Here we conduct a survey experiment to test how distinct revenue uses, prior knowledge, and information provision about the functioning of carbon taxation affect policy perceptions and acceptability. We show that spending revenues on climate projects maximises acceptability as well as perceived fairness and effectiveness. A mix of different revenue uses is also popular, notably compensating low-income households and funding climate projects. In addition, we find that providing information about carbon taxation increases acceptability for unspecified revenue use and for people with more prior tax knowledge. Furthermore, policy acceptability is more strongly related to ...

Research paper thumbnail of New Dynamics for Europe: Reaping the Benefits of Socio-ecological Transition – Part II: Model and Area Chapters. WWWforEurope Deliverable No. 12

The WWWforEurope research project proposes a comprehensive strategy to set Europe on a dynamic pa... more The WWWforEurope research project proposes a comprehensive strategy to set Europe on a dynamic path to a socio-ecological transition. This part of the final report puts together the results of different models and presents research findings in the five areas which were inputs for part one "Synthesis". It is based on more than 160 new research papers, produced by 34 research groups cooperating in the project, but also on existing literature.

Research paper thumbnail of Managing the Transition to Renewable Energy

This book addresses the problem of how to make a large-scale socio-technical transition to renewa... more This book addresses the problem of how to make a large-scale socio-technical transition to renewable energy, so as to realize an environmentally sustainable economy in the long run. Transition thinking has in a short time managed to occupy a central position in the policy debate on sustainable development.

Research paper thumbnail of New Dynamics for Europe: Reaping the Benefits of Socio-ecological Transition - Synthesis Report II

The WWWforEurope research project proposes a comprehensive strategy to set Europe on a dynamic pa... more The WWWforEurope research project proposes a comprehensive strategy to set Europe on a dynamic path to a socio-ecological transition. This part reports on the results of different models and presents research findings in the five areas which were inputs for part one "Synthesis". It is based on more than 160 new research papers, produced by 34 research groups cooperating in the project, but also on existing literature.

Research paper thumbnail of Agrowth Instead of Anti-and Pro-Growth: Less Polarization, More Support for Sustainability/Climate Policies

The Journal of Population and Sustainability

An agrowth strategy, defined as being agnostic and indifferent about GDP growth, is proposed as a... more An agrowth strategy, defined as being agnostic and indifferent about GDP growth, is proposed as an alternative to unconditional anti-and pro-growth strategies. It is argued that such a strategy can contribute to reducing scientific and political polarization in the long-standing debate on growth versus the environment. Hence, it can broaden urgently needed support for serious sustainability and climate policies. The exposition includes a novel graphical illustration, a summary of recent surveys of citizens and scientists regarding support for an agrowth position, and a discussion of implications for population growth and policies.

Research paper thumbnail of Urbanization, Migration, and Adaptation to Climate Change

Research paper thumbnail of Public views on carbon taxation and its fairness: a computational-linguistics analysis

Climatic Change

Carbon taxes evoke a variety of public responses, often with negative implications for policy sup... more Carbon taxes evoke a variety of public responses, often with negative implications for policy support, implementation, and stringency. Here we use topic modeling to analyze associations of Spanish citizens with a policy proposal to introduce a carbon tax. This involves asking two key questions, to elicit (1) citizens’ associations with a carbon tax and (2) their judgment of the fairness of such a policy for distinct uses of tax revenues. We identify 11 topics for the first question and 18 topics for the second. We perform regression analysis to assess how respondents’ associations relate to their carbon tax acceptability, knowledge, and sociodemographic characteristics. The results show that, compared to people accepting the carbon tax, those rejecting it show less trust in politicians, think that the rich should pay more than the poor, consider the tax to be less fair, and stress more a lack of renewable energy or low-carbon transport. Respondents accepting a carbon tax emphasize more the need to solve environmental problems and care about a just society. These insights can help policymakers to improve the design and communication of climate policy with the aim to increase its public acceptability.

