Is Technological Progress Pareto-Improving for a World with Global Public Goods?

This paper investigates the welfare effects of unilateral or multilateral technological progress in a world with global public goods. We focus on the consumption relation between the private and the public good, and then show that technological progress may beself-centered (benefit oneself but harm others), self-sacrificing (harm oneself but benefit others), or self-defeating (harm all) if two goods are substitutable. In addition, any type of technological progress improves every countrys welfare if the private and the public good are close complements.