Einzelbesprechungen

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

International Cooperation on Climate-friendly Technologies

We examine international cooperation on technological development as an alternative to international cooperation on emission reductions. We show that without any R&D cooperation, R&D in each country should be increased beyond the non-cooperative level if (i) the technology level in one country is positively affected by R&D in other countries, (ii) the domestic carbon tax is lower than the Pigovian level, or (iii) the domestic carbon tax is set directly through an international tax agreement. We also show that a second-best technology agreement has higher R&D, higher emissions, or both compared with the first-best-outcome. The second-best subsidy always exceeds the subsidy under no international R&D cooperation. Further, when the price of carbon is the same in the second-best technology agreement and in the case without R&D cooperation, welfare is highest, R&D is highest and emissions are lowest in the second-best R&D agreement.     

Bottom-up or direct? Forecasting German GDP in a data-rich environment

In this paper, we investigate whether there are benefits in disaggregating GDP into its components when nowcasting GDP. To answer this question, we conduct a realistic out-of-sample experiment that deals with the most prominent problems in short-term forecasting: mixed frequencies, ragged-edge data, asynchronous data releases and a large set of potential information. We compare a direct leading indicator-based GDP forecast with two bottom-up procedures—that is, forecasting GDP components from the production side or from the demand side. Generally, we find that the direct forecast performs relatively well. Among the disaggregated procedures, the production side seems to be better suited than the demand side to form a disaggregated GDP nowcast.     

Dynamic Adjustment of Eco‐labeling Schemes and Consumer Choice – the Revision of the EU Energy Label as a Missed Opportunity?

Products with a superior environmental performance, such as a high level of energy efficiency, are typically subject to information asymmetries. Therefore these product attributes are often undervalued in purchase decisions. Signaling, e.g. energy labeling, can overcome these asymmetries, with positive implications for effective consumer decisions, competitive advantage for suppliers of energy‐efficient goods, and for societal goals such as mitigating climate change. However, there is a scarcity of research investigating how energy labels actually influence consumer choice. The recent revision of the European Union energy label provided a unique opportunity to investigate the effectiveness of energy labeling in a quasi field‐experimental setting. We show that the proposed extension of the seven‐point A–G rating scale by adding new classes A+, A++, etc. will result in a lower perceived importance of energy efficiency in consumer decision‐making. Based on a stated preference survey investigating 2244 choices by German consumers, we conclude that the revision actually undermines the label's ability to overcome information asymmetries, hence potentially contributing to market failure. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.     

Eco‐efficiency and dematerialization: Scenarios for new industrial logics in recycling industries,automobile and household appliances

The environmental field has been continuously overloaded with new concepts in the area of environmental impact such as environmental space, ecological backpack, carrying capacity, ecological footprint, dematerialization and eco‐efficiency. The latter two concepts have a particular relevance to corporate environmental management. This article discusses the concepts of dematerialization and eco‐efficiency with respect to their implications for industry logics. It is based on a project that was initiated by the Swedish EPA. Within the project we used the scenario technique to explore the future industry logics of recycling industries related to the automobile industry and household appliances. One scenario, ‘business as usual’, indicates a focus on products with incremental improvements and a stepwise departure from today's practices. The other scenario, ‘dematerialization’, indicates a focus on functions and needs, and a significant departure from today's practices. Concluding from the empirical analysis of present industry logics, based on interviews and data analysis in specific industries, we realized that changes in industry logics and business systems are inevitable, if industry takes a responsibility for the whole life cycle seriously. Accordingly, we propose the transformation of business systems as a research agenda for the future. Such an agenda follows ecologically motivated transformation and translation processes throughout the whole system of actor networks and action nets of society and creates an enhanced understanding of the emerging processes of corporate environmental management. It also considers different institutional arrangements between those actors that constitute the system as a whole. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.     

„Controlling hilft,Abweichungen zwischen politischen Vorstellungen und der Realität zu verringern“

Praxis / Artikel

„Controlling hilft, Abweichungen zwischen politischen Vorstellungen und der Realit?t zu verringern“ Interview mit Wolfgang K?hler und Clemens Krechel zu Rechnungswesen und Controlling bei der Stadt Nürnberg