Research paper thumbnail of Policies for Equality Under Low or No Growth: A Model Inspired by Piketty

Review of Political Economy

Research paper thumbnail of A transition to green ‘agrowth’

Ökologisches Wirtschaften - Fachzeitschrift

We need to debate in science, politics and wider society the option of stepping outside the futil... more We need to debate in science, politics and wider society the option of stepping outside the futile framing of pro- versus anti-growth. Realizing there is a third way, namely an agrowth strategy, can help to overcome existing polarization and weaken political resistance against effective environmental and climate policies.

Research paper thumbnail of The employment double dividend of environmental tax reforms: exploring the role of agent behaviour and social interaction

Journal of Environmental Economics and Policy

ABSTRACT It has been long debated whether environmental tax reform (ETR), i.e. a revenue-neutral ... more ABSTRACT It has been long debated whether environmental tax reform (ETR), i.e. a revenue-neutral shift of the tax burden from labour to carbon emissions, can have a double dividend, in terms of climate and economic goals. So far this question has been addressed in public finance and environmental economics using models with rational and representative agents. Here we examine the relevance of deviating from these standard behavioural assumptions. Our motivation is that research from other fields indicates that impacts of both environmental and income taxation on households are sensitive to behavioural biases, such as habits, imitation or status seeking. A related feature is that consumers and firms are heterogeneous with respect to many characteristics, some of which are crucial for the distributional effects of a tax reform. We combine insights from social psychology and behavioural, evolutionary and labour economics to identify behavioural cases in which the impacts of an ETR is likely to differ significantly from those in the traditional framework. Our findings show that households’ time use patterns and the distinction between extensive and intensive labour supply are relevant and deserve more attention.

Research paper thumbnail of Tax carbon to aid economic recovery

Research paper thumbnail of Evolutionary macroeconomic assessment of employment and innovation impacts of climate policy packages

Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization

Research paper thumbnail of Optimal urban form for global and local emissions under electric vehicle and renewable energy scenarios

Urban Climate

Abstract We determine which urban form generates minimal global and local emissions. To this end,... more Abstract We determine which urban form generates minimal global and local emissions. To this end, we develop a spatial accounting model of a circular city consisting of six zones. Activities comprise low and high density housing, offices and industry. Spatial interactions among activities give rise to freight and passenger transport. We assess global emissions of greenhouse gases due to the direct and indirect use of coal, oil and gas by economic activities and transport. In addition, we calculate local emissions which are zone-specific. Distribution and health effects of such emissions are also taken into account. The model analyses each urban form for various scenarios of distinct shares of electric vehicles in transport and of renewable energy in electricity production. Numerical exercises allow establishing a relationship between optimal urban form and shares of electric vehicles and renewable energy. We also derive transition paths to the most desirable urban form considering minimal transition effort. This may help urban planners to design a feasible time strategy for improving urban form in terms of emissions.

Research paper thumbnail of Real options analysis of investment in solar vs. wind energy: Diversification strategies under uncertain prices and costs

Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews

Research paper thumbnail of Human health impacts of climate change as a catalyst for public engagement

International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management

Purpose This paper aims to clarify the relationship between climate change, its negative impacts ... more Purpose This paper aims to clarify the relationship between climate change, its negative impacts on human health and its role in catalysing public engagement for climate policies. It aims to increase public support for climate-mitigation strategies by showing the medical case for negative climate-induced health impacts, the economic burden it entails and the public response to climate change that may be expected when health frames are used. Design/methodology/approach The paper reviews medical, economic and behavioural studies focusing on climate-induced health impacts, its economic costs and its potential for catalysing public engagement for climate policy. Findings The paper provides empirical insights about the various direct and indirect effects of climate change on human health which includes both physical impacts (infectious and non-infectious diseases) and non-physical impacts (mental disorders and reduced labour productivity). Extreme events such as storms, floods and drough...

