Climate Change Taxes and Energy Efficiency in Japan

In 2003 Japan proposed a Climate Change Tax to reduce its CO₂ emissions to the level required by the Kyoto Protocol. If implemented, the tax would be levied on fossil fuel use and the revenue distributed to encourage the purchase of energy efficient equipment. Analysis using the MIT Emissions Prediction and Policy Analysis (EPPA) model shows that this policy is unlikely to bring Japan into compliance with its Kyoto target unless the subsidy encourages improvement in energy intensity well beyond Japan’s recent historical experience. Similar demand-management programs in the US, where there has been extensive experience, have not been nearly as effective as they would need to be to achieve energy efficiency goals of the proposal. The Tax proposal also calls for limits on international emission trading. We find that this limit substantially affects costs of compliance. The welfare loss with full emissions trading is 1/6 that when Japan meets its target though domestic actions only, the carbon price is lower, and there is a smaller loss of energy-intensive exports. Japan can achieve substantial savings from emissions trading even under cases where, for example, the full amount of the Russian allowance is not available in international markets.     

从基础构成要素探索农产品流通体系的构建路径

农产品流通体系本质上是生产关系在商品流通领域的表现形式。农产品流通体系的科学构建应当立足于社会主义初级阶段农产品流通的基本要素状况进行整体培育、逐步推进,才能更好地推进农业产业发展,促进农民增产增收,促进国民经济运行效率的提高。     

财税补贴政策对农业公司经营绩效影响的实证分析——以西部农业上市公司为例

运用2001—2009年的西部12个省(市、区)的22家农业上市公司的非平衡面板数据,本文对财税补贴政策对西部农业上市公司的经营绩效进行了实证分析。结果表明,财税补贴政策对西部农业上市公司的盈利能力影响较深,且覆盖面较广。但所得税优惠政策并未有效提升企业的经营绩效,从而导致该项政策缺乏效率;财政补贴收入政策对企业成长能力有一定促进作用,但不具有持续性,同时该项政策造成政府的隐性担保的存在,提高了企业的举债能力。     

Bioenergy Crop Production in the United States: Potential Quantities, Land Use Changes, and Economic Impacts on the Agricultural Sector

The U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Energyjointly analyzed the economic potential for,and impacts of, large-scale bioenergy cropproduction in the United States. Anagricultural sector model (POLYSYS) wasmodified to include three potential bioenergycrops (switchgrass, hybrid poplar, and willow). At farmgate prices of US $2.44/GJ, anestimated 17 million hectares of bioenergycrops, annually yielding 171 million dry Mg ofbiomass, could potentially be produced at aprofit greater than existing agricultural usesfor the land. The estimate assumes highproductivity management practices are permittedon Conservation Reserve Program lands. Traditional crops prices are estimated toincrease 9 to 14 percent above baseline pricesand farm income increases annually by US $6.0billion above baseline.At farmgate prices of US $1.83/GJ, anestimated 7.9 million hectares of bioenergycrops, annually yielding 55 million dry Mg ofbiomass, could potentially be produced at aprofit greater than existing agricultural usesfor the land. The estimate assumes managementpractices intended to achieve highenvironmental benefits on Conservation ReserveProgram lands. Traditional crops prices areestimated to increase 4 to 9 percent abovebaseline prices and farm income increasesannually by US $2.8 billion above baseline.     

Distance and government resource allocation: from the perspective of environmental information disclosure policy change

This article investigates the relationship between environmental information and government resources and focuses on the moderate effect of distance. The results show that (1) the promulgation and implementation of the Measures for the Disclosure of Environmental Information (MDEI) can improve the level and quality of environmental information and then increase resource allocation and (2), after the MDEI are issued, distance has a significant negative moderate effect on the positive impact of MDEI, and the negative moderate effect of distance is more significant in low GDP and marketization regions, high-polluting industries and firms audited by the non-Big 4 accounting firms.     

比较优势理论与农业区域专业化发展——以福建省为例

应用比较优势理论探讨农业区域专业化发展问题。理论推导得出,按照区域农产品生产优势来选建农业专业化部门能够实现农业增效,提高农业生产整体水平。以福建省为例,采用区位商和平均值法分析了主要农产品生产比较优势。结果表明,福建省多数县份的一种或几种农产品具有显著比较优势,农业生产的区域专业化已现端倪。但目前大多数县份主导产品不显著,专业化生产与农业资源禀赋不相协调。按照县域农产品的比较优势创建农业专业化部门,将是福建省解决"三农"问题和协调县域之间经济发展的有效途径。     

工业共生效益分析——以九发工业园为例

本文在深入阐述工业共生及其效益的基础上,以九发工业园为例,详细分析了涉农企业发展生态工业园带来的经济效益、环境效益和社会效益,指出涉农企业应立足农业特点,借鉴工业生态学原理,积极构建农工商结合的生态产业体系。     

云南农业合作经济组织规范发展探析

云南省农业合作经济组织最早产生于20世纪80年代中期。近年来,在各级党委、政府及农业相关部门的共同支持和努力下,云南农业合作经济组织发展迅速,成效显著。然而,整体上,云南农业合作经济组织的发展仍然处于起步阶段,存在思想认识不统一、财务会计制度缺失、融资渠道单一、运行管理缺乏合力等诸多不规范问题。为此,应以《农民专业合作社法》的颁布实施为契机,通过加强宣传与培训、建立健全政策法规、完善运行机制等措施,推进云南农业合作经济组织的规范发展。     

徐州地区农村金融体系的优化模式研究

通过对徐州地区新农村建设示范村的实地走访和调查,对徐州地区农村金融的现状、问题进行了比较详细的阐述,在此基础上提出了优化徐州地区农村金融体系的具体路径。     

Bidding for Firms with Unknown Characteristics

When a region successfully attracts a firm by offering subsidies, the firm often commits itself to performance targets in terms of employment. In this paper, we interpret these firm‐specific targets as a consequence of incomplete information. We analyze a model of two regions that compete for a firm, assuming that the firm's productivity is ex ante unknown. We show that performance targets often induce overemployment in high‐productivity firms, and that tax credits are often superior to lump‐sum payments. Moreover, when regions differ in wage rates, the low‐wage region wins the bid and has a higher surplus than under complete information. Finally, we show that, under incomplete information, bidding might not lead to efficient firm location.