社會地位、環境政策與經濟成長

Social Status, Environmental Policy and Economic Growth

本文考慮一個包含社會地位追求與環境特質的內生成長模型，據此討論社會地位追求態度對於相關環境政策的影響。我們以資本做為衡量財富誘發的社會地位的標準，這同時也是衡量經濟體系文化差異的一個重要參數。根據本文的研究可以發現，在污染是由廠商生產所造成的前提之下，社會地位追求態度愈強烈並不會導致環境品質惡化，但卻會加速經濟成長。另外，污染稅與政府防治污染支出可能可以在不減緩經濟成長的前提下，有效地改善環境品質，達成雙重分紅。更重要的是，開發中國家比已開發國家更有可能獲得這種雙重分紅的好處。

This paper develops a dynamic optimizing macro model that highlights the role of social status and pollution externalities, and uses it to discuss the impact of relevant environmental policies on economic growth. I propose an alternative channel played by the role of the desire for wealth-induced social status to capture the socioculture. Working on such a framework, I show that the desire for social status will stimulate the rate of economic growth, but has no impact on environmental quality. In addition, the environmental policies may reap a double-dividend in terms of a better environmental quality and a higher growth rate. More interestingly, in the developing countries, environmental polices are more likely to have a complementary effect on growth than in the developed countries.