Research paper thumbnail of How realistic is green growth? Sectoral-level carbon intensity versus productivity

Journal of Cleaner Production, 2016

Abstract This study considers the potential conflict between economic growth and climate change m... more Abstract This study considers the potential conflict between economic growth and climate change mitigation. Some believe green growth is an option, while others think climate goals are incompatible with growth. It does so by developing a sector-based approach to analyze the relation between on the one hand carbon dioxide emissions per dollar of output and on the other the growth in economic output and labor productivity. This allows us to investigate whether green growth – combining economic growth with environmental sustainability – is feasible. The analysis covers Denmark, Germany and Spain for the period 1995–2007. An important innovation of this study is that carbon intensity is calculated in two different ways: (1) as direct carbon dioxide emissions from each sector, which can be seen to immediately result from the processes in the respective sector; and (2) as total, direct plus indirect, emissions, by using environmentally-extended input–output tables and considering also indirect carbon emissions through imported goods. Another novelty of this study is that we calculate correlations over time between sectoral carbon intensity and a range of economic indicators: sectoral total and relative output, final demand, value added, and so-called output and valued-added productivity indicators, and their change. A main conclusion is that despite past climate policy, developed under the Kyoto protocol, relatively clean sectors do not seem to be more productive than dirtier ones, and neither show higher productivity growth. Sectors associated with high carbon intensity grew more in absolute terms than those with low carbon intensity. The share of these sectors increased suggesting that green development requires an extremely rapid pace of decarbonization (to allow for green growth), or the economy as a whole to shrink (green decline). An important additional finding of this study is that longer-term sectoral growth, as expressed by a change in value added, does not seem to be positively correlated with carbon intensity.

Research paper thumbnail of Behavioral Foundations of Sustainability Transitions

"Writings on sustainability transitions generally do not say much about the particularities ... more "Writings on sustainability transitions generally do not say much about the particularities of the behavior of individuals and organizations. This is somewhat surprising since an important problem which transition management needs to tackle is inertia or resistance to change. Transition policy needs to account for the bounded rationality and social interaction of agents so as to arrive at a more realistic view of the limits and opportunities for realizing a transition. System failures like lock-in, unpredictability and surprise in innovation systems, and network interaction between agents have received some attention, but their behavioral underpinnings can be improved. The identification of relevant stakeholders in transition processes and their unique behavioral features is crucial for understanding how to stimulate transitions. In this paper we investigate opportunities to integrate various theories and disciplinary views on behavior into thinking about sustainability transitions with the aim to arrive at recommendations for more effective policies. For this purpose, we combine insights from the literatures on agency in sustainability transitions, on environmental policy under bounded rationality and social interactions, and on behavioral foundations of learning and innovation."

Research paper thumbnail of Floods and happiness: Empirical evidence from Bulgaria

Ecological Economics, 2016

•We conduct an econometric study on the effect of floods on happiness in Bulgaria.•Experiencing f... more •We conduct an econometric study on the effect of floods on happiness in Bulgaria.•Experiencing floods causes lasting reduction in subjective well-being.•The intensity of the flood seems to matter more than its timing.•Intangible or psychological damages of low-intensity floods can be substantial.•Material damages do not capture the entire impact of extreme events on happiness.

Research paper thumbnail of original: A multiregional perspective on growth and environment: The role of endogenous technology and trade

The Annals of Regional Science, Feb 10, 1998

Research paper thumbnail of List of suggestions for behavioural elements in the macroeconomic model

Traditional economic theory describes economic agents as being perfectly rational. According to t... more Traditional economic theory describes economic agents as being perfectly rational. According to this approach, agents posses all necessary information and have the ability to process this information to make the best decision for maximizing their profit. However, in the real world this assumption does not hold for a number of reasons. First, economic agents are not in possession of all the information relevant to making decisions and furthermore, information is costly. Second, they do not have all the computational abilities needed to arrive at optimal decisions. Third, they are boundedly rational and have a number of other-regarding preferences which influence their choices. Here we provide a list with the most important behavioural biases of different stakeholders involved in a sustainability transition. This will allow us to improve macroeconomic models and associated analyses of transition policies.

Research paper thumbnail of Carbon tax acceptability with information provision and mixed revenue uses

Nature Communications

Public acceptability of carbon taxation depends on its revenue use. Which single or mixed revenue... more Public acceptability of carbon taxation depends on its revenue use. Which single or mixed revenue use is most appropriate, and which perceptions of policy effectiveness and fairness explain this, remains unclear. It is, moreover, uncertain how people’s prior knowledge about carbon taxation affects policy acceptability. Here we conduct a survey experiment to test how distinct revenue uses, prior knowledge, and information provision about the functioning of carbon taxation affect policy perceptions and acceptability. We show that spending revenues on climate projects maximises acceptability as well as perceived fairness and effectiveness. A mix of different revenue uses is also popular, notably compensating low-income households and funding climate projects. In addition, we find that providing information about carbon taxation increases acceptability for unspecified revenue use and for people with more prior tax knowledge. Furthermore, policy acceptability is more strongly related to ...

Research paper thumbnail of New Dynamics for Europe: Reaping the Benefits of Socio-ecological Transition – Part II: Model and Area Chapters. WWWforEurope Deliverable No. 12

The WWWforEurope research project proposes a comprehensive strategy to set Europe on a dynamic pa... more The WWWforEurope research project proposes a comprehensive strategy to set Europe on a dynamic path to a socio-ecological transition. This part of the final report puts together the results of different models and presents research findings in the five areas which were inputs for part one "Synthesis". It is based on more than 160 new research papers, produced by 34 research groups cooperating in the project, but also on existing literature.

Research paper thumbnail of Managing the Transition to Renewable Energy

This book addresses the problem of how to make a large-scale socio-technical transition to renewa... more This book addresses the problem of how to make a large-scale socio-technical transition to renewable energy, so as to realize an environmentally sustainable economy in the long run. Transition thinking has in a short time managed to occupy a central position in the policy debate on sustainable development.

Research paper thumbnail of New Dynamics for Europe: Reaping the Benefits of Socio-ecological Transition - Synthesis Report II

The WWWforEurope research project proposes a comprehensive strategy to set Europe on a dynamic pa... more The WWWforEurope research project proposes a comprehensive strategy to set Europe on a dynamic path to a socio-ecological transition. This part reports on the results of different models and presents research findings in the five areas which were inputs for part one "Synthesis". It is based on more than 160 new research papers, produced by 34 research groups cooperating in the project, but also on existing literature.

Research paper thumbnail of Agrowth Instead of Anti-and Pro-Growth: Less Polarization, More Support for Sustainability/Climate Policies

The Journal of Population and Sustainability

An agrowth strategy, defined as being agnostic and indifferent about GDP growth, is proposed as a... more An agrowth strategy, defined as being agnostic and indifferent about GDP growth, is proposed as an alternative to unconditional anti-and pro-growth strategies. It is argued that such a strategy can contribute to reducing scientific and political polarization in the long-standing debate on growth versus the environment. Hence, it can broaden urgently needed support for serious sustainability and climate policies. The exposition includes a novel graphical illustration, a summary of recent surveys of citizens and scientists regarding support for an agrowth position, and a discussion of implications for population growth and policies.

Research paper thumbnail of Urbanization, Migration, and Adaptation to Climate Change

Research paper thumbnail of Public views on carbon taxation and its fairness: a computational-linguistics analysis

Climatic Change

Carbon taxes evoke a variety of public responses, often with negative implications for policy sup... more Carbon taxes evoke a variety of public responses, often with negative implications for policy support, implementation, and stringency. Here we use topic modeling to analyze associations of Spanish citizens with a policy proposal to introduce a carbon tax. This involves asking two key questions, to elicit (1) citizens’ associations with a carbon tax and (2) their judgment of the fairness of such a policy for distinct uses of tax revenues. We identify 11 topics for the first question and 18 topics for the second. We perform regression analysis to assess how respondents’ associations relate to their carbon tax acceptability, knowledge, and sociodemographic characteristics. The results show that, compared to people accepting the carbon tax, those rejecting it show less trust in politicians, think that the rich should pay more than the poor, consider the tax to be less fair, and stress more a lack of renewable energy or low-carbon transport. Respondents accepting a carbon tax emphasize more the need to solve environmental problems and care about a just society. These insights can help policymakers to improve the design and communication of climate policy with the aim to increase its public acceptability.

Research paper thumbnail of Policies for Equality Under Low or No Growth: A Model Inspired by Piketty

Review of Political Economy

Research paper thumbnail of A transition to green ‘agrowth’

Ökologisches Wirtschaften - Fachzeitschrift

We need to debate in science, politics and wider society the option of stepping outside the futil... more We need to debate in science, politics and wider society the option of stepping outside the futile framing of pro- versus anti-growth. Realizing there is a third way, namely an agrowth strategy, can help to overcome existing polarization and weaken political resistance against effective environmental and climate policies.

Research paper thumbnail of The employment double dividend of environmental tax reforms: exploring the role of agent behaviour and social interaction

Journal of Environmental Economics and Policy

ABSTRACT It has been long debated whether environmental tax reform (ETR), i.e. a revenue-neutral ... more ABSTRACT It has been long debated whether environmental tax reform (ETR), i.e. a revenue-neutral shift of the tax burden from labour to carbon emissions, can have a double dividend, in terms of climate and economic goals. So far this question has been addressed in public finance and environmental economics using models with rational and representative agents. Here we examine the relevance of deviating from these standard behavioural assumptions. Our motivation is that research from other fields indicates that impacts of both environmental and income taxation on households are sensitive to behavioural biases, such as habits, imitation or status seeking. A related feature is that consumers and firms are heterogeneous with respect to many characteristics, some of which are crucial for the distributional effects of a tax reform. We combine insights from social psychology and behavioural, evolutionary and labour economics to identify behavioural cases in which the impacts of an ETR is likely to differ significantly from those in the traditional framework. Our findings show that households’ time use patterns and the distinction between extensive and intensive labour supply are relevant and deserve more attention.

Research paper thumbnail of Tax carbon to aid economic recovery

Research paper thumbnail of Evolutionary macroeconomic assessment of employment and innovation impacts of climate policy packages

Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization

Research paper thumbnail of Optimal urban form for global and local emissions under electric vehicle and renewable energy scenarios

Urban Climate

Abstract We determine which urban form generates minimal global and local emissions. To this end,... more Abstract We determine which urban form generates minimal global and local emissions. To this end, we develop a spatial accounting model of a circular city consisting of six zones. Activities comprise low and high density housing, offices and industry. Spatial interactions among activities give rise to freight and passenger transport. We assess global emissions of greenhouse gases due to the direct and indirect use of coal, oil and gas by economic activities and transport. In addition, we calculate local emissions which are zone-specific. Distribution and health effects of such emissions are also taken into account. The model analyses each urban form for various scenarios of distinct shares of electric vehicles in transport and of renewable energy in electricity production. Numerical exercises allow establishing a relationship between optimal urban form and shares of electric vehicles and renewable energy. We also derive transition paths to the most desirable urban form considering minimal transition effort. This may help urban planners to design a feasible time strategy for improving urban form in terms of emissions.

Research paper thumbnail of Real options analysis of investment in solar vs. wind energy: Diversification strategies under uncertain prices and costs

Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews

Research paper thumbnail of Human health impacts of climate change as a catalyst for public engagement

International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management

Purpose This paper aims to clarify the relationship between climate change, its negative impacts ... more Purpose This paper aims to clarify the relationship between climate change, its negative impacts on human health and its role in catalysing public engagement for climate policies. It aims to increase public support for climate-mitigation strategies by showing the medical case for negative climate-induced health impacts, the economic burden it entails and the public response to climate change that may be expected when health frames are used. Design/methodology/approach The paper reviews medical, economic and behavioural studies focusing on climate-induced health impacts, its economic costs and its potential for catalysing public engagement for climate policy. Findings The paper provides empirical insights about the various direct and indirect effects of climate change on human health which includes both physical impacts (infectious and non-infectious diseases) and non-physical impacts (mental disorders and reduced labour productivity). Extreme events such as storms, floods and drough...

Research paper thumbnail of How realistic is green growth? Sectoral-level carbon intensity versus productivity

Journal of Cleaner Production, 2016

Abstract This study considers the potential conflict between economic growth and climate change m... more Abstract This study considers the potential conflict between economic growth and climate change mitigation. Some believe green growth is an option, while others think climate goals are incompatible with growth. It does so by developing a sector-based approach to analyze the relation between on the one hand carbon dioxide emissions per dollar of output and on the other the growth in economic output and labor productivity. This allows us to investigate whether green growth – combining economic growth with environmental sustainability – is feasible. The analysis covers Denmark, Germany and Spain for the period 1995–2007. An important innovation of this study is that carbon intensity is calculated in two different ways: (1) as direct carbon dioxide emissions from each sector, which can be seen to immediately result from the processes in the respective sector; and (2) as total, direct plus indirect, emissions, by using environmentally-extended input–output tables and considering also indirect carbon emissions through imported goods. Another novelty of this study is that we calculate correlations over time between sectoral carbon intensity and a range of economic indicators: sectoral total and relative output, final demand, value added, and so-called output and valued-added productivity indicators, and their change. A main conclusion is that despite past climate policy, developed under the Kyoto protocol, relatively clean sectors do not seem to be more productive than dirtier ones, and neither show higher productivity growth. Sectors associated with high carbon intensity grew more in absolute terms than those with low carbon intensity. The share of these sectors increased suggesting that green development requires an extremely rapid pace of decarbonization (to allow for green growth), or the economy as a whole to shrink (green decline). An important additional finding of this study is that longer-term sectoral growth, as expressed by a change in value added, does not seem to be positively correlated with carbon intensity.

Research paper thumbnail of Behavioral Foundations of Sustainability Transitions

"Writings on sustainability transitions generally do not say much about the particularities ... more "Writings on sustainability transitions generally do not say much about the particularities of the behavior of individuals and organizations. This is somewhat surprising since an important problem which transition management needs to tackle is inertia or resistance to change. Transition policy needs to account for the bounded rationality and social interaction of agents so as to arrive at a more realistic view of the limits and opportunities for realizing a transition. System failures like lock-in, unpredictability and surprise in innovation systems, and network interaction between agents have received some attention, but their behavioral underpinnings can be improved. The identification of relevant stakeholders in transition processes and their unique behavioral features is crucial for understanding how to stimulate transitions. In this paper we investigate opportunities to integrate various theories and disciplinary views on behavior into thinking about sustainability transitions with the aim to arrive at recommendations for more effective policies. For this purpose, we combine insights from the literatures on agency in sustainability transitions, on environmental policy under bounded rationality and social interactions, and on behavioral foundations of learning and innovation."

Research paper thumbnail of Floods and happiness: Empirical evidence from Bulgaria

Ecological Economics, 2016

•We conduct an econometric study on the effect of floods on happiness in Bulgaria.•Experiencing f... more •We conduct an econometric study on the effect of floods on happiness in Bulgaria.•Experiencing floods causes lasting reduction in subjective well-being.•The intensity of the flood seems to matter more than its timing.•Intangible or psychological damages of low-intensity floods can be substantial.•Material damages do not capture the entire impact of extreme events on happiness.

Research paper thumbnail of original: A multiregional perspective on growth and environment: The role of endogenous technology and trade

The Annals of Regional Science, Feb 10, 1998

Research paper thumbnail of List of suggestions for behavioural elements in the macroeconomic model

Traditional economic theory describes economic agents as being perfectly rational. According to t... more Traditional economic theory describes economic agents as being perfectly rational. According to this approach, agents posses all necessary information and have the ability to process this information to make the best decision for maximizing their profit. However, in the real world this assumption does not hold for a number of reasons. First, economic agents are not in possession of all the information relevant to making decisions and furthermore, information is costly. Second, they do not have all the computational abilities needed to arrive at optimal decisions. Third, they are boundedly rational and have a number of other-regarding preferences which influence their choices. Here we provide a list with the most important behavioural biases of different stakeholders involved in a sustainability transition. This will allow us to improve macroeconomic models and associated analyses of transition policies.